# Selling Unfinished Script to an Interested Buyer



## MajikOfMajiks (Apr 21, 2014)

Hi

First of all, apologies if this post is not in the correct section - I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I may hang around if you turn out to be a friendly bunch. 

In a nutshell, I have myself a script which is essentially unfinished. The reality is that I don't have the time to finish my script. Saying that, a friend of a friend of a friend, read it and told me that, although it is in an unfinished state, he liked the concept of the piece. In that light, he has since offered me a nominal fee to buy the rights so that he could finish it (or do some rewrites, I guess),

First off, this seems not too shabby. I think I could up the price a little if I was to push. There again, I think why would he want to do this? Have I missed something here?

At the end of the day, it would be up to him to carry burden of trying to get it produced. 

What do you think of this? And what are the trappings of doing it?


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## popsprocket (Apr 21, 2014)

Doesn't seem like too much of a trap to me. If the buyer likes it that much then the easiest way for him to get the script is to buy it from you and complete it. That way he avoids the off chance of you coming back to bother him if he had a similar script made into a film.


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## T.S.Bowman (Apr 21, 2014)

Trap #1 - You take your "nominal fee" and sell the rights to him. He finishes. He sells it and makes a LOT of money from it. You are left with the "nominal fee" for your original idea and characters, and he's laughing all the way to the bank.


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## Bishop (Apr 21, 2014)

If you're not interested in finishing it, making money off it's not a bad idea. Just remember, once he buys it, it is NEVER yours again.


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## Greimour (Apr 21, 2014)

Trap: A strategem for tricking or catching an unwary person.

Doesn't seem like a trap to me either.

When you go to the shop to buy sweets, is it a trap set up by the dentist so that you would need his professional expertise?

You have some candy and the buyer has a sweet tooth. If you're not going to eat it, what purpose does it have left? Let somebody else enjoy it.


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## T.S.Bowman (Apr 21, 2014)

Greimour said:


> When you go to the shop to buy sweets, is it a trap set up by the dentist so that you would need his professional expertise?



In the town I grew up in, it was. The dentist also owned the sweet shop.


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## garza (Apr 21, 2014)

Don't sell it outright. Negotiate with the person for a contract that gives you writing credit, such as 'from an idea by MajikOfMajiks', as well as a percentage of what he makes, including a percentage of residuals. You and the friend of a friend of a friend will need to work out what is fair, and if you both feel there is substantial profit to be made, then you probably need to have a lawyer or an agent draw up the contract.

If you decide to sell it outright do keep in mind the caveat offered by Bishop.


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## MajikOfMajiks (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice, my friends. You've all made me feel like I'm not being some kind of writing whore by selling my works. In conclusion, I think that I will probably sell the script and ask for a percentage of royalties/residuals as garza has suggested.


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