The Screenplay Query Letter

Screenwriting Myth: There IS no "query letter standard". Any query letter will do!?

Over the years, I’ve had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to assist many a name director or producer in their search searching for screenplays of specific genre or topic. With my vast network of screenwriters at my disposal, I thought it incumbent on me to reach out and help fellow writers, new and experienced alike, to help them reach their professional goal of attaining a sale or option deal. Most recently, this past month, the search was for screenplay with a concept based in Buffalo, N.Y. or one that can be changed to Buffalo easily enough.

I received a deluge of emails (which is exactly why I offered to assist this particular person) and began to read the emails…the bios…and the resumes and links.

Ugh!

Here is a brief list of some things one SHOULDN’T do when responding to a script request:

1) You shouldn’t IGNORE the specifics of the scripts that are being requested. If the genre requested is science fiction, you shouldn’t submit a story about a baby whale and the handicapped child trying to raise it, unless, of course, the whale can fly and the child is from Jupiter.

?2)?If the request is for screenplays with a Korean American theme, don’t submit a screenplay about a Chinese family, then add “It’s close”! Makes you sound like an idiot, at best, and racist, at worst.

3)?You should NEVER “cut and paste” your pre-written query letter into an email. When you cut and paste, most times the fonts are different, and it looks very unprofessional.

?4)?You shouldn’t BOMBARD the recipient with every screenplay you’ve ever written or hope to write or thought about writing. I cannot tell you how many writers submitted one query letter with more than five different loglines and synopses. No one is going to read it. Trust me.

5)?You shouldn’t IGNORE spelling or grammatical errors- not in the query (not anywhere, if possible). I have actually seen writers misspell their own titles. The QUERY is the first written evidence of your particular writing skill.

6)?You shouldn’t make DEMANDS of the person requesting the script. Do NOT include such instructions as “DO NOT FORWARD TO ANYONE WITHOUT MY EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT!” Who would want to work with YOU?

?7)?You shouldn’t accompany your query letter with a request to “help raise funds for sick children” or to “stop socialism in America”, or to “support your local LGBT office”, even if it directly relates to the theme of your screenplay.

?8) You shouldn’t take the query letter as an opportunity to apply for a job as a script reader, a production assistant, a grip or an actor.

?9)?You shouldn’t forget your title. Trust me- seen it done many times.

?10)?You shouldn’t forget your contact information (see #9)

Writing a query letter is an art in and of itself, and there are definite “do's and don’ts” when writing one.

Here is a partial "DO" list:

A) If you are responding to a request for a certain type of script, first thing you should do is ONLY respond if your script fits in what they are looking for. If it does, makes sure this fact is highlighted in the first sentence:

“I am responding to your request for Japanese/American-themed scripts, and I’d like to submit my comedy/drama 'Life at The Tea House', a Japanese/American story of love, redemption and ninja zombies.”

B) Highlight your “hook” right away (this is why it’s called a “hook”). This “hook” is the reason why your story is different from every other story of the same genre and theme.

C) When you include your logline, make sure it is the strongest logline possible. I cannot stress this enough. If the reader gets to the logline, and it doesn’t hook them, they’ll probably not read any further, no matter how great the letter — or the script — may be.

?D) Write a brief synopsis of your story, to include and beginning, middle and an end. Three short paragraphs, less than a page total. I recently received two query letters; one was 43 pages, the other 15. Hand to God, I’m telling the truth. The only thing missing was the writer’s birth certificate, but that was only because I ran out of paper. Sheesh!

E) End the query with a brief WRITERS BIO. You'll see mine at the bottom of every single newsletter article I put out.

• I recommend that you do this in the “third person”. It’ll read like a press release and seem professional.
• Do not include useless information like where you went to school or every contest you’ve ever entered, unless it is absolutely pertinent (one exception is if you know the recipient attended the same school as you, they might look at you a little more favorably).
• Two lines that tell the reader a little about you, your writing, and a mention or two about prestigious awards, if any. Quarter-finalist in the Bombay Theatre Writing Contest doesn’t qualify for space in the prime real estate of the query letter.

F) Make sure everything is spellchecked and grammatically correctly. Do NOT forget your contact information.

You have but one shot at making a good impression, so don’t blow it.

NEXT WEEK: Part II of "THE QUERY LETTER". We'll discuss how MY mentor, Chuck Hustmyre - a writer with several sold scripts under his belt, writes his query letter!

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.?

He has 46 screenplay adaptations under his enormous belt and is developing biopic projects of rock pioneer?Jimmie F. Rodgers,?Motown star?Tammi Terrell?and iconic folk singer?Harry Chapin. Most recently, he was hired to write an original screenplay based on the iconic first hit of Jimi Hendrix- "Hey Joe", with the title song and original music performed by Jimi's cousin, Reggie Hendrix (Hey Joe (Extended) - Song by Regi Hendrix - Apple?Music) all while continuing to mentor hundreds of new writers and self-published authors.

Geno has three screenplays produced and currently on Amazon Prime and/or Tubi;?"Assassin 33 A.D.", "Black Easter"?and?"The Tombs". He is also the screenwriter and Executive Script Consultant for "Fight Fire with Fists", with Liam Hemsworth and Samuel L. Jackson attached.