Sell Your TV Concept Now!

I just had a wonderful chat with Mark Simon from Sell Your TV Concept Now. Simon is an expert pitch master, with many TV shows under his belt (I think he said 3000.) If anyone can help you put together your TV pitch -- and get it sold -- he can.

Anyhow, Mark had some interesting things to say about pitching for TV.

To begin with:

Are you worried about someone ripping off your idea so you don't tell anyone about it?

Get that idea out of the head. According to Simon, if you aren't prepared to talk about your idea to just about everyone, it's not going to sell.

In the full interview I am going to do with Simon for my new radio show for writers called the Writers' Radio Resource, we will be looking at:

- How to protect your work.

- The secrets to pitching.

- How to find the right people to pitch to.

- How to pitch correctly.

The last point is so important because, according to Simon, if you don't know how to pitch correctly and go into an executive's office at a network, and blow it -- you can lose your chance to pitch again at the network FOREVER!

Simon will tell me the red flags that execs look for when you pitch.

- What are the things that can turn an executive off?

According to Simon, the networks do keep lists! So you'd better have your pitch down before contacting executives.

Finally, Simon told me that the tendency for writers to complain that they're just not good in a room is "bullshit." (His words.)

"Anyone who has passion about an idea can pitch," says Simon.

I'll let you know as soon as the show is up for your listening pleasure. We are recording on Friday.

The Writers' Radio Resource is produced by Julia Flucht, an NPR producer.