We’re Always Interested in Publishing New Material
Thank you for your interest in Pioneer Drama Service. We are one of the largest full-service play publishing companies in North America targeting the educational, children’s and community theatre markets.
General Guidelines
- We accept unsolicited manuscripts that meet the parameters defined in these guidelines. However, we prefer for you to send us a query letter. Start the submission process by contacting us here.
- We will only consider manuscripts with a running time between 20 and 90 minutes.
- Submissions must be family friendly in both subject and language. NO cursing. NO explicitly adult content.
- We prefer casts that are either balanced or favoring females. The more gender neutral roles, the better.
- We favor plays and musicals with ensemble casts, where more than just a few have a chance to shine.
- Plays with elaborate set, costume or technical requirements are not appealing because of the limited resources of many of our customers. Pictures, sketches or descriptions of your vision are always helpful.
- We recommend your submissions have had at least one production or reading, hopefully staged. We feel this fundamental field test is necessary before a play can be considered for publication since plays are created for the purpose of performance.
- Manuscripts must be computer-printed in dark ink. We do not require specific formatting. However, your efforts to ensure your script is free of misspellings and typos will help the submissions editor.
- Multiple submissions are accepted. In order to remain on good terms with Pioneer Drama Service, we ask that you inform us upfront if you are submitting your manuscript to more than one publisher simultaneously. If you accept a contract from another publisher before hearing back from Pioneer Drama Service, the courtesy of notifying us immediately is paramount so as not to waste the time of our submissions editor.
NOTE: If you are not already published by Pioneer Drama Service and your submission meets all other requirements including having had at least one production or staged reading, your play will automatically be entered in the Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest. See details below.
Submission Requirements
Please be patient. Queries will be answered within approximately one week. Submissions may take up to three months or longer.
The following information must accompany your submission or query:
- 100-200 word synopsis.
- Cast list that indicates the number of female roles, the number of male roles and the number of roles that can be performed by either gender. We do not accept one-person shows.
- Running time.
- CD and/or score for musicals. We appreciate the opportunity to hear the music, if possible.
- Set design(s). Please feel free to provide diagrams and/or pictures.
- Proof of production or staged reading (i.e., review, program, etc.) A DVD of your performance is ideal, though not required.
- Age of intended audience.
- A self-addressed envelope of sufficient size with appropriate postage for the return of your materials. We will NOT return manuscripts or accompanying material if this is not included.
- Cover letter and/or resume.
Please send your query or manuscript and accompanying information to:
Pioneer Drama Service, Inc.
Attn: Submissions Editor
PO Box 4267
Englewood, CO 80155-4267
You may also email us your .txt, .doc or .pdf files after you contact us here.
Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest
To encourage the development of quality theatrical materials for the educational, community and children’s theatre markets, Pioneer Drama Service is proud to sponsor the annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.
This is an ongoing contest, with a winner selected by June 1 each year from all eligible submissions received the previous year. All eligible plays accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists, from which the winner will be selected. The contest winner will receive a $1,000 royalty advance in addition to publication.
Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest. Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.
Contest entries must meet all general guidelines and submission requirements above. Check out our list of past contest winners for examples of desirable submissions.
About Shubert Fendrich and Pioneer Drama Service
Shubert Fendrich, the founder of Pioneer Drama Service, was the heart and soul of Pioneer Drama Service for more than thirty years. Starting the company as a hobby, Shubert used a spare printing press to fill what he thought was a void in materials available to community theatres, in which he was actively involved in Cody, Wyoming. The company eventually became a full-time profession for Shubert and his wife Anne and has grown tremendously ever since. Pioneer Drama now carries a wide range of one-act and full-length plays and musicals for the educational, children’s and community theatre markets. True to its western roots, Pioneer Drama Service also publishes the largest collection of melodramas available anywhere, many written by Shubert himself.
Though Shubert Fendrich passed away in December of 1989, Pioneer Drama Service continues to be family owned and operated. Shubert was a great publisher, editor, playwright, friend and family member. We are proud to carry on his legacy as Pioneer Drama Service continues the tradition of publishing quality theatrical material for educational, children’s and community theatres.
