We are proud to welcome you to this exclusive partnership between Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, Energy Entertainment, Launch Pad, and Inkshares.
What is the Launch Pad Manuscript Competition?
The Launch Pad Manuscript Competition, which launched earlier this month and will run until August 21st is dedicated to discovering new authors with strong cinematic voices, and working with them to introduce their work to the entertainment industry and publishing worlds alike. Scott Free, the production company of director/producer Ridley Scott will option at least one winning project, Energy Entertainment will sign and represent at least one writer, and Inkshares will publish and distribute a minimum of three winners digitally and physically in bookstores across the world.
What is Inkshares's role?
The competition, which is open to new and established writers alike, will ask writers to submit up to 50 pages of their work via the Launch Pad Competition website. Writers can submit any combination of chapters or treatment pages, provided that each writer includes at least a one-page synopsis as part of their submission. There is no need to have written a complete manuscript, or to have ever written a book before. This competition is open to everyone with 50 pages of work, and a story to tell. After all entries have received multiple professional evaluations a Top 50 will be selected to be read by our judges, selecting a Top 25, which will be then be featured exclusively on Inkshares where fellow readers will get to vote alongside our judges to decide which entries will advance to the final rounds and which books will get published.
What were the results of previous Launch Pad Competitions?
Now entering it’s 3rd year The Launch Pad Competitions have led to more than 150 writers signing with representation, 50 projects being set up, 21 writers being staffed on television shows, 3 bidding wars, and more than 70 appearances by writers on annual ‘best of’ lists (The Black List, The Hit List, The Young & Hungry List, The Blood List). Every major agency has signed at least one Launch Pad writer, and companies such as Warner Bros., Paramount, Fox, ABC, CBS, Appian Way, Vertigo, Wonderland Sound & Vision, Blumhouse, Chernin Entertainment, Imperative, Scott Free, Anonymous Content, amongst others have picked up Launch Pad projects.
Who are the judges?
This year’s judging pool will once again include 25 elite names in the industry, with judges stemming from Fake Empire, Color Force, Michael De Luca Productions, Lava Bear, The Weinstein Company, Lin Pictures, Red Wagon Entertainment, Vertigo Entertainment, Romark Entertainment, Jurassic Party Productions, Gotham/Principal, Paradigm, ICM, Gersh, Circle of Confusion, ESA, APA, Energy Entertainment and Scott Free.
What is Scott Free Productions?
The partnership with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free will see the 40 Oscar, 51 BAFTA, 23 Golden Globe and 102 Emmy nominated company and director/producer pick at least one winner to develop as a major film or television project. The company which was the first major to set up a Launch Pad project with a studio when they set up former winner Daniel Turkewitz’s Earthless with Fox also found success in the e-book turned feature film space when they discovered Andy Weir’s The Martian and turned it into a Best Picture nominee at this year’s Oscars.
What is Energy Entertainment?
The partnership with Energy Entertainment will see a minimum of one writer signed by the management company with the intent of not only setting up the selected writers project, but also developing their careers. Energy Entertainment represents such high caliber screenwriters as Brad Ingelsby (Run All Night), Mark Mallouk (Black Mass), Mickey Fisher (Extant), Zoe Green (Sleepy Hollow), and Rob Liefeld (Deadpool) - and has been behind an unprecedented five film and television rights deals by new authors in in the past 12 months, all of which include major publishing deals.
When will Launch Pad be announcing their top selections?
Top 75 – announced October 4th
Top 50 - announced October 25th
Top 25 - announced November 8th
Top 10 - announced November 22nd
Final winners - announced November 29th
The three with the most unique reader pre-orders by noon on December 16 will be published by Inkshares as part of the Launch Pad Collection.