I’m not a studio executive and don’t understand all the inner working of a story, but I do know that it involves a to more logistics than it looks. I used to be a logistician, and it is a pain.

In this world, you cannot always have it your way. The things you truly want to be in your domain, keep to yourself. Self publish. Maintain complete rights, if you can.

However, if you’re interested in a shared experience that requires collaboration, then everyone has to play a role somewhere. We can’t all be the chief and the indians at the same time. Something will have to yield to the other.

So I’m a big believer of taking control of your destiny, but I also believe that there is a time and place for everything. Learn how to make the two collude, and you’ll be able to do well in both worlds.

The day I understood my value (my company hired a consultant who was asking 40% more than me while I had more experience), I simply raised my hourly fee as a freelancer and guess what? People are paying me what I’m asking me to pay me now.

I did the same thing on my Monster resume: I was called up by some headhunters “because I was cheap”. I raised my asking annual salary by 15Ks, and still got some calls.

For each call I get, I raise my annual demanded salary by 5Ks, and I’m still getting calls.

I’ll write back once I’m 500Ks

The problem is that some writers accept to be paid 10$/hour to write, ditto in the translation world. It’s the whole “let’s outsource to a third-world country” problem, and writing is viewed as the last thing we should worry about. Ironically, it’s the writing that brings you sales in general. Go read Nick Usborne if you doubt about that, but I’m sure everyone HERE agrees

Yes, screenwriter is a lousy job and you never get to do the final edits, and yes, unless you’re the producer, you’ll never get to do the final edits.

If you’re in the writing business, you better get used to not having the last word… or become the producer