Here's a slightly uncomfortable truth about play submissions:
You've been submitting more information than you might realize.
Every time a literary manager or artistic director gets interested in your script, there's a good chance they do something you have no control over in that moment: they Google you.
They look you up on New Play Exchange. They find your website (or discover you don't have one). They skim your bio, your production history, maybe your social media.
Call it your ghost résumé: the submission you never sent, but that gets read anyway.
And here's the problem. Most playwrights spend months polishing their script and their cover letter... But never even think about auditing what a curious literary manager will find when they go looking online.
So here's a simple audit you can perform right now to get a better idea of what your playwriting ghost résumé looks like--and how to clean it up (if needed):
* Google your name (plus "playwright" if your name is common). What comes up on the first page? Is it current? Is it accurate? Is it anything at all?
* Check your New Play Exchange profile. Is your bio up to date? Do your play pages have clear synopses, cast sizes, and development history? NPX is often the very first stop a reader makes.
* Look at your website--or honestly assess whether you need one. It doesn't have to be fancy. One clean page with your bio, your plays, and a contact link beats an abandoned site from 2019 with a dead email address.
* Try to read your bio like a stranger. Is it up to date? Does it contain credits while also telling the reader what kind of writer you are?
* If your social media accounts are public, take an honest look there too. Theaters may be put off by a writer whose social media presence indicates a possible PR nightmare (for instance, by professing controversial political views).
To be clear, none of this can save a weak script. The quality of your play is still paramount.
But if a reader loves your play, goes looking for you, and finds nothing...or worse, finds a mess...you might be undercutting your submission at the exact moment they were leaning toward "yes."
Here's the good news: unlike a production credit, your web presence is (at least partially) within your control An evening of cleanup can make sure that when someone comes looking, they find a writer who looks ready to be produced.
Then, when your ghost résumé is in order, the next step is getting readers curious enough to look--and that starts with submitting to the right places.
When you're ready to get started submitting, go here to browse our list of opportunities: https://playsubmissionshelper.com/blog