3 Factors for Landing Your Name in the Trades

One goal that most Actors and Creators have in common is…you want to land in the Trades.

 

It’s true. Maybe you dream about seeing your name splashed across the pages of Variety or popping up on the homepage of Deadline – and there’s no shame in that!

 

Considering these publications are written for people working behind the scenes in entertainment, like the “decision-makers,” securing coverage in one of these outlets can deliver instant credibility and legitimacy to your career.

 

What exactly are the “Trades”? Basically, they’re any publication or section in a publication that is focused on covering the business of show business. The biggest and most well-known of these press outlets include Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap. But, there are also lots of others, such as ScreenDaily, IndieWire, The Playlist, /Film, Women and Hollywood, Filmmaker Magazine and more.

 

I realize that you might be eager to gain some Trades traction, but it’s essential that you understand not all stories are appropriate for these outlets. Determining when to reach out to the Trades with your news, can be the difference between irritating a Reporter or creating a new fan.

 

So, before getting started…consider these 3 Factors for Landing Your Name in the Trades:

 

1. Is Your News a Business Story?

 

It’s important that you accurately determine if your news is a business story or if it is a consumer story. A business story is written for and about the entertainment industry itself. A consumer story covers entertainment for the consumption of the general public, including all those fans out there.

 

The entertainment Trades report on details surrounding high-profile projects, box office reports, funding pacts, production company and studio news, industry trends, casting announcements, distribution deals, festival winners and anything else that affects or influences the business of entertainment.  

 

Keep in mind, business stories have an impact on the industry in some way and are about more than just the latest premiere. So, you should always ascertain exactly what your story is about before you begin contacting the press.

 

2. Are You Allowed to Share Your News?

 

WooHoo…you just landed an amazing role opposite a big name actor in the latest superhero movie – call the Trades, right?!

 

WAIT! Before you do anything — you must check with the production team and ask for permission to alert the press. Here’s the thing…you booked the role, but you don’t own it. So, it’s up to the production team to decide if they’re ready to spread the word about your role and the entire project. Even if you didn’t sign an iron-clad NDA (non-disclosure agreement), it’s still necessary for you to get permission before sharing your news.

 

Trust me, I’ve heard from clients who’ve learned this the hard way. The last thing you want to do is have a Reporter try to verify your story with the production team (which they do)…and then get denied. That’s a quick way to burn your relationship with both the producers and the Reporter.

 

3. Will This Story Be an ‘Exclusive’?

 

We often refer to the Trades as a whole…as if they’re one big outlet. But, they are definitely not – they’re cutthroat competitors! Each outlet is looking to get an early scoop and beat out the others, so it’s vital that you offer an “exclusive” story idea to each of them one at a time. If the first one isn’t interested…then you move onto the next.

 

IMPORTANT: If you remember nothing else from this article – remember this: Posting your role on IMDb or any other online source (such as social media) could jeopardize the exclusivity of yours news. Why? Because these websites are available to the public, so technically you’ve allowed IMDb, Instagram or another online platform to break your big news to the world.

 

Offering up an “exclusive” story will help to create a more appealing opportunity and could be difference between gaining coverage or hearing the word “pass”.

 

 

Overall, my biggest piece of advice is to read the Trades outlets you most want to target. Get a feel for the type of news each of these publications report on and how they cover it. This will help you to determine when your latest role or creative project might be right for landing you in the Trades.

 

THANKS!