Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Webshow: "I wrote it, now what do I do with it?" Part 1 - The Death of the Query Letter

It’s not uncommon for me to get a question along the lines of, “I wrote it, now what do I do with it?” It’s a good question, and one with no easy answers. So don’t think of this continuing series AS those easy answers. There are merely points to ponder. This week, I'll kick things off by talking about the death of the query letter.


There's plenty more to cover in subsequent weeks, so make sure you're back here every Wednesday for the latest installment.

7 comments:

  1. Bitter,

    What's it gonna take for the puppet to run a comb across his hair BEFORE the filming begins? Gotta look your best BEFORE the filming begins. And right now puppet looks like a victim of a random electro-shock. Comb, puppet. You need make a a 50 cent investment in a comb.

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  2. It’s super site, I was looking for something like this
    animated video production

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  3. Might snail mail be more effective these days because it is so rarely done?

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  4. You suggest elements to put into an e-query to make it more personal - but how is that going to help if the query is never read in the first place? It would be helpful to know what sort of subject line might help prevent an e-query from being summarily deleted. And as Clint asked, is the dead-tree version more likely to get someone's attention than one made entirely of electrons?

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  5. I've had some query letter luck simply listing what I'd like them to read in the title. That way, if they're looking for something of that nature they'll open the e-mail. Otherwise, they won't. For example my most successful query letter was titled "Teen Sex Comedy... With Some Brains." Which described my script perfectly. The latest one was "Half Hour Spec for Staffing."

    That last one was a bit of a cheat because managers/agents might think it was from their clients sending them a draft of something. But still, described it well enough.

    Inside the e-mail I have found the shorter the better. Title, logline, a sentence about you. That's it. No reason to write "I am seeking representation or a producer." They know why you're emailing them.

    Also be prepared to send A LOT of e-mails if you're doing this blind. First off, send to everyone you know. Funny enough, with this last one I had more read requests from people who I don't know than I do. What can you do?

    Eitan
    eitanthewriter.com

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  6. As far as my research goes, I haven't found a single agent that still accepts snail mail queries. Most say that they put them straight in the recycling bin.

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  7. I haven't done snail mail queries in at least four years, but back then, my success rate was about 1 in 6. Hard to hazard a guess what that would look like today.

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