“If you’re judging a yogi on their number of Instagram followers, it’s probably much more about what their ass looks like in a pair of Lululemons than their dedication to an eight-limbed path.” –Jamie Wheal
The social media storm isn’t sustainable.
Whether it burns itself out because it sucks or is eventually regulated like smoking, its current cultural dominance is almost certainly temporary. The only chance that social media has for lasting until the end of the world is if it is successful in its obvious goal of reducing the world to a smoking hole.
In seriousness, though, social may be reshaped by government scrutiny, overwhelmed by user fatigue, or simply replaced by some newer, shinier attention machine. But either way, building your career primarily on social media is merely a castle in the sand.
Like it or not, social media is not a reliable long-term strategy for screenwriters. Especially not if your core strengths are storytelling, dialogue, or thematic resonance as opposed to meme-craft.
So how do you promote yourself without tweeting into the void or selling your soul to the TikTok algorithm?
Here’s some good news for you: most meaningful career breakthroughs in screenwriting still happen off-screen. Let’s walk through how to cultivate visibility, credibility, and connection without wasting any more time than necessary on brain-rotting social media drivel.
There are two major traps most writers fall into when trying to “get seen”:
Today, that is social media.
Writers believe that if they’re not on Twitter or Instagram, they have no voice.
But remember: those platforms are tools, not gateways. They are not your only (or even your best) options. Social media was once revolutionary—now it’s just a given.
It’s crowded, and noisy, and favors style over substance.
People tend to gather where the action is—TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels. But think like an investor: you don’t want to buy high and sell low.
Sometimes, the best opportunities lie in tools that are underused or considered outdated—like snail mail or longform blogging (see what I did there?).
You want to catch attention in the places no one else is currently looking.
Let’s be honest: there’s no link between being a good writer and having a huge follower count. There are brilliant screenwriters with 300 followers and mediocre ones with 300,000. So there’s no legitimate reason to conflate online attention-seeking with actual hard-won credibility.
Chop wood, carry water.
However, there is a connection between visibility and success.
You can’t get hired or optioned if no one knows you exist. That’s where self-promotion comes in—but not the social-media kind. As Tim Ferriss put it, posting online is like throwing a ping pong ball into whitewater rapids.
Here’s a secret: most scripts get read not because they’re good, but because the writer is known. People read work from friends, colleagues, mentors, or people who show up in the same circles. If you want to promote yourself without social media, start by building real human connections in the real world—or at least in less chaotic corners of the internet.
Here are seven proven ways to promote yourself without the algorithm:
A strong writers’ group is your first promotional engine. Why?
You never know which member of your group will get staffed on a show or win a fellowship—and once they do, they might recommend you. That’s how careers happen: through networks, not posts.
Take a course, and don’t just absorb the content—build relationships with your instructors and fellow students. Courses (especially repeat ones like UCLA Extension–where I wrote my first full script many years ago–or Gotham Writers) foster strong communities of up-and-coming talent.
Pro tip: Pick classes with industry-experienced instructors. Their feedback is gold, and praise from a serious writer is worth more than a fucking retweet (or ten).
You don’t need a finished film to benefit from a festival.
Many festivals run pitch competitions, script coverage, and industry panels. Attend in person if you can. Talk to people. Ask questions. Listen. Bring a notebook.
Festivals like Austin Film Festival or Final Draft’s Big Break are known for building careers. Submit your work—but also be present.
A casual 10-minute conversation at a festival not only can, but often will, open more doors than 100 spray-and-pray social media posts.
These are still the golden ticket in the screenwriting world:
These programs love discovering raw talent—and they (usually) don’t care about follower counts.
These are actually among the rare places where you can count on people who aren’t numbties reading your submissions.
What matters is your voice and your story. Get on their radar.
Forget likes. Focus on substance. Writing thoughtful essays, script breakdowns, or screenwriting advice can position you as an insightful voice in the industry.
Why Substack?
Keep an eye on Substack, however, because while it currently offers a model that is beneficial to the writer, this is subject to change as with any platform. Also some of its institutional investors are… never mind.
You never know who might stumble across your blog or newsletter—and if your writing is sharp, they’ll remember your name.
*Although if you learn a bit of SEO this can work in your benefit even outside of Substack. Also–bearing SEO in mind–please forgive the sometimes clunky repetition of certain phrases.
Even if your focus is screenwriting, publishing essays, fiction, or criticism builds visibility. Many screenwriters got noticed for their short stories or personal essays before their scripts ever got read.
Places to consider:
Long story short, if someone likes your voice in prose, they know you can write. They’re one hell of a lot more likely to take the time to read your screenplay.
In many ways, podcasts have become easily as valuable as film school. Promote yourself using podcasts in your niche (screenwriting, filmmaking, storytelling) and pitch yourself as a guest.
This does work better, of course, if you have something published that you can talk about. Nevertheless, maybe you have an interesting take or story or maybe you just know a friend who’s trying to get guests. Again, work your way up–start with smaller, more niche places.
You can either promote yourself by pitching podcasts directly or look for a podcast pitching agent (who might collect a fee, so consider this an advanced move).
You don’t need to be famous—you just need a unique perspective.
Talk about:
Podcasts allow you to connect directly with an audience, without relying on posts or platforms.
Seriously, sending physical mail works.
Whether it’s a handwritten letter, a printed treatment, or a compelling cover page, physical media is more memorable. Lee Jessup insists that the old-school 1990s query letter is still one of the best ways to get your work noticed.
And it’s harder to ignore than an email, which can be deleted with one click.
Use this approach sparingly and respectfully:
Snail mail shows effort—and in an inbox world, effort stands out.
Let’s also not forget: communication evolves. Even if you’re anti-social media, you can still promote yourself by leveraging non-algorithmic digital tools:
The key is to find low-noise, high-signal environments. You want to build trust and share your work in spaces where people are actually listening—not doom-scrolling.
For lasting success, you need to promote yourself with tools that aren’t tied to trends.
You need the ability to introduce yourself, showcase your work, and earn attention—regardless of what’s trending.
Yes, learn to promote yourself. But promote yourself like a screenwriter—not, God help me, a fucking “influencer.” You’re a writer. Let your writing stand out–but remember:
People hire those they know, whom they like, and who do good work on time.
Everything else is a ping pong ball in the rapids.
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