Making First Contact
Your research has identified opportunities to present your script. Now it's time to make contact and present your work. There are three basic ways to do that:
- Query letters
- In person
- Over the telephone
Query Letters
Query letters are my preferred method for most cases, offering a number of advantages:
- Expense - A sheet of paper, a postcard, an envelope, and two stamps.
- Time - Send the letters out and get back to writing while waiting for the responses, which are usually returned within a month, unlike a script which may take months (or years).
- Coverage - Unlike multiple submissions of scripts, which are highly discouraged, sending multiple queries helps you define your best opportunities in a timely manner.
- Results - When a favorable response comes back to you, the script you submit is not longer unsolicited, and that makes a big difference.
My query letters are simple:
- Cover letter
- SASP (self-addressed stamped postcard) for their convenience in requesting to read the entire script
The query letter is not only your introduction - your calling card - but is the first opportunity to get your great play idea across to someone else. It needs to be brief, yet powerful. It needs to be enticing, making the reader want to know more, and particularly, making the reader want to read the entire script.
The people who read query letters receive dozens or even hundreds of these letters. It needs to get to the point quickly and vividly.
Sample Query Letter
Dear Mr. Jones:
Would XYZ Publishing be interested in the following new play?
My Wonderful Play (5W/5M) - [Here is where I insert a 100-word synopsis of my play, giving the basic storyline, a little about the major characters, or whatever else makes this play unique.] Single set. Running time 90 minutes.
In the next paragraph I give background about the play, why it has promise, any timely events currently going on that may make it more marketable, and other reasons why it should be considered. If the play was previously produced and a review was published, I refer to it here.
Next, I give detail of my background, other plays produced and/or published, education, and any other pertinent info.
In the final paragraph, I let them know I have enclosed an SASP for their convenience in responding. I thank them for their consideration, and I look forward to hearing from them.
Sincerely,
Dave Brandl
enclosure
Submitting an Entire Script Sometimes the full script is requested rather than a query letter. Some organizations are able to read through scripts quickly and want to eliminate the query letter step. What is most important is to research the organization being contacted and use the information they supply, as detailed in the Writer's Market and the Dramatists Sourcebook.
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