query letter

Yay (your name here)!

Maximum Z confidence, encouragement, manager, query letter, representation , ,
My own cheering section? You shouldn't have.
My own cheering section? You shouldn’t have.

While progress moves along slowly on the outline and the podcast, I got a nice surprise in my inbox yesterday: a manager I’d queried two weeks ago asked to see the script.

Even though it may result in absolutely nothing, just the fact that this happened was enough to brighten my day. Getting this kind of news is a real confidence-booster.

Chances are your close friends and loved ones know how much time and effort you put into your writing. They can see how hard you’re working. As much as you strive to succeed, they’re rooting for you just as much.

So being able to tell them you’ve been able to move ahead in your quest, even if it’s just a little bit, is really nice. You feel good. They feel good. Smiles all around.

There may be setbacks along the way, but enjoy little victories like these. Because eventually they can become big ones.

-Super Bowl fever has gripped the city where I live (hint: it ain’t Baltimore). My team of choice is the Steelers, but I’ll make an exception and say Go Niners.

Cleaning up after all that dirty work

Maximum Z agent, creativity, manager, query letter, representation, research, screenwriting, self-confidence, writing
Yeah, it kind of felt like this...
Yeah, it kind of felt like this…

Well, that’s that.  The queries have been unleashed, and the process of getting it done was truly exhausting.

Most of the work was research. Lots and lots of it.

Equipped with a few lists of potential recipients, I scoured IMDBPro (signing up is highly recommended) and Google to check the status of each name, agency, management firm and prodco I had.

Are they still in business? (a good percentage were not)  Do they accept queries?  Is the person still there? If not, where are they now? What about that place?  Do they even handle screenwriters? Would they be interested in my script’s genre?

Some of the major houses (CAA, WME, etc.) don’t list any contact info apart from address and phone number, so unless you know somebody there, you’re just plain out of luck. A lot of them also have a disclaimer somewhere on the website stating they don’t accept unsolicited materials anyway. Better to focus on the ones that do.

Proof these lists are not entirely accurate or up-to-date – one listed office info for somebody who apparently died in 2009.

Believe me when I say this is not a small-scale project.

Something else to keep in mind – depending on your determination, you’ll be sending out an immense number of queries, and most likely the responses, positive or negative, will be few and far between. If you hear back at all.  Remember – these places are getting bombarded with queries from writers just like you every single day.

Not getting an immediate response can really be quite a blow to your self-confidence, but unfortunately it’s the way things are.  All you can do is send it out and move on.  Like I wrote last time, use this as an opportunity to redirect your attention towards something else of a productive nature.  Write something. Read something.  Exercise. Whatever it takes.

So while I wait, I’ve got an outline to improve, some podcasting equipment to master and a pumpkin pie that needs baking.

Eyes front, mister!

Maximum Z confidence, creativity, query letter, screenwriting, script, self-confidence, westerns, writing
The solution isn't on somebody else's paper
The answers you seek won’t be found on somebody else’s paper. Which sounds a little more ‘zen’ than it should…

The emailing of queries continues, as does the struggle to force myself to stop checking my inbox on a too-often basis.

Wait! A new email just came in! Did somebody respond? Nope. Groupon for a bikini wax. How about now? Nope.  Screenwriting newsletter that seems to come every two months. I really should just unsubscribe from that. Now? Nope again. Netflix confirming they received my disc of JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM.

Over and over and over.

The more this scenario plays out, the more frustrating the whole thing becomes. Why isn’t anybody responding?  I sent that two whole days ago. Doesn’t anybody check their email?  Oh no! What if nobody wants to read my script? All that work for nothing! I’m a failure! Doomed to gnash my teeth every time somebody sells their you-call-that-an-original-concept spec for low-to-mid six figures! Aaauuughhhhh!

*collapses on floor in fetal position*

And….scene.

It would be so easy to fall into this kind of trap, but it’s also easier than you would think to just take a deep breath and let it go. I’ve done my part. The rest is up to my query recipients. All I can do is hope they’re interested and want to read my script.

If so, great. If not, no big deal. Comes with the territory. It took me a long time to accept this.

I’m a writer, so writing is what I need to focus on right now. It’ll satisfy my need to be creative while drawing my attention away from the queries. Hunkering down and diving into the outline is good for what ails me.

And it’s a western, so how can I resist the call to immerse myself in a world I’ve created loaded up with cowpokes, shootin’ irons and yellow-bellied sidewinders?

Added bonus – in the event somebody likes my first script and asks the all-important “What else ya got?,” I’ll be this much closer to having something ‘else’ to offer.

Hold on. Another email just came in.  Back in a sec.

Ready for just such an emergency

Maximum Z query letter, representation, screenwriting, synopsis, writing
Be prepared, and all that...*
Be prepared, and all that…*

After sending out the first batch of query letters, I was reminded of something I need to have ready to go in case someone asks for it.

A synopsis.

Just the thought of having to write one fills me with dread. It always has.  But it’s a necessity and has to be done.  (You’d think a writer would have no problem writing something. You’d be wrong.)

I scoured the internet, desperately seeking for one to use as an example. Success was somewhat limited, but there were a handful, each accompanied with suggestions of what to include and what not to.

The general consensus seems to be a short paragraph for each act.  Each one has to be informative in terms of the story and describe what happens, but without going into too much detail.  Like with the logline, you want to make the reader want to read more.

Keeping all this in mind, and after much editing and rewriting, I ended up with a draft that fills up about 2/3 of a page.  Too short?  Just right?  Hard to say, but I like the way it reads.  Simple. Descriptive. Effective.

Add another item to the ‘done’ column of my metaphoric checklist.

I should probably also start working on a treatment, which is a completely different, but still necessary, thing.

But in the meantime, when I’m not sending out more queries, rather than incessantly checking my email and hitting ‘refresh’, it’s a better use of my time to stay focused, keep being productive and work on the western outline.

-Podcasting equipment has arrived. Still learning how to use it. More details to come.

 

*was there ever any doubt that yours truly was an Eagle Scout?

Queries about queries

Maximum Z query letter, representation, screenwriting, writing
Do people still send actual letters?
Do people still send actual letters?

I started compiling a list of where to send my query letter when I realized I should probably have the letter ready first.

Previous versions have kept it simple. Brief intro, logline, 1-2 sentences about me, and that’s about it. Short, to the point, and hopefully effective.  Don’t know how much of an impact they’ll have, but there are a few me-oriented details I’d like to work in as well.

I’ve seen examples that suggest a few short paragraphs that flesh out the story a little, but that seems like too much.  If the logline doesn’t grab them, why would they want to read more?  I like to think mine’s pretty solid.

It’s also important to write the letter so it really stands out from the hundreds/thousands received daily*.  We all want someone to read our letter and automatically think “Now THAT’S something I want to read!”

It shouldn’t take too long to put a strong letter together. Once it’s ready, back to figuring out who should receive it.

 

*Absolutely true. I met with an agent who had started her own agency – just her and an assistant. They were getting approximately 50 letters a week. Imagine how many a powerhouse firm like ICM or WME gets. Every one is your competition.  Just something to keep in mind.