After finishing my English feature length screenplay God's Deception (thriller/sci-fi/crime), I tried sending emails to many producers, production companies and managers who represents alien sci-fi genre films.
I have sent more than 110 emails to the industry professionals finding email address from IMDbpro.
And mostly people didn't respond to me, some email addresses were not found and a tiny amount of people replied with saying that they don't accept unsolicited material.
I did my best to list out all the people who have worked with their sci-fi client or have credited with those thriller/Alien-sci-fi/crime type of genres.
Listing out more than 100 people and sending emails to them mentioning their works and what I like about their work was massively time consuming.
But the outcome was negative and really disappointing.
2 people like this
It's a numbers game, so how many responded? This is important, because if the receiver doesn't know who you are, emails are not communication, they are marketing. A good standard response on a physical flyer is 1 in 100. A good standard response on an email is 1 in 1000. If you are better than that you are doing something right, if worse, you are doing something wrong.
2 people like this
Hi, Srabon Ghosh. It's like that for a lot of writers. It's been that way for me. I've gotten script requests and made connections with query letters too.
Check out this post and webinar:
www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Manager-Query-Email-What-Do-You-Inc...
"How To Write A Query Letter That Gets You Past The Gatekeepers" www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-a-query-letter-that-gets...
3 people like this
It is disheartening, especially when you've followed all the advice and done the right thing. Maybe the logline is not resonating and needs polishing? Can you add an attention-grabbing accolade e.g. finalist in xyz competiton?
4 people like this
When you’ve put that much time and effort into a script, it’s tough to feel like your emails are disappearing into a void.
Unfortunately, the reality is that cold query letters almost never work these days, especially in the U.S. industry. Most production companies and reps can’t even open unsolicited emails for legal reasons. If they happen to have a project with a similar premise, it could expose them to potential lawsuits.
It’s really all about protecting themselves and working through trusted channels. The system is set up in a way that keeps new writers at arm’s length unless they come through a rep, a referral, or a reputable contest. That’s just how the business works.
Focus on finding a manager or entering well-regarded screenwriting competitions that connect winners with industry professionals. Those routes tend to offer much better odds.
2 people like this
Your experience, while discouraging, is unfortunately completely normal—cold querying rarely works because of the "unsolicited material" barrier you encountered. It's not a reflection of your script's quality; it's industry-standard legal policy at many companies.
Why cold queries fail:
Production companies and reps don't accept unsolicited submissions due to liability concerns about idea theft lawsuits. Your emails get filtered by assistants or legal departments before anyone reads your actual pitch, regardless of how well-researched or personalized they are.
What actually works:
Representation comes through warm introductions*(referrals from existing clients or industry contacts), competition placements that generate buzz, pitch sessions through legitimate platforms like Stage 32 where executives have agreed and set aside dedicated time to hear pitches, or industry relationships built through networking (by hook or by crook).
Your 110 emails represented massive effort on an approach with statistically near-zero success rates. That same energy invested in Stage 32 pitch sessions with sci-fi/thriller executives, targeted competitions, or building genuine industry relationships through lounges and events would yield far better results.
Cold querying isn't always a show of determination—it's often pushing against a locked door. Sometimes you have to find the doors that are actually open or another way inside the window. Some companies even accept unsolicited submissions on their websites, such as Witchcraft Motion Pictures (who made NIGHT SWIM):
(https://www.witchcraftmotionpicturecompany.com/submissions)
1 person likes this
You're just spamming people who don't want to hear from strangers.
There's two major shortcuts aspiring screenwriters try:
1) Competitions, which are basically lotteries.
2) Mass cold querying, which is basically spamming.
Neither statistically work (even if people win or get read requests), yet they are recommended by people trying them for years.
Supply and demand is so out-balanced that it means there isn't even enough work to go around for established writers, never mind unknown ones.
Writers breaking in now are working their way up from the bottom, either with up-and-coming new talent and/or small prodcos who can just about afford a writer.
Writers selling specs for notable sums to big prodcos almost always turn out to have been working for years before, but press and gossip makes it seem they broke in overnight.
Networking trumps everything, but it takes time and sustained effort. I just had someone get back to me and reopen a conversation that started five years ago. They just released their first feature.
I've watched people sit around writing scripts, picking at other people's scripts, entering competitions, paying for evaluations, and querying people off IMDb, year after year without ever getting out of this bubble they live in where they expect to be discovered.
You have to walk that journey and you can take the first steps today.