There’s an old saying in Hollywood that no one will read your script until they “ask to see it”. This includes screenplay agents and producers as well.
Okay, I know, it sounds difficult. You want to get your script read by an agent, but an agent won’t read it until they ask for it?! The good news is this is where email comes in.
The Query Letter Pitch
In the old days, it used to be the case that screenwriters would have to find out the name of an agent and get their mailing address. These same screenwriters would then have to type out a query letter and post it off to agents in the hope that their query letter would get read and approved (if it didn’t get lost in the mailroom along the way).
But now those days are long gone and screenwriters now have the chance to email agents directly. There is just one lingering problem that you’re still faced with. You still have to find out the agent’s email address.
So the research still needs to be done. You still need to find out the names of all the agencies who represent screenwriters and get the email addresses for those agents and agencies. It’s a huge and daunting task, especially nowadays (because most agencies are choosing to hide their email addresses behind submission forms).
If you want to get the email address of an agency, a good place to start is the Hollywood Creative Directory. This directory has a list of names and email addresses that you can use.
(Alternatively, here at Script Mailer we offer a service that allows screenwriters to connect with over 400 agents and over 650 producers by email.)
Sending A Query Letter By Email
Before you send your query letter off to your list of agents, it’s important to check that you’ve got a good query letter on your hands. I’ve written an article on how to write a great query letter here that should help you out.
It’s important that you don’t make your query letter too long as well. I’ve seen a lot of people cram as much information about their screenplay into the query letter that their query letter ends up resembling a screenplay itself.
I know it’s tempting to fill your query letter with as much story as possible in the hope that one of your plot points or characters will hit a home run and make your screenplay an irresistible read.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. In the case of the screenplay query letter, less is always more. You want to hold back like a great screenwriter and create a sense of tension and suspense. Leave the agent hanging and allow them to be so intrigued by your premise that they’re desperate to see your script.
When I used to work as an agent, and I don’t just speak for myself here, but whenever I got one of those really long emails from a screenwriter pitching their screenplay, I used to sigh.
The sight of all that text on the page was tiring. Don’t make agents read through all that text just so they can find out what your screenplay is about. Most agents will only read the first paragraph or two and if they don’t like what they see they’ll move on to the next email.
Dealing With No Submissions And No Response From An Agent
When you send your script out to agents you have to know that not every agent is going to respond to you. Agents will respond to you only when they’re interested in your story. If an agent isn’t interested in your story they won’t tell you that, they just won’t respond.
It’s also important to understand that it can also take weeks or months for an agent to get back to you with an offer. This is because agents often take time to assess and analyze what kind of stories they want to take on and what kind of screenwriters they want to represent.
You might also get a notification from an agency that says something like the following: “Not Accepting Unsolicited Submissions.” This doesn’t mean that your email pitch hasn’t reached its target however. It just means that at that particular time an agency isn’t accepting unsolicited submissions—this can change a week or month later depending upon current availability and the type of genre/screenwriter agents are looking to represent.
You Have To Pitch
There is no way around it. As difficult and as daunting as it can be to contact agents by email (or anyone for that matter), you have to try if you want to succeed in this industry.
If you want to get an agent and find representation—you have to contact agents.
If you want to sell your script and develop your career as a screenwriter—you have to contact an agent who can help you launch your career. It’s possible to contact agents in lots of different ways—email is just one way.
Other ways to contact agents include industry events, through referrals and by ranking high in screenwriting competitions.
(Here at Script Mailer we can write your query letter for you. Just send us an email if you’d like more details: [email protected])
*Liz Fairbanks has worked as a reader, development assistant, and talent agent in Los Angeles over the last seven years. Liz loves traveling, reading and yoga. Liz also works as a freelance consultant for Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).