You've finished your screenplay. Now you need professional eyes on it. But when you start researching script coverage, the pricing is all over the map—$50 here, $200 there, $500 for "premium" services. What's actually worth paying for?
We broke down every major coverage service's pricing, analyzed what you actually get for your money, and found the sweet spot between "too cheap to be useful" and "unnecessarily expensive."
The 2025 Script Coverage Market
Script coverage pricing has barely changed in 20 years, even as technology has transformed every other industry. Most services still charge $75-200 for what amounts to a few pages of notes from a single reader. Meanwhile, screenwriters—especially those early in their careers—are expected to pay for multiple rounds of coverage across multiple services.
The math gets brutal fast: five coverage reads at $100 each equals $500 before you've submitted to a single competition or producer.
Service-by-Service Breakdown
The Black List
Cost: $100 per evaluation + $30/month hosting
Turnaround: 2-4 weeks
What you get: 1-2 page evaluation with scores (1-10) for premise, plot, character, dialogue, and setting. Recommendations for industry consideration.
The Black List is the industry standard for a reason—real producers browse their database, and high-scoring scripts get genuine attention. But the costs add up: hosting your script for six months while getting two evaluations runs $280. And if your first evaluation scores low, you're paying $100 for a "maybe try again" with no actionable path forward.
WeScreenplay / ScreenCraft (Pre-2024)
Cost: $69-199
Turnaround: 10-15 business days
What you get: Varied by service tier—basic coverage to detailed development notes.
Note: Both services shut down in 2024-2025. We include them here because many writers still reference their pricing as a benchmark. The closure of these mid-tier services left a gap in the market.
Shore Scripts
Cost: $99-249
Turnaround: 5-10 business days
What you get: Detailed coverage from industry readers. Top-rated scripts get shared with producers.
Shore Scripts offers genuine industry connections, but you're paying a premium for potential exposure that only materializes if your script scores well. For writers seeking pure feedback without the industry lottery aspect, it's expensive.
Script Reader Pro
Cost: $149-349
Turnaround: 5-7 business days
What you get: Coverage from readers you choose based on their credits and genre expertise.
The ability to select your reader is valuable—a horror specialist will give you more relevant notes on your horror script than a generalist. But at $149 minimum, you're paying for that specificity.
Traditional Script Consultants
Cost: $200-2,000+
Turnaround: 1-4 weeks
What you get: Comprehensive development notes, often with phone calls or multiple rounds of feedback.
Script consultants offer the deepest feedback, but the price puts them out of reach for most writers. They're best used when you have a specific, complex problem that needs expert guidance—not for general "is this good?" feedback.
HeatWriter
Cost: $20 per analysis
Turnaround: Under 2 minutes
What you get: Detailed scoring across concept, characters, dialogue, structure, market potential, and commercial appeal. Specific feedback for each category with actionable notes.
Full disclosure: this is our service. We built HeatWriter because we were tired of paying $100 for coverage that took weeks and gave vague feedback. At $20, you can get five rounds of coverage for the price of one traditional read—and iterate on your script in real time.
What Actually Affects Coverage Costs?
Why does coverage pricing vary so wildly? Here's what you're paying for:
1. Reader Experience
Services with "industry readers" (working studio readers, produced writers) charge more. The question is whether their experience translates to better notes for YOUR script. A reader who's great at evaluating studio tentpoles might miss what makes your indie drama work.
2. Turnaround Time
"Rush" coverage typically costs 50-100% more. But the standard 2-4 week turnaround exists because that's how long services batch their workload—not because reading your script takes that long.
3. Depth of Feedback
Basic coverage (synopsis + recommendation) costs less than development notes. But many writers don't need development notes—they need to know if their concept works, if their structure holds, if their dialogue lands.
4. Industry Access
Services like The Black List charge for the possibility of exposure. You're paying for their producer database as much as for the coverage itself.
Are Expensive Services Worth It?
Here's our honest take:
For early drafts: No. Paying $150 for coverage on a rough draft is burning money. You'll get notes on problems you already know exist. Use affordable options for iteration.
For polished, submission-ready scripts: Maybe. If you're about to submit to major competitions or query managers, one round of premium coverage can catch blind spots. But one read is usually enough—you don't need three different $100 opinions.
For industry exposure: It depends on your goals. The Black List's producer database is real, but the coverage itself isn't better than cheaper alternatives. You're paying for access, not for better notes.
How to Get Quality Coverage for Less
1. Use affordable tools for iteration
Save expensive coverage for your final draft. Use services like HeatWriter ($20) for your first 3-5 drafts to work out structural issues, dialogue problems, and concept clarity.
2. Be strategic about premium services
One Black List evaluation on a polished script is worth more than three evaluations on drafts that aren't ready. Don't pay for premium until you're premium-ready.
3. Stack free resources first
Writing groups, peer feedback, and table reads cost nothing. They won't replace professional coverage, but they can catch obvious problems before you pay for professional eyes.
4. Calculate your cost-per-insight
A $100 coverage that gives you one useful note costs $100 per insight. A $20 coverage that gives you five useful notes costs $4 per insight. Focus on value, not prestige.
Red Flags in Cheap Coverage
Not all affordable coverage is good coverage. Watch out for:
- Vague, generic feedback that could apply to any script
- No specific examples from your actual screenplay
- Turnaround times that seem too good to be true (except for automated services designed for speed)
- Readers with no verifiable experience in screenwriting or development
- "Coverage mills" that churn through scripts without real analysis
The goal isn't the cheapest coverage—it's the best value. A $20 service that gives you detailed, specific feedback is worth more than a $10 service that gives you a paragraph of nothing.
The Bottom Line
Script coverage shouldn't cost a month's rent. The industry has normalized $100+ pricing because that's what studios pay internal readers—but you're not a studio with a development budget.
Smart coverage strategy:
- Drafts 1-3: Use affordable services ($20 range) to identify major issues
- Drafts 4-5: Get one round of mid-tier coverage ($50-100) if budget allows
- Final draft: Consider one premium read if you're targeting specific industry exposure
Total cost: $100-200 across your entire development process, not per read.
Your screenplay deserves professional feedback. You don't deserve to go broke getting it.
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About the Author
By Mia Ashford/ Editor in Chief
Mia brings years of industry experience to HeatWriter, helping screenwriters craft compelling stories that capture the attention of Hollywood decision-makers.
