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I dislike hyperbolic writing:
The expert says something like:

“All you have to do is get a list of everyone in Hollywood and send them a query letter and PRESTO – you can achieve your dreams! Oh, and by the way, for a small fee you can blast my personal list….”
No "expert" has ever said something like this. This is Ms. Palmer's
way of setting up an argument she can shoot down. Her advice on
what to do is good. But not good for everyone. so to completely
dismiss query letters as a "hoax" is poor writing. She would make
her point better without the hyperbole.

It's damn difficult to get a screenplay noticed. It's even more difficult
if the writer cannot make the personal connections.
 
I like Stephanie Palmer and she generally has good information and advice.

But I disagree that querying is useless. I have spoken with and interviewed dozens of managers and they all sometimes look at queries (less so agents). Is it a long shot? Yes. Do you increase your odds by winning the Nicholl fellowship or having a strong referral? Yes, of course. But I know writers that have gotten repped by query emails, so it can work.

The keys?
1) Keep it brief. No more than a few sentences and your logline. Too long and they won't read it.
2) The logline is key. If your logline is fantastic, they might request the script. If you don't get any response, chances are they didn't like your logline. DO NOT send a synopsis! Just a one (maybe two) sentence logline. That's it.
3) Make it personal. I've seen plenty of obviously mass emailed queries "Dear Sir or Madam" or even with the wrong name. Will it take longer to send out? Yes. But nothing will make them delete faster than a generic email they know you've send to a hundred other people.
4) Have an amazing script. I can't emphasize that enough. If your script is good, make it better. Once you get a read request, if you don't have the goods, you've wasted that opportunity. There is very little chance they'll read it a second time, even if you rewrite it to make it better.

If you want to read/listen to some of the interviews I've done with lit agents and managers, you can find a list, here: http://www.scriptsandscribes.com/agentsmanagers/

Good luck to you and I respect the fact that you're waiting to query until your scripts are ready! Way too many writers query way before they should.
 
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