Carving A Path To Success Pt.25 Query Letters

Pursuing a career in film is always fraught with challenges. Just getting your foot in the door requires tenacity and verve. Most often you will find your opening in the ability to craft a witty and interesting query letter that gets those decision makes to want to read your work. Without a query letter; you may find it harder.

Here is an example that I culled from my years of research that descrive a good query letter. Read along and tell me what you think makes it good or how it differ from one that you may have written.

"The Good"

Charles McAgent

Super Artists Agency (SAA)

Hollywood, CA 90027

Dear Mr. McAgent,

I have just completed a new thriller titled “The Killer”, and would like to

know if you’d be interested in seeing a copy with an eye toward possible

representation.

Kyle Travis wakes in his hospital bed without any memory. After a short

recuperation he reluctantly returns to his former life as a New York police

lieutenant. His first case finds him investigating a series of murders. But

the more he investigates, the more the evidence points to himself as the

killer! Did he commit the murders? Can he trust the memories that he slowly

recalls? And what will he do if someone else finds out his secret?

I recently graduated from Southern Midwest University with a bachelor’s

degree in communications and have had several of my plays produced locally.

“The Killer” also has performed well in several prestigious contests

including placing as a semi-finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship Contest and

was a finalist in the 2006 American Screenwriter’s Association Contest.

If you’d like me to send you “The Killer” for your consideration, you may

contact me directly at the address on this letterhead, or simply return the

stamped postcard I’ve enclosed for your convenience.

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you

soon.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Pro

For more on Query Letters, visit http://www.storypros.com/QueryLetters.html to see what the Bad one looks like, or http://www.storypros.com/Bad%20Query.pdf

Now go out there and write something.