Ettiquete Question: Querying Agents/Managers who are currently reviewing your work

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  • Ettiquete Question: Querying Agents/Managers who are currently reviewing your work

    Hey folks,

    I've got a few agencies and management groups that currently reviewing my last spec script, TEQUILA MOONRISE, and have yet to hear back from them (I was told three months is the average). I'm nearly done polishing my new spec, SIX-GUN GORILLA, and wonder if I should query them with it now or if I should wait until I hear back from them on the last one. I'm just not sure what the proper protocol is in this matter.

    What do you guys think?

    Cheers,

    B
    SIX-GUN GORILLA: LONG DAYS OF VENGEANCE.
    http://www.sixgungorilla.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/SixGunGorilla
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    "... (an) indie powerhouse of a book.- - AIN'T IT COOL NEWS

  • #2
    I would inquire on the status of the script around four weeks after sending it. Just a friendly one line "Hi, Just checking if you've had a chance to review my material yet?"

    After a week or so, you'll probably get various replies such as "Not yet. I'll get to it this weekend." or "I did. Not for us." and you'll also get no replies at all which should probably be interpreted as a pass unless you hear otherwise.

    You will then be free to query everyone apart from the "Not yet" crowd. I should note that there is nothing explicitly wrong with querying people that are already reading another piece of your material. My concern in those cases would be confusion on what you are emailing them about. I'll leave that to your discretion.

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    • #3
      Re: Ettiquete Question: Querying Agents/Managers who are currently

      there are different things you need to analyze.

      Which is more marketable.

      How long has it been -- 2, 3, 4, weeks?

      What is the rep's workload -- big company, junior manager, small company, etc.

      They'll read and get back to you promptly with a pass or go.
      They'll read, not for them, and not bother replying.
      They'll read in pieces, 10 pages here, 20 pages there, and eventually get through it.

      I was in this situation a few months ago. When I queried, I basically said to those who had requested Script A :

      Hey ________,

      I'd like to submit a logline to solicit a read for my spec Script B.

      Logline : ________ __ ________ ___ __________ _____ _____ ______ ___ ___ __________ ___ ___ ________ ________ _____ ___.

      If that interests you, I can promptly shoot a PDF over. If my name sounds familiar, I submitted Script A a few weeks ago.

      Best,


      Some reps don't mind timely follow ups. Some reps despise them. It's all a gamble until you actually know how that rep is. Too bad there isn't a sure-fire way of how this query **** works.

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      • #4
        Re: Querying Agents/Managers

        A response after three months certainly is possible, but I think that's quite a bit longer than average, at least in my experience. I usually follow up in 3-4 weeks if I haven't heard anything. If it's been a couple of months or more, I'd assume a pass, and be pleasantly surprised if I turned out to be wrong.

        In any event, I wouldn't query the same rep with a second script until I received a response to the first, or received no response for a long enough period of time to conclude that there was no interest in the first.

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        • #5
          Re: Querying Agents/Managers

          How many people (ie screenwriters) have read your new spec, SIX-GUN GORILLA? Have you gotten notes from The Screenplay Mechanic? Did he give it a "Consider?" My point is this: more than likely your new spec still needs work (because everything, always still needs work). So forget about the managers reading your current spec (I know, it's hard) they'll let you know, hopefully. Focus on making SIX-GUN GORILLA so fvcking awesome that studios would die to purchase it, and managers would die to rep you. So IF the managers reading now pass on your first spec and IF you're talented enough to get an "open door" request for future material, you've got a polished gold ingot to follow up with immediately. And of course this begs the question: What's the logline for SIX-GUN GORILLA? Cuz you're gonna need to knock their socks with the logline if you want to get a follow-up read.

          SMASH TO:

          BLACK

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          • #6
            Re: Ettiquete Question: Querying Agents/Managers

            Okay, after reading the logline to your new spec SIX-GUN GORILLA in the Loglines section, I think you're ready to query because this sh!t sounds batfvck insane yo! But, as I was saying, before you query managers you might want to let a few colleagues read the script. If they say, "this is great, I love it," then you should start querying. If they say, "this needs work, here here and here" then you need a rewrite. I'm saying this as somebody who has been in your situation, and is now repped.

            SMASH TO:

            BLACK

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