What should I write for my e-query letter?
Your e-query should tell the reader what your story is about, but it should be straightforward and as trim as possible. The first thing you should include is a brief greeting, then your logline (one to two lines at most), then the genre of your script, then a brief synopsis (one paragraph) followed by a brief writing history if you have one such as mentioning any screenwriting competitions you have placed in. When you send a query, launch right in with the story first. Producers won't still be reading by the time they get halfway through your pitch if it opens with your background or any other personal information. If you want to give such information, do it after the logline and short synopsis. Writing a good query letter is just as important as writing a good screenplay. The reader will base his or her first impression on your query. It tells them if you are literate and understand the single most important part of screenwriting -- telling a story in the most clear and concise manner. Remember, keep it trim! What will the subject header say? The subject header will read - "Query - TITLE" When will my blast go out? Your query will typically go out within 5 - 10 business days. You will receive a confirmation email once your order has been processed. When should I expect to see the first replies? It all depends on the quality of your query letter. You could receive responses within the first hours following the blast. Generally we have found that responses are the greatest the next business day and continue to be strong for about one week. It is not uncommon for responses to continue trickling in over a month from when the blast was sent. Can I edit my e-query once I have submitted it? No. We advise you to spell check and proof read your e-query carefully before submitting it, preferably by using another word processing package and then copying and pasting it into the e-query submission field. Once your e-query has been submitted and before it is sent out, whereby if you have an emergency change to make, we will try our very best to make the change, but we cannot guarantee anything. Can you guarantee that my e-query will generate responses? No. On average, 80,000-100,000 scripts are written in the USA each year with about 40,000 of those being registered with the WGA and only a fraction of those make it through to be considered for production and an even smaller fraction to the big screen. We are offering you exposure to real industry professionals and the chance to impress them, the rest is up to you. What if someone steals my ideas? Protect your material, by registering it with the WGA or any other recognized copyright protection organization. Theft does happen but it is extremely rare. Lawsuits will end up costing producers more than optioning or purchasing the script, regardless if they win in court or not. This is a risk 99.99% of producers are not willing to take. Do I get a list of the producers and companies that you mail to? Our policy is to give out a list of the production companies and only when requested. The rest of the list is made up of individual names. Individual producers on our list do not want people tracking them down to follow up on their query and often request to remain anonymous. We can provide you the list of production companies, but they are the same ones listed in the marquee that scrolls across our homepage. Does your list contain e-mail addresses belonging to agents and managers? While many agents do sign up to be listed, the bulk of our list is production companies and individual producers. Many of our clients are agents and managers who use our service to query on behalf of their clients. We plan an offering an "agent blast" service in the near future for people seeking representation. Stay tuned...
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