Query test

[Enigma]

Some of you may have already done this, intentionally or otherwise, but I'm curious what your results were.

I sorted out 30 producers that I felt were qualified and/or had the credentials to do the script I was pitching. All were located in the LA area. The query letters were identical, except for the names of course.

1. 10 were sent from a highly touted list I paid around $100 bucks for and provided "... an automatic query feature from our list of over 1,700+/-...." - no responses.
2. 10 were also sent via e-mail to a "free" list - no responses. One address was invalid even after two sends.
3. Five days earlier, 10 went via snail mail (w/ an SASE) - seven responses back so far, including five rejections, one who wanted to see the synopsis and one who wanted both the synopsis and script.

Kind of tells me something about the effectiveness of using e-mail to query.

In addition - and this came as no real surprise - from the day the query letters were sent to this moment, my web page has produced 7 replies from "qualified" people, none above a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest). All toll, there were 693 hits on the counter, but heaven only knows if that many people looked or if crawlers crawled so that indicates - nothing.

In the future, I think I'll stick to the old-fashion way of doing it.

[Writer1]

I don't think your sample numbers are statistically significant. I've never used snail mail...always email, and have never had a problem generating reads. The next 10 emails you send may all generate replies/requests. But, I would never recommend one way over another........do whatever works for you.

Email works for me because it's faster and cheaper.

[Enigma]

I don't think your sample numbers are statistically significant. I've never used snail mail...always email, and have never had a problem generating reads. The next 10 emails you send may all generate replies/requests. But, I would never recommend one way over another........do whatever works for you.

Email works for me because it's faster and cheaper.

Thanks for the reply.

It would, granted, take probably a sampling of 1,000 or more to make it a valid test, and even then I for one would question the findings for the same reason you did. My secretary, however, might raise a few objections, and a fist (with a gun in it), if I took it to that extreme since she does all the work.

The value of having a web page still intrigues me, although the jury is still out on that. Funny things can happen. My brother-in-law flew down last week and looked at my page and commented that his company hasn't realized one dime from their's. I looked at it. No wonder. Now, in exchange for helping him find a new webmaster and designer, I get free hosting off his server. Still, no matter how good of one I eventually come up with, I don't think, at the moment at any rate, a page is all that important or productive to writers. I could be wrong and I'm keeping an open mind.

[Rainy Night]

I don't think, at the moment at any rate, a page is all that important or productive to writers. I could be wrong and I'm keeping an open mind.
I've had a webpage for the last three years with no results, but then I really don't promote it either.

[Enigma]

I've had a webpage for the last three years with no results, but then I really don't promote it either.

I was about the same, until recently. But, if I'm going to do it, I might as well go all the way and give it my best shot.


Promoting our work is half the battle, at least. I'm now the "scout" for my BILs new web page designer and host, so I'll pick up more than a few tips along the way, I hope.

I suspect the reason they're not all that productive is because of the demographics of the typical producer - who has more to do than surf the web. However, if a name is brought to his attention, he might, just might, key it in on his search engine and if the ranking is high enough, maybe he'll look and if the content is good, maybe he'll take a serious look. Who knows? My name is #1 on IE but on Google, it gets lost back on the fifth or sixth page. It's only been up for a few weeks but even I don't have the patience to look for it that far down the food chain. :mad:

BTW, I loved the photo on your page.

[JustinoXXV]

Some of you may have already done this, intentionally or otherwise, but I'm curious what your results were.

I sorted out 30 producers that I felt were qualified and/or had the credentials to do the script I was pitching. All were located in the LA area. The query letters were identical, except for the names of course.

1. 10 were sent from a highly touted list I paid around $100 bucks for and provided "... an automatic query feature from our list of over 1,700+/-...." - no responses.
2. 10 were also sent via e-mail to a "free" list - no responses. One address was invalid even after two sends.
3. Five days earlier, 10 went via snail mail (w/ an SASE) - seven responses back so far, including five rejections, one who wanted to see the synopsis and one who wanted both the synopsis and script.

Kind of tells me something about the effectiveness of using e-mail to query.

In addition - and this came as no real surprise - from the day the query letters were sent to this moment, my web page has produced 7 replies from "qualified" people, none above a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest). All toll, there were 693 hits on the counter, but heaven only knows if that many people looked or if crawlers crawled so that indicates - nothing.

In the future, I think I'll stick to the old-fashion way of doing it.

I prefer e-mail, and I've gotten good, solid reads from legitimate people.

If you haven't tried it, you can also fax over query letters. But I very seldom fax.

Also, if you do decide to use snail mail, don't bother sending out SASE in bulk. They simply aren't expected in the film industry. If they want to get in contact with you, they will.

[Enigma]

I prefer e-mail, and I've gotten good, solid reads from legitimate people.

If you haven't tried it, you can also fax over query letters. But I very seldom fax.

Also, if you do decide to use snail mail, don't bother sending out SASE in bulk. They simply aren't expected in the film industry. If they want to get in contact with you, they will.

I'v gotten some mixed opinions on including an SASE with a query letter. The literary "world" demands it.

I think I'll test sending faxes. What the heck, telephone calls don't cost anything. Good idea.

I've got three other catagories to test next.

All this is helping to refine the control factors, so thanks. Keep the remarks comin'.

Oh, how long do you wait, or do you wait, to follow up? And how do you do it? What with "Select All," and "Delete" I would think it wouldn't matter if you do or not, on a query. Others, yes. There's an accepted protocol for that.

[JustinoXXV]

There's no reason to follow up on a query. In fact, I don't even follow up on scripts. If they want to get in touch with me, they have my contact information. The only time I would contact them as if my contact info changes.

[Rainy Night]

My name is #1 on IE but on Google, it gets lost back on the fifth or sixth page. It's only been up for a few weeks but even I don't have the patience to look for it that far down the food chain.
How do you get your ranking up on a search engine? Is it just the number of hits, or is it a money thing? I see a number of sites that you pay and they say they'll get you listed, etc, etc..

I'm not much of a web designer so my page is fairly simple. I like the background on yours, I wanted to do that with mine but couln't figure out how so I just put the picture in the top center.

[Enigma]

There's no reason to follow up on a query. In fact, I don't even follow up on scripts. If they want to get in touch with me, they have my contact information. The only time I would contact them as if my contact info changes.

I don't follow up on query letters, but I do on scripts.