Screenplay agents represent the writers of Hollywood. They basically let the writer concentrate on what they do best while the agent is busy promoting and trying to sell a story. Agents work together with other Hollywood agents and producers to get the screenplay sold and eventually turned into a movie. Along with promoting already hired screenwriters, agents are constantly looking for new talent.
Having a screenplay agent is the first step to becoming a successful screenwriter. You could have the best screenplay and story in the world, but it may never sell or be read if you do not have an agent representing you and your story. Agents are a crucial part of the Hollywood system and sending your script and treatment directly to a studio will usually end up going nowhere.
Screenplay agents only get paid if you get paid. Much like lawyers, screenplay agents do not get paid by the hour, but on a percentage base. The typical agent rate is 10 percent, so if you sell a screenplay for $50,000, the agent will get $5,000 of that deal. In some cases, the rate could be bigger or smaller; it depends on how powerful an agency is.
All of the major movie studios are located in California, so that is where almost all of the agents are located as well. The Writers Guild of America website lists of over 90 screenwriting agents that are based out of California alone (see Resources below). Most of these agents are located in Los Angeles. Other agents can be found in New York City.
In order to get representation from a screenplay agent, you must first submit a query letter. In this letter, you describe yourself and the talents that you have to offer the agency. Usually you should have multiple completed screenplays for them to even consider you. Next, you attach a 4- or 5-page treatment of the story that you have written. After that letter is sent, there is a waiting period of about a month and the agency will either send back a rejection letter or a screenplay request. You should never send an agency a full script unless they have requested it from you.