Part XV- The E-Blast Query

A few weeks ago, I received a “query” letter, of sorts, from a screenwriter (of sorts) inquiring about any initial interest in this writer’s new screenplay. I could tell right away that the email was a group letter, due to its lack of any personalization to the recipient.

The letter opened with “Hello”, and the writer proceeded to introduce himself. He explained the purpose of the letter, adding that this particular horror script was “unusual” as it contained NO dialogue.

Well, color me intrigued.

Although there were some misspellings in the letter, and an admission at the bottom that this WAS, in fact, what he called a “multiple submission” letter, I responded. I indicated that I would be interested to read and review the first ten pages of said script. I’ve produced some projects of my own, as well as introduce writers and their projects to producers, agents and managers when I saw fit. However, this writer followed up, now with a more “personal” letter. He asked if I was a producer or had a production company.

Now, I don’t mind if someone doesn’t know me and doesn’t know my history. It’s not about that. A simple Bing or Google search should tell you all you really need to know. Not only that, but this person found me through LinkedIn, of which he is a member, and failed to even review my profile.

Needless to say, I shut off communication at that point. Now, let’s review where this writer went wrong:

1) Email blast- yes, it saves time, but it is just a waste of time in the end. You can cut and paste the same letter and send it to multiple people in a given time frame, but you need to address them individually. I also know that a high percentage of the emails from "e-blast" services go straight to the recipient's junk file, never to be read. Producers and prodco's don't like e-blast mail.

2) No Spelchk- simplest thing to do. If you don’t know if it’s spelled right, look it up (btw, the word “spelchk” was done on purpose, so please, no letters).

3) Research- If you are going to send off query letters to people, take the time to research them. Once you discover WHAT they do, mention in the letter that you saw such and such and were impressed with the project and wanted to work with the best. It shows you care about the project, and your reputation. It shows you took the time to research them and that you’re possibly someone others would enjoy working with.

4) They looked a gift horse in the mouth- What this writer did in the follow-up letter blew any chance of getting any help. If someone actually RESPONDS in any way, shape or form to one of these email blasts, consider yourself anointed with gold pixie dust, because it’s a rare feat indeed. Treat is as such. Be thankful, polite, considerate and complimentary.

Now, chances are that this script was anywhere close to being good, but it would have been interesting to see a script without one word of dialogue, and how that might have been pulled off (Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie" DID have one word of dialogue). The point is someone outside of their inner circle was willing to look at it. At worst, they might have received six or seven pages of script notes, helping them to write a bit better in the future. At best, I might have been blown away and have invested in the project myself, or, more likely, introduced them to a number of producer connections. Beyond that, it may have led to a management or an agent meeting.

One never knows. 

THIS WEEK'S PROMO #1: Dumitru Ursu, screenwriter

Dumitru Ursu is a "lifetime mentee" in The Script Mentor program, and we recently worked together on his action/thriller script, "PHOTO MAN". He started off with a solid concept and a good story, made the suggested improvements until we each agreed that the screenplay was ready.

Last week, Dumitru won "Best Screenplay" in the Hollywood Blvd. Film Festival. We asked Dumitru for his thoughts after receiving the news;

"I want to thank The Script Mentor, especially Geno Scala, for helping me with my screenplay. Finally I won my first competition. Hopefully this is not the last. I am honoured to work with The Script Mentor. Great communication and very efficient; would definitely recommend them to all aspiring writers! 

THIS WEEK'S PROMO #2: James Lane, social commentator; podcaster

James Lane owns and operates the "American Reveille" podcast and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNHtDosFrPMwwS45rOviFQA), the absolute best in social and political commentary from a growing grassroots media company. James is a US Navy Veteran and a current Ph.D. student. He can be found and supported at the following locations:

NEWSLETTER - https://ow.ly/3ha850DFm0o

VIDEO: YouTube - https://ow.ly/enQk50DA5bn

AUDIO: Apple Podcasts - https://ow.ly/Nlsw50zvkUT

"Thank you so much for spreading the word about the American Reveille...your gracious words and gestures have gone a long way. There is no American Reveille without the great American patriots supporting our mission!"

WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 22-plus years in the Hollywood community, and was the Executive Director for the 72nd Annual Academy Awards, as well as The Soul Train Awards, The Grammys, The Blockbuster Video Awards Show and The Saturn Award Show. Today, he and his writing team are actively working on several ghostwriting projects for his celebrity clientele as well, including the adapting the novel "Making Broken Beautiful" by Pamela Millican-Hartnoll; a tragic story of excessive abuse and redemptive success; and biopics of early rock pioneer Jimmie F. Rodgers and iconic folk star Harry Chapin- all while continuing to mentor new writers and self-published authors.

Geno has two screenplays produced into feature films; "Assassin 33 A.D." and "The Tombs". Both are currently available on Amazon Prime.