What you should know about the Amazon screenwriting contest

Recently Amazon announced a new film/screenplay competition with a total of more than $2 million in prizes. That part is good. In fact, very good.

What’s not so good is that if you read the terms and conditions, you find that you’re giving Amazon an automatic 18-month option on your script whether or not it wins anything. Some people won’t care, but a lot more will never read all the rules and therefore will be unaware of this aspect. One drawback is that technically, at least, you will not be able to enter your script in some other contests (most of them will not allow scripts that are under option). Certainly you will not be able to give anybody else an option on it.

Also what’s not so good is that other people can rewrite your script (your version will remain as it was, the changes will be in a ‘revised’ version). How weird is that?! Realistically, though, I doubt it will happen–what would be the motivation? The only thing I could think of is if someone wants to show their chops as as a script doctor. They could fix some problematic scripts–but would anybody look at their work? Doubtful.

There’s also a popularity feature–the scripts that get the highest rating move up, which is fine if the ratings are coming from neutral readers. However, more likely they’ll come from the people with the most friends willing to go online and rate them.

If you do enter, be sure to proofread your submission if you have converted it from Final Draft to RTF, which is the format Amazon accepts. Apparently a lot of mistakes can creep in.

And be sure you want to do this, because there’s no way to delete a script once you’ve submitted it.

I’m not bashing Amazon–anybody who brings almost $3 million to the table is welcome, I’m just saying do take the time to read the rules and then decide whether this is for you. For instance, if you have a script and no other way of getting anybody to look at it, the 18-month option may not bother you at all.