# Spec script > A screenplay written on speculation — no deal yet — meant to sell the story or showcase craft. Specs usually skip production numbering and camera direction. Also known as spec, speculative screenplay ## In practice Spec craft is about story clarity on the page: clean sluglines, playable dialogue, and action a reader can see without a deal attached. You are asking someone to fall for the movie on the strength of the read alone. That job rewards momentum and character, not production paperwork from a later phase. Resist shooting-script habits until production needs them — heavy CONTINUED, shot lists, scene numbers, and revision colors. Those signals can make a sales draft look like it is cosplaying prep. Keep the read effortless; let the story be the only complexity on the page for a cold manager. Length is a pacing signal. Most contemporary feature specs land roughly in the 90-120 page range depending on genre; comedy often trends shorter. Extreme length without cause is a common pass reason because readers treat page count as an early estimate of runtime and writer discipline. ## See it formatted - [Screenplay title pages and anonymous submissions](https://www.inkwell.software/resources/screenplay-formatting/title-pages-anonymous-submissions): Keep a normal master title page with authorship and contact information, but create a separate anonymous PDF whenever the current submission rules require it. ## Common questions ### How long should a feature spec be? Most contemporary feature specs land roughly in the 90-120 page range depending on genre; comedy often trends shorter. Page count is a pacing signal — extreme length without cause is a common pass reason. The Screenplay Length desk places a count against those bands, official contest windows, and a measured story-word corpus. ### Should I register or copyright a spec before sharing? Many writers register with the WGA or copyright office before wide circulation. That is a legal process choice outside Inkwell — treat exports and shared links as real distribution either way. ### Can a TV pilot be a spec? Yes. An original pilot written on speculation is still a spec in the sales sense. Follow TV formatting and act structure expectations for the market you are aiming at. ### Do specs include a title page? Yes. A calm title page with title, writer name, and contact (or representation) is standard. Skip artwork, cast wish lists, and synopsis text on that page. ## Related terms - [Shooting script](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/shooting-script): The production draft: scene numbers, locks, and revision marks — the document departments schedule and shoot from, not the clean selling draft. - [Pilot](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/pilot): The first episode of a series — the script that proves characters, tone, and the engine that can run for seasons. Often the draft a room or network judges hardest. - [Treatment](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/treatment): A present-tense prose summary of the story — usually a few to several pages — used to pitch and develop before a full script exists. - [Logline](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/logline): One or two sentences that capture protagonist, conflict, and stakes — the shortest honest pitch of the story. --- Canonical page: