See Part 1 of this Article here.

Whether you are sending a query letter to an Agent, Manager, or Producer, there are three extremely important pieces of advice:

1. Keep it SHORT.
2. Hook them as soon as possible.
3. Make sure the writing is great!

Obvious, right? About 5% (that's right, five percent) of all query letters actually do all three of those.

Just do those three things and you stand above 95% of the query letters received by most companies.

For the second part of this article series, I'll give the short version of two important parts of a query letter — the synopsis and the bio. The details are covered in the class I do below.

WHAT GOES INTO A SYNOPSIS?

You have a few paragraphs to deliver all of this.

• Essence of the story.
• Main conflict.
• Imply beginning, middle, and end.

DO tell it in the most compelling way you possibly can.

DO use emotionally loaded words that deliver depth of experience to the reader.

DO give us some lead characters that A-list actors will want to play.

DON'T give any details that aren't appealing or intriguing. Details are important for the script, but often bog a pitch down.

DON'T give us a "book report" on your story.

Just keep reminding yourself that your purpose is to get them to request the script, not to know the story perfectly.

WHAT GOES INTO A BIO?

Your bio goes at the end of the letter and presents credibility for why you are the perfect person to write this story.

DO tell about any contests you've won or placed in. If you have multiple wins, give us the one or two most impressive ones.

DO tell if you're already an optioned or produced writer.

DO tell about any unique skills or background you have that qualifies you to tell this story.

Example for a gambling movie:

"Besides winning two Nevada Screenwriting Contests, I'm a three-time finalist at the World Championships of Poker held in Las Vegas."

In one sentence, we discover two reasons why this writer could be the perfect writer of a script on gambling — contest wins and inside knowledge of the poker industry.

DON'T do any of the following:

• say you're desperate.
• beg.
• say anything crazy.
• tell about the bills you have.
• say you're going to quit screenwriting if they don't buy your script.

When you write your next query letter or any other marketing materials, remember to present your highest quality writing and lure the reader into contacting you for your script.

Present yourself as an attractive person to do business with. Show how your story is marketable and how you're the perfect person to write this story. Be brief, precise, and write powerfully.

Do that and you'll increase your chances dramatically.

And if you want to increase your chances even further, check out our Marketing Your Screenplay Class.