So, who has had success with a query letter to a big agency?

[LaTaGu]

Anyone?

If you did, what was your story?

- What was it about your query letter which got a response?

- How long did it take for them to respond to your query letter?

- How long did it take them to read your script and get back to you?

- What happened ultimately? Did you get meetings? Options? Did your script sell? Was it produced?

[MNHC]

A small agent/manager with recent sales (one being a spec sale and another being a million dollar sale to a major studio.

The query letter noted previous (non-screenplay) publications, a current profession that related to the subject matter of the screenplay, and was a genre in which the manager just made a big sale.

The response to the query letter was immediate. Still waiting for a reply to the script (after a week).

I'm curious too about what it takes to get a big agency interested in a spec script. I'd love to see the query letter that got a response from one of those agencies.

[DevoGrrl]

Big agencies don't work with queries. That's why they are big 3. If you had couple of sales, they'll consider you. Even then it's not 100%...

[jrfan1]

actually a couple of years ago i cold email queried (sp?) and received request for my script/s from ICM, what was BKWU and writers and Artists. ( all three of the agents were big time sellers ) I of course was given the thanks but no thanks response but the agent from writers and artists gave me notes on how to impove. I plan on cold querying again./

[Muckraker]

I have been read at UTA, Endeavor, ICM, and WMA based on queries. No big glamorous results to report, but I did get a couple contacts out of it. You should rule nothing out -- if you're unrepped and you don't market yourself aggressively, then who do you think is going to do it for you?

[LaTaGu]

...what do you think it was about your queries (or what were the unique circumstances) that you think got you a response?

And what do you think it was that stopped your scripts from going farther?

And what would you have done if you could do it over?

And what ended up working better for you (if anything)?

[jennybeee]

My ex-boyfriend’s buddy had done this. That’s how he scored his first agent. And not just any agent. I can’t give any names, but it’s a very, very high-profile agent at a top agency.

I don’t know the exact details, but as far as I know:

-&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp High concept story
-&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp He had sent an e-mail
-&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Response was instantaneous
-&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Not really sure, but I know he had sorta moved on to other projects when the call came. He thought it was a prank call. Fortunately, he had caller ID…
-&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp The script had generated a lot of buzz; there were a couple of big time producers and a big time actor circling the script. In the end, it didn’t sell. Still he met a ton of people and booked a lot of work.

I know it sounds somewhat like a writer’s fairytale. I remember at the time he was joking about the fact that he had received a rejection letter from a small time agent the day he got the call. The agent had written that he hated his writing and that he shouldn’t waste his time contacting him in the future. He must’ve had a change of heart after the top agency sent out his spec, because he called to tell him how much he loved his script!!! :eek He insisted that the rejection letter was supposed to be send to a different writer!!! :lol I guess the moral of this story is, it never pays to burn your bridges. :rollin

[BiggestCojones]

no track record, no contacts, no name.
e-mailed same query letter to 4 agents Tuesday.
received response from 2 agents Wednesday.
the small time agent replied in the morning, a form letter No.
the BigTime legendary megabux Agency replied at the end of the day,
Yes, we want to see your entire script.

of course it's just a beginning -- the odds are still against production -- but what a kiss

[sc111]

So more people disprove the rule. Cool. :)

[Hamboogul]

BTW, there's no risk for them to ask for your script. So while it's great that you are getting read at these places, you shouldn't consider that a validation in any way that your script is good.

Anyone who says things like "And this is a script that got read at UTA and ICM" is clinging to any validation.

I'd be shocked if anyone actually posted and said "I got repped off my query to a Big Five."


There. I came just in time to spoil the party.

[phatgirl]

...

[AnconRanger]

queries can lead to stuff floating to the shores of the big islands where they're not looked at as litter.

corked bottle washes up on some small island, query is read, script is requested, it's read, heads nod with grins, bottle is chucked back into the outgoing tide on full moon to go to some other place, washes up to a little bigger island, script is pulled from bottle and taken by canoe to even bigger island...yada yada yada.

query in a bottle sent to smaller islands.

bottles just washing up on big shores unexpected?

they're probably picked through by intern islanders with soft feet who look behind them every time the wind blows. bottle is glanced at and put in recycle bin. damn bottles are everywhere. never know, though.

big islanders can be fickle. all that looking at the water and whatnot. they still look now and then for something good and unexpected on the horizon, i suspect.

island needs the water.

but i know little about big islands so don't take my word for it.

[Winter in New York]

He insisted that the rejection letter was supposed to be send to a different writer!!!

Oh, very funny stuff!

--------------------

Dear John

Quick note to say how desperately sorry we are that you were sent that rather cutting, and dare I say, insensitive, rejection letter. T'was a big mix up our end.(new script girl, you know how it is!) - The rejection letter you read was so obviously meant for another John Peter Williams, who also happened to have submitted a screenplay entitled 'The Eskimo's Last First Dance on the Night of the Full Moon' at the same time you submitted your film of the exact same title.

Needless to say the script girl in question has been fired, and will never work in this town again!

Anyway, we love 'The Eskimo's Last First Dance on the Night of the Full Moon' and look forward to sitting down with you at your earliest convenience to more formally discuss representation.

Yours
Turdy McNiel
Small & Pathetic Agency

PS: Even though we do not yet have a formal agreement, we have taken your signing our standard release form as the go-ahead to send your script around town with our letter head on it. I'm sure you don't mind. After all, we're all on the same team!

[whinywriter]

I know that donedeal has a list of managers, and that I should refer to it when sending out queries, but the big question is: on that list are there any management companies to avoid? I mean, it's kind of scary spreading my high-concept idea all over the place. It's one of those scripts that is about the premise as much as its about the writing.

What are people's experiences with querying all of those management companies?

[Augie Kestrel]

Well, AnconRanger's note-in-a-bottle analogy applies to high-concept ideas, too. There's no reason to believe that a reputable agency has any more control over an unscrupulous departing employee than a less-than-reputable agency would.

Hollywood is a crapshoot. Register your script with the LoC and the WGA. Then cross your fingers.

[Rockridesva]

How about some people post their successful queries here? Help out the underdogs, lead by example, all that good stuff.

[jennybeee]

Hambo,

You should re-read my entry. He got repped by a senior agent at the top three. So, yeah, go ahead, be shocked. You can't spoil my party. :p

[chinaboxer]

edit-

[zemiller]

This query got a number of responses.

Dear Sir,

I have just completed a polish on 'My God! That Dog Can Talk!!!' It's about a dog that talks and stuff. It's really cool. Like Babe but better. And funnier.

This is my first script and my mom likes it. She says I'm smart and creative and stuff. You know what moms are like. Unless you were orphaned, and in that case I'm really sorry - that must suck.

Anyway...I know where your kid eats breakfast! ****I @#%$ YOU NOT!!**** And you'll be requesting my script, won't you? If for nothing more than little Timmy's fondness for his LEGS.

E-mail me, dude.

J.C. Morganfairchild

[Hamboogul]

I liked chinaboxer's query letter. It was to the point and had a brief bio that related to the script.

Zemiller's seems to try too hard to be funny. And we don't know what the story is about.

[LIMAMA]

Zem, that was a joke, right?

[zemiller]

No joke. I guess you have to think outside of the box sometimes.

[A Pathetic Writer]

When you say "a number of responses" were you including "Cease and Desist Letters" or just rejections?

:rollin

[zemiller]

Yeah, those too. I'm not splitting hairs with ya, mate.