If you're an emerging playwright, you've probably wondered whether submitting your play in January, during the summer, or around the holidays might improve your chances of getting produced.
The logic seems reasonable: fewer submissions mean less competition. But is there a particular time of year when theaters receive fewer plays?
The honest answer is that there's no established, universally quiet season for play submissions. However, understanding how theaters accept scripts can help you make smarter decisions about when to submit.
Is There a Best Month to Submit a Play?
There's little publicly available evidence showing that any particular month consistently offers playwrights better odds of acceptance across the American theater industry.
Submission schedules vary considerably. Some theaters accept scripts year-round, while others open their doors for a few weeks or accept plays only through specific festivals and competitions. For example, The Open Eye Theater accepts submissions on a rolling basis from eligible writers, while Geneva Theatre Guild has used a limited submission window with a cap of 150 scripts. The Open Eye Theater and Geneva Theatre Guild illustrate how different these systems can be.
This creates an important distinction: the number of submissions a theater receives isn't the same as your odds of being selected. A theater might receive fewer plays in December but also have fewer opportunities to develop or produce new work.
Without reliable monthly submission statistics, claiming that one season offers less competition would be speculation.
Why Submission Deadlines Matter More Than the Calendar
Instead of searching for a universally quiet month, look for opportunities with submission windows that match your play.
Some festivals and competitions accept only a limited number of scripts. The Dayton Playhouse's FutureFest, for example, has used a first-come, first-served limit of 350 submissions. In these cases, submitting early can matter more than choosing a particular month.
Other programs operate on fixed annual schedules. The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference, for instance, typically opens applications in late summer or early fall.
These examples suggest a more useful strategy: research individual opportunities rather than relying on a seasonal rule.
Five Ways to Improve Your Submission Strategy
- Submit as soon as a suitable window opens. This is especially important when opportunities have submission caps.
- Track deadlines throughout the year. Keep a calendar of festivals, competitions, development programs, and theaters accepting unsolicited scripts.
- Target theaters that fit your play. Consider their production history, preferred styles, cast sizes, and artistic interests.
- Read the guidelines carefully. An open submission window doesn't necessarily mean every playwright or type of play is eligible.
- Don't rush an unfinished script. A polished, appropriate submission is more valuable than an early submission that isn't ready.
Resources such as the Play Submissions Helper can help playwrights discover opportunities and keep track of submission deadlines.
So, When Should You Submit Your Play?
Submit when a suitable opportunity opens and your play is ready.
There may be individual theaters or competitions with quieter submission periods, but there's no solid basis for recommending one month as the best time to submit to American theaters generally.
Rather than trying to outsmart the calendar, focus on finding the right opportunities, understanding their requirements, and submitting strategically.
Your best advantage isn't necessarily submitting when fewer playwrights are submitting. It's submitting the right play to the right opportunity at the right time.