You have to be ready to respond to any query you send out with a completed script, treatment, or proposal.   The one major exception is if your story is big news and you are selling life-story rights.  Then, people are probably calling you, and you don't need this service (though it might help find you an agent).

The next step is to write your query or we can write it for you.  (About half our clients have us write it).  

• If you are writing your query, you will get a link to a page with guidelines to follow.   Then, you send us your letter for a review, which includes suggestions for improving your letter, adding information, and a light editorial polish.   Should your letter need major changes or a rewrite, we'll suggest that.   This letter is extremely important, especially the subject line, because this is what will get the producer, production company, or agent to want to know more about your project.  Think of this query as a marketing letter, so even if you have done other types of writing, you may need help writing a good one. 

• If you want us to write the query, send us 2-3 pages of information, including a synopsis or overview of your film, bio information, especially as related to this project, any previous film options or productions, and how you can help with your film in the future.  You will get a draft of the query letter to review and make any additions and changes.   Then, your letter gets a final editorial polish, and if there are any major changes, you get to do a final review before the letter goes out.

Once your query letter is finalized, we send your query by e-mail to the producers, production companies, or agents.  Or if it's a postal query, we send you a file with the merged names and addresses, so your letter is ready for you to print it out on your stationery; then you mail out your letter with any additional supporting material.

We regularly update our databases through various means, including reports of changes in personnel and deals in industry publications, test e-mails, and returns forwarded to us by many clients.  This regular updating is necessary, since every week there are changes in the industry, as people change jobs, companies move or go out of business, or people change e-mails or add spam filters.   Then, too, occasionally a producer or agent will advise us or a client that they don't want e-mails, are leaving the business, or are no longer interested in that type of project.

If you want to exclude particular individuals or companies from getting your e-mail, we can do this based on the names or e-mails you provide (though sometimes people use other names or e-mail addresses). 

We use a special software program to send out your e-mail under your own name and e-mail address, so all replies will come directly to you.   You will also receive a copy of your e-mail that has gone out (it's forwarded to you from our AOL or Yahoo e-mail account), along with a report listing the names and companies receiving your query.   This will help you keep track and follow-up with your responses.

After your e-mail query goes out (generally on Sunday night through Thursday morning to avoid sending queries on the weekends), you will usually get a very quick response, sometimes within an hour or two, though most contacts respond within the first or second day.   The level of response will depend on your project.   Commonly, clients average about 10-15 positive responses, some many more.

Once you get responses, be ready to respond with a synopsis, treatment, script, or TV show proposal,  so take some time before you send your query to be sure you have what you need to respond in a day or two.  An increasing number of producers and agents are open to e-mail submissions, but many will want you to send your script by regular mail.   Ask about preferences, and only send attachments if the person is willing for you to do so.   Many people will give you their address when they want more information by mail; otherwise, ask where to send your material.

Another question which often comes up is whether you need an agent and whether to send queries to both producers and agents.   It depends on your project and your ability to handle follow-up negotiations.   Generally, it works well to send it to both producers and agents at the same time, which is what most clients do. 

After you send off your material, expect to wait a month or two for a decision.  While a few clients have reported signing their project within a few weeks (including our own signings of Do You Look Like Your Dog? , Royal Flush, A Law for My Daughter, and Brain Swap to various producers and agents), generally it takes longer.   It can take a few weeks for the person requesting your material to read it, and then even if they like it, they will want feedback from others.  Or if you find an agent, the agent will have to submit your script to producers and production companies on your behalf, and then the script goes through the same consideration process.   

In short, the FilmConnection can open the door for you.  But after this, your success depends on the strength of your script or TV show proposal, along with other factors, such as current trends in the marketplace.