How to Submit a Play to a Literary Agent

Submitting plays can be an arduous task or simple as pie, depending on your attitude going in.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• script
• submission guidelines
• literary agents address
• envelope
• stamps
• patience

1. Read Submission Guidelines: Playwrights who are most often frustrated by the submission process often are the ones who do the least reading and the most blind submissions. Often times literary agents in particular won’t be accepting submissions or will only be accepting submissions with certain preconditions (past production, Equity production) or will only accept plays a certain way (first ten pages, first act, full script). Do yourself and their paper shredder a favor and read the submission guidelines.
2. Neat Presentation: While you can not dictate what happens between your mailbox and the literary agents desk, you can make sure the script leaves your care in a neat looking envelope, three hole punched and braided (if that is what the agent wants) and in good shape. While the USPS may get grief, they generally handle mail with care and consideration. One more way for you to make sure your script will be well cared for is to skip the local mail route and bring it directly to the post office.
3. SASE: If you want your script back, you should include a self addressed stamped envelope. Just as a courtesy you may wish to include a postcard indicating that the literary agent got the script. Agents will generally send these postcards as soon as they open the script; when you get the postcard back will enable you to gauge when they got the script. Furthermore, their guidelines for submission, will typically state whether or not the literary agent will return your script at all. If it doesn’t say, you can be pretty well assured that any responsible literary agent will send back your script assuming there’s a self addressed stamped envelope enclosed.
4. Media Mail: You can send a play script back and forth to your literary agent for considerably less if you label the envelope “media mail.” For more information about Media Mail including rates check the USPS website.
5. Patience: Literary agents have hundreds or thousands of other scripts before yours that are sitting and waiting to be read by their keen eyes. If you have waited an extraordinarily long time, you can follow up with a postcard. It is a good idea to check their submission guidelines; the guidelines will likely say something like “More than six months” or “No less than nine months” for their response time. Mark your calendar and hope that your script will speak for you!

Tips & Warnings

• be patient
• read the guidelines