Comments on: How long should you wait after sending out your screenplay query letter?

By: Ashley Scott Meyers

Ashley Scott Meyers — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:46:33 +0000

Kristi;

This is a good point. Thank you for telling us about your experience. I’ve said numerous times on this blog that I think making a phone call to a production company is probably a great way to make contacts (either while pitching or following up after you’ve sent in your script) but I know for myself I’m not good at cold calling people so I’ve never done this. But I think you should.

My main point with this blog post is that after you send out query letters 99% of your responses will come in within a week (if you used email or fax) or two (two weeks if you mailed your query letter and you live well outside of Los Angeles). After that you might get an occasional response but you’ll have the bulk of your responses within a couple of weeks so you’ll know if your query letter campaign was successful or not pretty quickly.

By: Kristi

Kristi — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:43:14 +0000

Just an related anecdote: I sent a few queries via an online website that I had to pay for which guarantees a response from the producers, even if it’s just one word. I did get the responses which was immediately satisfying and I had one producer interested in reading the script. I sent this script in July and followed up 4 weeks later. No response. I figured he didn’t like the script. I decided a couple of days ago on the offchance to ask him if he’d like to read a rewrite. He replied saying he hadn’t got round to reading my first one yet and please send the rewrite through instead. I was so happy knowing he hadn’t read it instead of reading it and not liking it…warped I know. But my point is, sometimes they show interest months later.

By: The Dude

The Dude — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:45:36 +0000

I second that! Before I found this website, writing a screenplay was only a fantasy! I have so many ideas rolling around in my head it feels great to at least get some of them down on paper.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:26:56 +0000

Hey Ashley,

Thank you for all the great tips and advice you provide through your website. I’m a writer/director living in Toronto who’s currently working towards sell my screenplay. Your article “Selling Your Screenplay(in a nutshell) is excellent!

Thanks again for this website,

Ian.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:44:52 +0000

I did

By: Ashley Scott Meyers

Ashley Scott Meyers — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:52:11 +0000

Sarah;

Just make sure you put an email address in your query letter, too. In this day and age most producers will simply send you an email requesting the script if they like your pitch.

Ashley

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:01:24 +0000

I’m in the process of sending out queries (as much as possible) and I live in Germany. I was told it’s no prob to live outside the US as long as you put a SASE in. I’m not quite sure about it… I’ll have to sit and wait : (