Sometimes you get a letter that starts with “Congratulations.” And sometimes you get a letter that starts with “Unfortunately” or “We’re sorry.” Sometimes you don’t get a letter at all.

Chances are, if you submit your work to a competition or theatre, sooner or later you will be rejected. Part of the writing processes is to recognize that your work will speak to different people. Some people will automatically connect with your words, characters, and situations. Others will not. Your play may get in the hands of the right reader, at the wrong time. The person in charge of reading may have just had his/her dog pass away, so a play about a dying dog might not be their top pick. Sometimes, your play will land on the desk of the right person at the right time and all the stars will align and you’ll advance in the competition.

The point is, these things are out of your control.You write the stories you’ve written because it speaks to you. Sending your work out is playing a game of chance, and the odds are very highly stacked against you. Many festivals get upwards of three-hundred plays, and the process of whittling them down to the four or the ten or the twelve or however many they ultimately produce means a lot of good work gets left on the cutting room floor. Don’t get discouraged. Every writer will receive a rejection letter in his/her time. It’s part of the job description. Try not to take it personally, another day/ another reader, the results may differ.

Below the cut, we’ll go over some things that you can do to overcome the sting of rejection, and some common reasons for why plays are rejected.

Some things to do if you get rejected:

Don’t take it as a sign to stop writing. There are a lot of reasons why plays are rejected from festivals, and “you should call the whole thing off” is not one of them.

take it as a sign to stop writing. There are a lot of reasons why plays are rejected from festivals, and “you should call the whole thing off” is not one of them. Don’t decide that the festival doesn’t deserve your entries in the future. Just because this year wasn’t your year doesn’t mean next year, or the year after that won’t be.

decide that the festival doesn’t deserve your entries in the future. Just because this year wasn’t your year doesn’t mean next year, or the year after that won’t be. Don’t go on the internet and badmouth the festival. The vast majority of these things aren’t judged blind, and it’s not as if they can’t use google.

go on the internet and badmouth the festival. The vast majority of these things aren’t judged blind, and it’s not as if they can’t use google. Do revise your play. If you got feedback from the festival, think about ways that you can use this advice and write a second draft. Revising is a major part of the writing process, and it is one of your major tools for improvement.

revise your play. If you got feedback from the festival, think about ways that you can use this advice and write a second draft. Revising is a major part of the writing process, and it is one of your major tools for improvement. Do submit again next year, but don’t submit the same play if you haven’t done any revision work on it. You’ll be a whole year older and a whole year more experienced, so why would you want to send them a play that represents who you were a year and a half ago? (Feel free to submit that play to other festivals, though!)

submit again next year, but submit the same play if you haven’t done any revision work on it. You’ll be a whole year older and a whole year more experienced, so why would you want to send them a play that represents who you were a year and a half ago? (Feel free to submit that play to other festivals, though!) Do keep writing!

Some reasons you might be rejected from a festival, that have nothing to do with you as a person or as a writer:

Length . If your play is too short or too long and therefore doesn’t fit the festival’s criteria or format, it doesn’t matter how good it is if they can’t consider it for production. Sending a 110-page epic to a festival that only produces one-acts isn’t going to get you selected, regardless of how good that epic is.

. If your play is too short or too long and therefore doesn’t fit the festival’s criteria or format, it doesn’t matter how good it is if they can’t consider it for production. Sending a 110-page epic to a festival that only produces one-acts isn’t going to get you selected, regardless of how good that epic is. Subject matter . Some festivals like comedies. Some festivals like dramas. Some festivals like an even mix or have a quota to fill. Some festivals won’t produce certain subject matter (I know of at least one that won’t choose plays that glamorize suicide, no matter how good they are) based on personal taste or political agenda. This doesn’t mean that your play isn’t good, just that it’s not a good fit for their festival.

. Some festivals like comedies. Some festivals like dramas. Some festivals like an even mix or have a quota to fill. Some festivals won’t produce certain subject matter (I know of at least one that won’t choose plays that glamorize suicide, no matter how good they are) based on personal taste or political agenda. This doesn’t mean that your play isn’t good, just that it’s not a good fit for their festival. Internal festival politics. I’ve got no idea what goes on behind the judging room door. Do you? Sometimes an amazing play gets knocked out in the semi-finals and it’s got nothing to do with quality and everything to do with a bizarre mix of production logistics, personal taste, and animal magnetism. It really is nothing personal.

I’ve got no idea what goes on behind the judging room door. Do you? Sometimes an amazing play gets knocked out in the semi-finals and it’s got nothing to do with quality and everything to do with a bizarre mix of production logistics, personal taste, and animal magnetism. It really is nothing personal. Age-biased judging. Some festivals seek to foster repeating playwrights and will make sure to feature writers from all over their age range and pick the same playwright over multiple years. Others pick based strictly on which plays are objectively “the best,” which lends itself to a playwrights from the older end of the range. This doesn’t mean you should only enter festivals if you’re right at the edge of aging out – just the opposite, in fact! There’s no way to know just from looking at a festival whether or not representing a range of ages has any weight in their selection process. Even if you don’t make it through to the festival except in your final year, entering is important because it gives you an opportunity to have your work read or to get feedback. And you never know – your play might wind up on the desk of someone who will fight for you until the bitter end!

Some festivals seek to foster repeating playwrights and will make sure to feature writers from all over their age range and pick the same playwright over multiple years. Others pick based strictly on which plays are objectively “the best,” which lends itself to a playwrights from the older end of the range. This doesn’t mean you should only enter festivals if you’re right at the edge of aging out – just the opposite, in fact! There’s no way to know just from looking at a festival whether or not representing a range of ages has any weight in their selection process. Even if you don’t make it through to the festival except in your final year, entering is important because it gives you an opportunity to have your work read or to get feedback. And you never know – your play might wind up on the desk of someone who will fight for you until the bitter end! Missing information. You didn’t include your birthday or any of the requested contact information? You’re probably not going to hear back from the festival.

Rejection will happen to you – but it shouldn’t discourage you. Instead, you should see it as a challenge. So maybe you didn’t make it into such-and-such festival this year – but next year, with practice, dedication, and a strong new play, maybe you will!

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