I wanted to share my 3 favorite play submission tips. Keep these things in mind with every submission you send to theaters:
Tip #1: Follow the instructions to the letter.
This sounds obvious, but don’t overlook it! The literary staff of theaters are overwhelmed, often fielding hundreds of script submissions. If your play doesn’t fit their criteria (if it’s too long, for instance, or has too large a cast), then it will most likely be rejected out of hand. Even worse, they may remember your name as the playwright who didn’t bother to read their submission guidelines before wasting their time.
Luckily, Play Submission Helper makes this step easy! Our play submission listings contain helpful information that can help you quickly identify the theaters that are looking for plays like yours.
Tip #2: Foster relationships when you can.
The theater community is a small and tight-knit one. The more you can foster relationships with people in the industry, the better your chances of having someone give your play a shot.
This means be kind and courteous in all your communications.
Don’t ever lash out with unkind or impatient words, even if you feel you’re being ignored. Remember that the people reading your work are liable to be very busy, and they probably haven’t had a chance to read your work yet.
If your play is rejected, no reply is necessary. If anything, simply thank them for taking the time to consider your work.
It would also be a great idea to try and meet some of the local directors and literary managers in your area. Offer to buy them a coffee and get to know them. You never know; they might agree to produce one of your plays someday!
Tip #3: Take time to hone your submission package.
You only get one chance to grab a reader’s attention, so make the most of it!
Of course you want to ensure your entire play is as good as you can make it. You should also pay particular attention to the first 10 pages, since this is all that some theaters will ask for in your initial query.
Take time to carefully craft the other documents that may be required of you, such as your cover letter, synopsis, and resume.
Remember that your first impression is what will decide whether the entire play gets read or not. Your play could have a fantastic plot twist at the end, but the beginning of your play doesn’t grab their attention, they’ll never get that far.
Keep these 3 things in mind when submitting your play to maximize your chances of success.
