Breaking into TV Writing

“This is the best thing I’ve read about how to become a television writer. Not ‘how to write a television script,’ but ‘how to become a television writer’! Anton has lucidly, comprehensively, and entertainingly described the real-world process of getting in the door and getting a job writing for TV. If this is your dream, I can’t think of a more valuable book to help you achieve it.” —David Kohan, Executive Producer/Showrunner, Will & Grace

“In the past, when people asked me for advice on breaking into TV writing, I’d say ‘Good luck, and please don’t ask me to read your spec script!’ Now I have a better answer: Read Anton Schettini’s book. It’s filled with specific, practical, up-to-date information—steps you can take that will work, because they worked for Anton (I know, because I hired him as a writers' assistant and watched him ascend through the ranks.) Buy it now—and don’t ask him to read your spec script.” —Bob Daily, Executive Producer, The Wonder Years, Superior Donuts, The Odd Couple, Desperate Housewives; Co-Executive Producer, Frasier

“Many are called to write for television, but few are chosen. Of the thousands of aspiring writers I’ve encountered in over forty years of teaching, Anton Schettini is among that happy few who actually managed to become one. Now he’s written a book that will help others who want to do the same. The advice he gives is specific, candid, and based on up-to-the-minute experience in the ever-mutating profession. It’s not only the most pragmatic guide of its kind for those who want to write TV, but it’s also an insightfully fun book for those who just like to watch it.” —Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, Syracuse University

"This entertaining, informative, and engaging book is a must if you're looking to break into TV writing, but it's also an incisive and funny look at how TV gets made even if you're not. Buy it for your friends, and keep it from your enemies at all costs!" —Nathaniel Stein, Writer, Angie Tribeca, Curb Your Enthusiasm; Author of The Threat

"This book—written from the perspective of someone who not only survived the climb up the TV ladder, but thrived—should be required reading in every screenwriting program on every campus in America. Anton Schettini has produced a book that is informative, funny, and full of valuable inside info. Most important, it is bracingly clear-eyed—pulling precisely zero punches about the struggles that await anyone hoping to launch a career in this business. Breaking Into TV Writing is the essential read for anyone with dreams of writing for television. How I wish it had existed when I was starting out!" —Michael Price, Creator/Showrunner, F Is for Family; Co-Executive Producer, The Simpsons

"So many hurdles! You might be the most talented of writers and have great scripts to peddle, but if you can’t even get producers and executives to read your work, your career will go nowhere. Anton Schettini discovered that first-hand when starting out, but then he developed a strategy for overcoming those hurdles and became a success. Many books focus on writing craft and technique—this book explains steps you should take to actually become a working TV writer." —Evan Smith, Author, Writing Television Sitcoms