If you’re a new or emerging playwright, submitting your play to a contest can feel like sending it into a black hole.

You finish the script, polish it, hit “submit,” and then… you wait.

So, how long should you expect to wait before you hear anything?

» A Typical Waiting Period

For many playwriting contests, you may wait several months before receiving a decision. A common timeline is around three to six months, although some contests respond sooner and others can take longer.

This waiting period is normal. Contests often receive hundreds of submissions, and each play needs to be read and considered.

If the contest includes a staged reading, workshop, or full production as part of the prize, the process can take even longer. A contest might announce winners within a few months but schedule the actual performance several months after that.

In other words, getting selected and getting produced are often two different steps.

» What Happens After You Submit?

The process usually looks something like this:

1. Submission: You send in your play before the deadline.
2. Reading period: Readers and judges review the submissions.
3. Finalists or winners: The contest announces its selections.
4. Planning: If your play is chosen for production, the theater or organization begins scheduling rehearsals, casting, and other production details.
5. Performance: The play finally reaches an audience.

That entire journey can take six months to a year or more, depending on the contest and its production schedule.

If you’re looking for playwriting contests and opportunities to submit a play, a resource like Play Submissions Helper can make the search easier. You can browse available play submission opportunities and quickly find important details such as deadlines, eligibility requirements, submission guidelines, and what the selected playwright will receive. This can help you spend less time searching and more time finding the contests that are a good fit for your work.

» Don't Let The Wait Discourage You

The hardest part for many emerging playwrights is not knowing what is happening while they wait.

Try not to assume that silence means rejection. If a contest says decisions will be announced in four months, give them that full window before following up.

More importantly, don’t stop writing while you wait.

Submit another play. Start a new script. Enter another contest. The more you write and submit, the less one contest’s timeline controls your momentum.

» Think In Seasons, Not Days

When submitting to playwriting contests, it helps to think in terms of seasons rather than weeks.

You might submit in the spring, hear results in the summer or fall, and—if selected—see your play produced later that year or even the following year.

That may feel like a long time, but it is part of the theater process.

Your job is to write the strongest play you can, submit it to the right opportunities, and keep moving forward. The waiting is part of the journey—not a sign that you’re standing still.