Information for Prospective Playwrights

Welcome to Gitelman & Good Publishers

At Gitelman & Good Publishers, we believe high school theatre programs deserve plays that are well-written, thematically rich, and artistically compelling—stories that challenge and inspire both performers and audiences. We strive to increase the presence of new work on high school stages, giving students the opportunity to engage with fresh ideas and innovative storytelling. Theatre should be a space for discovery—for both performers and audiences—and we want to help schools bring contemporary, thought-provoking work into their programs.

Named in homage to my own high school drama teachers, Gitelman & Good Publishers was officially launched on March 1, 2024, built on my two decades of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, and volunteer theatre educator with Chicago Public Schools. It was borne out of the questions: "Why don't high schools produce more new work? What barriers do educators face?" Our goal is to help break down those barriers and bring more original, meaningful plays into high school theatre.

As a publisher, we are committed to fair playwright compensation, transparent licensing, and strategic marketing to ensure your work reaches the right directors and educators. Below, you’ll find some information about our publishing process, licensing model, playwright partnerships, and more.

 

Publishing & Licensing Agreements

• Please click here to view the boilerplate Publication Agreement. Here, you'll be able to find information about maintaining copyright, royalties and compensation, approving script changes, exclusivity, and more. (The more salient points of this contract are expanded upon below.)

• Please click here to view the Licensing Agreement that customers must follow. This agreement is required for purchase and sent in a follow-up email for the customer's reference.

Licensing & Distribution

Playwrights retain full copyright ownership of their work. Gitelman & Good Publishers holds the exclusive right to license and distribute the play during the term of our agreement. At this time, Gitelman & Good Publishers offers digital licensing and distribution for its scripts. Customers are emailed a PDF of the script that they are licensed to use.

 

Royalties & Compensation

Playwrights receive 10% of script fees and 80% of licensing fees for each production. This model ensures that playwrights are fairly compensated while keeping their work accessible to theatre programs.

Script Changes & Approval

Gitelman & Good Publishers does not have the right to make changes to the script, except for copyediting and formatting. Playwrights retain final approval over any requested script changes from a producing organization. 

Licensing Exclusivity

The licensing model is exclusive, meaning all productions must go through Gitelman & Good Publishers. However, we recognize the importance of supporting schools involved in a play’s development. If you wish to offer free productions to select institutions, I'm open to discussing exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Premiere Rights & Festival Submissions

On that note, if you are interested in retaining premiere rights for a festival, workshop, or independent production before licensing through Gitelman & Good Publishers—or if you have existing arrangements with a producer that pre-date your GGP publication offer—I'm happy to discuss options. Please contact me and we will find a solution that works best for your play.

Script & Licensing Fees

The script fee varies depending on the size and type of production; it's calculated by multiplying $10 by the number of cast and crew needed. Licensing fees are set at $65 per performance. Pricing is designed to be accessible for schools while ensuring fair compensation for playwrights.

Script Security

We balance script accessibility for educators with strong protections for playwrights. Our common-sense system allows full script previews without the ability to print or save, ensuring security comparable to a physical copy in a bookstore. This approach helps high school teachers, who often pay out of pocket for scripts they may not use, while also safeguarding writers’ intellectual property. We’re confident it provides equal or greater security than traditional industry practices while fostering trust with our customers.

Marketing & Outreach

Our current marketing strategy focuses on doing everything we can to increase our placement within search engine results, which includes SEO, digital marketing, and social media engagement. In 2025, we plan to expand our outreach by developing partnerships with industry influencers, complementary organizations, industry organizations, and schools.

Production & Licensing History

As a newer company, we anticipate our first productions in the 2024-2025 school year. While our primary focus is on high schools, our Licensing Agreement allows for productions at colleges, community theatres, and professional companies without any alterations or emendations.

 

What to Expect as a GGP Playwright

At Gitelman & Good Publishers, we value direct, responsive communication. When you reach out, you won’t be left wondering if your message disappeared into a void.

We also believe in providing playwrights with a consistent, professional place to publish their work. If your play aligns with our vision, you’ll have a dedicated home for future scripts, eliminating uncertainty about where your next play belongs.

Additionally, we invite our playwrights to contribute to Script Insights, where they can share reflections on their work and connect with directors and educators. Students engage more deeply with a script when they can hear about its themes and development directly from the playwright.

We offer publishing agreements with a minimum term of 36 months, though many playwrights choose a perpetual term for greater long-term visibility. A perpetual term ensures that a play remains consistently available to educators and directors and may also allow for inclusion in additional educational products, such as the Acting Workshop and other curated offerings.

 

Commissions & Development

Alas, Gitelman & Good Publishers does not commission or fund the development of new plays at this time. Our focus is on publishing and licensing completed scripts that are ready for the stage. That said, if you are developing a new play that you think might be a strong fit for our catalog, feel free to check in with me, as I’m always happy to hear about works in progress and provide guidance on whether a script aligns with our vision.

Publication Process & Timeline

The timeline and steps for publication can vary depending on the script and its level of readiness. Each submission is carefully reviewed to ensure it aligns with our catalog and audience. For a general overview of the process, please click here. This flowchart provides insight into the key stages, from submission and evaluation to potential revisions and final publication.

 

Script Revisions & Publication

If you're reading this, it means I love your script. I believe your story, voice, and perspective deserve a wider audience, and I want to help provide that platform. With that in mind, submitting your script comes with the expectation that you’re open to making revisions necessary for publication.

Because I already love your script, my feedback will always preserve the heart of your story. However, engaging in this process means committing to the changes I identify as necessary. My role is to help shape your script into its strongest, most stageable version—one that aligns with the needs of the schools and theaters that perform it. I approach this process with care and a deep respect for your work, and I ask for the same level of trust and collaboration in return.

If this approach doesn’t feel like the right fit for you, I completely understand. Please let me know as soon as possible, and I wish you all the best on your writing journey.

 

Our Commitment to Playwrights

I am a playwright and a member of the DGA. This is the baseline from which I make business decisions and interact with playwrights. At Gitelman & Good Publishers, we are committed to supporting playwrights, empowering educators, and expanding access to meaningful new theatre.

As we grow, we look forward to building a thriving community of writers who share our vision. If you have any further questions, or if there's something not covered here that you'd like to discuss, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me directly at jason@gitelmangoodpublishers.com.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you!

 

Jason Sebacher
Founder & Managing Editor, Gitelman & Good Publishers