The Query Letter That Worked

Posted in Business, Featured, Tools on Nov 3rd, 2009

Once you’re sure you’re ready, there are a number of ways to query an agent – the most powerful being The Referral (it’s so important, I’m capitalizing it!). There’s no better intro than having an established professional step up to the bat for you.

But that’s not the type of query I’m writing about today. I’m going to talk about a “blind” email query – which is to say an unsolicited request for a read.

This can be a controversial subject – Alex Epstein raised the subject with a former agent’s assistant and she dismissed the idea out of turn as futile and a waste of time.

Luckily, my “research” has proved otherwise. When I queried agents who’d never heard of me in mid 2008, I ended up being read at Endeavor, William Morris, ICM, UTA, and Gersh. For the few who don’t know these names, I’m talking about *serious* talent agencies with the largest TV departments in the world.

So how’d my email go? This is the gist of it:

NAME: Ari Agent
SUBJECT: “NAME OF MY PROJECT”

Dear Ari,

My original pilot, “Project Name” has gotten great responses from everyone I’ve show it to…including two network showrunners. I’m looking for representation and – having looked at your client list – feel like I’m exactly the type of client you’d be interested in.

I can send the pilot over immediately. I also have another one-hour pilot on my shelf in addition to a sharp spec episode of “Californication”.

I’ll leave it at that – have a great day!

Best regards,

mr. Obsession

And that’s all! Short and concise, I made a conscious effort to send them out early Thursday afternoon in hopes of winding up in the weekend read pile.

One thing to keep in mind: the percentage of responses to queries is crazy-low…maybe 20% if you’re very very very lucky. Don’t be discouraged by silence – you’ve lost nothing at all by trying. Hit them back in a few weeks again – I’ve gotten more than one read off persistence.

And be sure to keep a history of your queries. I tracked all of my submissions in a database program called Bento. A lightweight version of the venerable DB program Filemaker, it allowed me to record (and track) the names and dates of the people I queried. I also had fields for response details, email addies, and the type of company.

Whether you use Bento or something else, be *sure* to track these communications. You never know when you might here from someone a few months from now. Ten years ago, I had friends who tracked all of their networking on 3×5 cards. Technology allows for a much more efficient workflow now and there’s no reason not to have notes about everyone who could potentially help down the road.



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