Once you’ve made a list of agencies that handle screenplays, it’s time to write a compelling query letter. A good query letter catches the agent’s attention and gets him interested in your screenplay.
Keep your query letter to one page. Be succinct and professional but make sure you present your story as an interesting premise. Include the logline, the genre and a brief synopsis. Keep the logline to one or two sentences and keep the synopsis short and sweet. You want explain why the story should be told and leave the reader wanting more. Keep in mind that the story either sells itself or it doesn’t. If you start explaining why it’s a good story, it probably isn’t.
Also keep in mind that how you write your query letter gives the reader an idea of how you wrote your screenplay. If it isn’t interesting and easy to read, the reader won’t relish the thought of reading a longer screenplay by the same writer.
In most letters, you would conclude with the conclusion of your story. However, you want to entice the reader to request your screenplay. Grab their attention, get their interest and then let them know that you would be happy to send them a copy of your screenplay.
Follow directions when they are provided. Many agencies and production companies provide submission guidelines on their website. These guidelines can tell you if the company accepts unsolicited queries, the preferred submission method, who to contact and the kind of material they are interested in. Most of the big studios do not accept unsolicited materials. They get scripts from agents so don’t waste your time.
Be sure to include your current contact information. Include any awards or competitions you have won or done well in. Only share information about yourself that directly relates to the screenplay or your abilities as a screenwriter. Let the reader know that you were an overseas war correspondent for ten years if you are presenting a war movie. Also let the reader know if you have written other screenplays that have been produced or optioned.
If you’re a natural-born salesperson, you can try calling your agent candidates. You may not get past the receptionist, but he or she might be willing to tell you which agent is most likely to consider a query. And, in smaller agencies, the receptionist just might be a junior agent or even a principal.
Be very careful about making calls after you’ve sent in a screenplay. For the most part, if the agent didn’t like your screenplay enough to contact you already, he or she probably won’t take kindly to a follow-up phone call. However, the receptionist may be able to tell you which agent is most likely to be open to a mail query–and in the smaller agencies, the receptionist may turn out to be a junior agent or even one of the agency principals.
Many agents may prefer e-mail queries over snail mail these days. If so, do not send your letter as an attachment. Just put it in the body of the e-mail message. This keeps all your information together and prevents any worries about computer viruses that are most often spread via attached documents.