I have some questions on "marketing" and the "playwright binge." I am considering doing my own "binge" because I market so haphazardly. (I'll market for two weeks and then do nothing for two months. Make that four months. Make that ... a long time)
1. Is the binge sending out a play a day? Same play? Doesn't matter? Sample pages?
2. How do you "market?" Do you set aside a certain number of hours per week? Is it when the mood hits? When the moon is aligned correctly? Or do you have a plan and keep detailed notes (I sometimes do - "sometimes" being the operative word.) Do it on Fridays?
In a Binge, the idea is to do one marketing thing per day for 30 days. That can be sending a play to a competition, sending a query letter or packet to a theater, or making a networking contact. Most Binging I've been part of has focused on sending to competitions and festivals, but in the most recent Binge, I focused more on sending flyers advertising my collection of plays to theaters I found mostly through the AACT member listing.
In my "best" Binge, I managed 23 out of 30 days. If I remember correctly, I got 3 responses from it.
Outside of the Binge, I actively market only when the mood strikes. At the recent EMACT festival, I set out 25 flyers. At the end of the fest, half were gone. I took those home, and continue to send them out here and there. I grab any chance to mention my work in a theater-based crowd or setting to keep awareness of my name out there.
I heartily recommend doing a playwriting Binge, by the way. It shows you what you SHOULD be doing and how it makes a real difference in getting the word out. Plus, the group is incredibly supportive.
Given I have four weeks with only working one job, this is a good month! Thanks for the info. I like that queries and flyers count! Did join playwright's bringe. And did see that it is very supportive. Many thanks.
Could you describe the flyer process a little more. What do they look like? What information do you think is essential? Do you send the flyer in an envelope or fold it, address it, and stamp it.
I am looking for ways to get a couple of my unpublished works out there as I believe they have merit even if publishers don't.
