Information for Prospective Writers
Welcome to Gitelman & Good Publishers
At Gitelman & Good Publishers, we believe educational and community theatre programs deserve plays that are well-written, thematically rich, thought-provoking, and artistically compelling—stories that challenge and inspire both performers and audiences. These are the stages where theatre begins, and they should be a space for discovery.
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 and community theatres face when finding their next show?" Our goal is to help break down those barriers and bring more original, meaningful stories onto these stages.
As a publisher, we are committed to fair writer compensation, transparent licensing, and strategic marketing to ensure your work reaches the right place. Below, you’ll find some information about our publishing process, licensing model, partnerships, and more.
Publishing & Licensing Agreements
We offer two boilerplate Publication Agreements, one for plays and one for musicals. Please click to view and download the Plays Publication Agreement or the Musicals Publication Agreement. Here, you'll find information about maintaining copyright, royalties and compensation, approving script changes, exclusivity, and more. The two agreements are nearly identical; the plays agreement also includes provisions for festival excerpts and competition one-acts. (The more salient points of these contracts are expanded upon below.)
Please click here to view and download 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. Please review this carefully; if you'd like any additional items in the agreement, please let me know and I can attach a customized Licensing Agreement to your script.
Licensing & Distribution
Writers 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. 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.
Rights You Keep
Our agreement covers digital acting editions and the licensing of amateur productions only. Everything else stays with you, including professional and first-class productions, print publication, film, television, streaming, cast albums, translations, and derivative works. If I receive an inquiry about a professional production, I’ll refer it directly to you or your designated representative.
Script & Licensing Fees
Script fees are set by cast size to keep the process clear and predictable for both writers and customers: $100 for plays with 7 or fewer roles, $150 for plays with 8 or more roles, and $250 for most musicals. Per-performance licensing fees are $85 for plays and $150 for most musicals. Some one-act scripts may be less expensive. Pricing is designed to be accessible for schools and communities while ensuring fair compensation for writers.
Royalties & Compensation
Writers receive royalties of 10% of script fees and 80% of licensing fees. This model ensures that writers are fairly compensated while keeping their work accessible to theatre programs.
Royalties are paid twice a year, in July and December. Each payment comes with a statement showing sales of your script and how your royalties were calculated. You also have the right to audit our records as they relate to your work.
If your script has more than one writer, I ask that you choose one point person for communication. Royalties are divided according to the allocation in your agreement, and I pay each writer their share directly. If you’d rather I send all royalties to one person who distributes them, just let me know in writing.
Script Changes & Approval
Gitelman & Good Publishers does not have the right to make changes to the script, except for copyediting and formatting. Unless waived, writers retain final approval over any requested script changes by a producing organization.
Licensing Exclusivity
The licensing model is exclusive to amateur (non-professional) productions, meaning all such productions must go through Gitelman & Good Publishers. However, we recognize the importance of supporting those involved in a play’s development. If you wish to offer free productions to select organizations, I'm open to discussing exceptions on a case-by-case basis. I want what's best for your script.
Length of Agreement
Our publishing agreements run for a minimum of five years, though I strongly prefer a more industry-standard term of seven to ten years.
The reason is simple: licensing a new script takes time. Schools and community theatres plan their seasons a year or more in advance, so the marketing I do today often doesn’t turn into a production until the following school year, or the one after that. Directors also tend to be cautious with titles they haven’t heard of yet. Many will read a script, love it, and still wait a year or two until the timing, the budget, or the right group of performers lines up. This is especially true of musicals, which ask more of a program.
A longer term gives your script the runway it needs to find its audience, and it lets me keep investing in its marketing with confidence.
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 let me know and we will find a solution that works best for your script.
Script Security
We balance script accessibility for educators with strong protections for writers. Our common-sense system allows full script previews while safeguarding writers’ intellectual property, ensuring security comparable to a physical copy in a physical bookstore. This approach especially helps teachers, who often pay out of pocket for scripts they may not use. We’re confident it provides equal or greater security than traditional industry practices while fostering trust with our customers.
