I get a lot of questions about query letters: when to write them, what to include, whether they really work, etc.
So today let’s take a look at manager John Zaozirny’s recent Twitter thread, wherein he describes how he received a query letter pitching a script by a new writer, and what happened afterward. You can read the full thread here, but I’ll include a few selections below for our discussion.
In case you’re unfamiliar with him, John Zaozirny is a literary manager and Head of Bellevue Productions. He’s also well known for his epic, advice-packed Twitter threads, like the one I’m referencing today.
What is a query letter?
First of all, what even IS a query letter? For our purposes, a query letter is – in most cases now – an email that a screenwriter sends to agents, managers, or producers, to market themselves and/or their screenplay. As Alex Epstein says on his Crafty Screenwriting blog:
“It is a one-page letter that explains what your screenplay is about and asks if they’d like to read it.”
One page, but please don’t assume that means you need to write a full page. More is usually not more in a query letter.
A query letter includes a little info about your screenplay, like the title and logline, and a little info about you, the writer – specifically, relevant details about your background, accolades, or awards.
Do query letters work?
Anecdotal though it may be, the evidence in John’s Twitter thread would point to yes. But I think it’s really useful to examine why this query letter worked.
Because too often writers take a less-informed approach, and then talk about how query letters just don’t work. Which is simply not true or the industry would stop accepting queries altogether. Some people do still accept them (like John), which means there’s at least a chance for a query letter to be effective. We can look to John’s thread for a few things that will help you maximize those chances.
So, John received this query letter several months ago in mid-2020. The subject line was: “Nicholl 2020 QF!”
While this subject line isn’t guaranteed to get opened, it is a good one that probably has a decent shot of it. Because what it does is tell the recipient that the script has gone through some kind of vetting process. Someone else has read this script and moved it up the ladder of (in this case) a very prestigious and reputable screenwriting fellowship competition. That might just give the reader enough confidence and curiosity about the query to open it. And that’s the first hurdle you’re trying to get past, right?
Then, as we look at the query letter itself:
The message is beautifully succinct, including just the relevant and appealing details to get John to say, “Yes – send me the script!” That’s the next hurdle you’re trying to cross.
The logline is important…
With so little text in the message, everything you include should be purposeful and chosen or crafted with care (much like your screenplay).
That means the logline needs to be well written. But even the most well written logline will only be as appealing as the premise of your screenplay itself. And not every logline will appeal to every agent, manager, or development person, or their specific needs at this moment.
The logline in this query letter showcases a unique premise that’s definitely not for everyone or every company. But through good research into who the writer was querying, a bit of timing, and a dash of luck, it found its mark. Not every shot will land, but you may only need one.
…But so is the screenplay
Of course, it’s also worth noting that the query letter isn’t the end game. The whole point is to open the door for your screenplay (and for you as a writer). Which means your screenplay has to deliver. When I worked in development I read a ton of query letters and requested scripts from a fair number of them, but the times the script lived up to the query were few and far between.
The query letter doesn’t sell the screenplay. The query letter opens the door, but the screenplay has to sell itself.
So did the writer get signed?
Short answer: yes, she did. In the rest of the thread, John talks about strategy, how they built buzz around the script, and how the writer, Sophie, quickly also signed with an agent and then made the annual Black List. (That’s the annual list of the industry’s “favorite” scripts.)
When it comes to your own query letters, remember: keep it brief and relevant, take care to write a compelling logline, but remember that your screenplay must ultimately deliver on expectations. That’s the hurdle you really want to get past.