Marketing & Outreach
Our focus to date has been building a curated catalog, clarifying our positioning, and developing strong relationships with theatre educators. Directors discover us through targeted email outreach, teacher networks, conferences, social media, organic search, and word of mouth. We work intentionally within the secondary and community theatre space—not the broader commercial market.
Production & Licensing History
Our very first GGP production took place in November 2025, in North Carolina. Since then, our titles have been licensed by schools and theatres around the world, from middle school drama clubs to adult community theatres, and our catalog continues to grow with plays, musicals, and competition one-acts.
We reach directors where they are: through our newsletter, teacher networks, and theatre education conferences across the U.S., where I meet directors face to face and advocate for producing your work.
What to Expect as a GGP Writer
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 writers 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 writers to contribute to Author Insights and Author Hour, 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 writer.
You’ll also have access to hands-on support to help you promote your work. We host regular webinars on self-marketing strategies, and our dedicated staff members are here to assist with everything from soliciting reviews to building your online presence. Our goal isn’t just to publish your script; it’s to help it reach directors, educators, and classrooms.
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.
Once you submit your play, our editorial team reviews it to see whether it aligns with Gitelman & Good Publishers’ mission and audience. If it’s a potential fit, we’ll reach out to start a conversation about your goals and the play’s readiness for publication. At this time, revisions may be requested.
If both sides wish to move forward, we’ll enter the contract negotiation stage, conducted over email. During this phase, you’ll review a publishing agreement that outlines royalties, rights, and expectations for collaboration. You’re encouraged to ask questions and request changes—and otherwise make sure you fully understand the terms before signing. Our goal is for you to feel confident and comfortable with the relationship.
Once the contract is signed, we begin the editorial process—preparing the final version for publication.
In addition to your script, you must provide the items listed in Exhibit B of your publishing agreement before your script can be published. These include:
- ☑ An author headshot and bio
- ☑ An Author Insights article (about 400 words)
- ☑ A collection of press mentions, audience testimonials, reviews, etc.
- ☑ High-quality production photos
- ☑ A casting and doubling guide
- ☑ A costume list
- ☑ A prop list
- ☑ For musicals: the complete score, including vocal arrangements and orchestrations
Exhibit B also lists optional materials, such as design artwork and, for musicals, cast recordings, rehearsal tracks, and performance tracks. These are strongly encouraged when available.
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 communities 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.
Competition One-Acts & Festival Excerpts (Plays Only)
Many of our customers are school programs that compete in adjudicated festivals, like state one-act play contests and EdTA’s Thespy program. Our plays agreement supports this in two ways.
First, students may perform unaltered excerpts of your play, up to five minutes long, at school festivals and competitions. These excerpts are royalty-free and don’t require a license. They’re a great way for young performers to discover your work, and many go on to produce the full show.
Second, the plays agreement includes an optional Exhibit D for a competition one-act version of your play. One-act contests, such as Texas’s UIL One-Act Play Contest, have strict time limits and content rules. Most full-length plays can’t be entered as written, so directors often look for titles that already have a contest-ready version. If you agree to Exhibit D, you’ll prepare a one-act version of your play running 35 minutes or less and deliver it along with your full script. I’ll review it and may provide editorial notes. We then sell and license it as a separate product under the same royalty structure as the full play, and every audience performance requires a license, including each round of a competition. Because contest rules and school standards vary, licensees may cut the one-act for time and remove certain content, such as language, sexual references, or violence, without asking permission. They may never add, reassign, or rewrite your text. Exhibit D is optional and available for plays only, not musicals.
Our Commitment to Writers
I myself am a playwright and a member of the DG. This is the baseline from which I make business decisions and interact with writers. At Gitelman & Good Publishers, we are committed to supporting writers, empowering educators and directors, and expanding access to meaningful new theatre.
As we grow, we look forward to building a thriving community of writers who share our vision. We champion great scripts that deserve a life in the world's most important stages—which are oftentimes the smallest ones. We’re eager to work with writers who in turn actively support and promote what we’re doing together.
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
