Lazy Bee Scripts
Guidelines for Preparing Scripts for Publication

     

"... he dreamed the dream of all those who publish books, which was to have so much gold in your pockets that you would have to employ two people just to hold your trousers up."
- Terry Pratchett, Maskerade
 

This page gives the guidelines for preparing your script for submission to Lazy Bee Scripts. Before you submit a script, ask yourself whether or not we want it (see the main Guide to Getting Your Script Published) then ask us the same question!
 
Electronic formats accepted
We can accept scripts submitted in the following electronic formats:
  • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • Microsoft WordPad (.doc)
  • Rich Text (.rtf)
  • OpenOffice text (.odt)
  • Text (.txt)
  • HTML (.htm)
  • Mircosoft Works wordprocessor (.wps) 
(We can probably handle other formats, but we'd rather not, if that's all right by you.)
 
Lazy Bee Scripts House Style
We have a "house style" - a standard for laying-out scripts.  We don't insist on this for submissions, but it makes publishing a lot easier (and therefore quicker) if scripts conform to that style.  See the Lazy Bee Scripts House Style page for more information.
 
Tips for preparing your script for submission
  • Put the script title and the author's name at the top of the front page.  (This seems obvious to me, but apparently not to everyone!)
  • Put (almost) everything into one document.  The title page, the character page, the script and the production notes all belong in the same document.  The only thing that should be sent in separatel files is the musical score.
  • Spell check it before you send it to us.  (Finding spelling errors distracts the reviewer, and it is far better that the reviewer concentrates on the script rather than the spelling errors.)
  • Be consistent with your character names.  Every line belonging to the same character should start with a statement of the same character name.  (If you feel the need to remind me that Shakespeare was inconsistent in this respect, I shall feel constrained to remind you that you are not Shakespeare.  Shakespeare did not own a word processor.)
  • Unless you have an excellent reason to do otherwise, then obey the normal conventions of English punctuation - start sentences with capital letters, end them with full stops (period marks, if you speak American English), put spaces between full stops and the start of the next sentence - that sort of thing.
  • If your character is asking a question, even (would you believe it?) a rhetorical question, then the question should end with a question mark.
  • If your script includes verse or song lyrics, then please note that we have a zero-tolerance approach to rhyme, and check your script accordingly
  • Check your script for plagiarism and infringement of copyright and trademarks
 
What else is required besides the text?
In addition to the text, we will publish anything else that is likely to be helpful to a producer. (Since the producer is likely to be the person responsible for the choice of script, helping the producer is a wise move.) This can include (but is not limited to):-
  • A list of characters
  • Descriptions of the characters (the sort of brief which could be handed out before auditions, to give potential cast members some idea of characterisation)
  • A list of props (preferably scene by scene, indicating how the prop arrives on stage - on stage from the start of the scene or carried on by a (specified) character
  • A description of the sets. This could include a diagram if the specific stage layout is essential to the plot. (Diagrams should be submitted in a recognised graphical format - see below)
  • Suggested incidental music
  • Lighting plot (if specific lighting is essential to the plot)
  • Sound effects plot
  • Original music
Once again, it should be stressed that everything except the music should be submitted in a single document.
 
Submitting graphics
Graphical files may be submitted (for example stage diagrams or other illustrations for inclusion in the printed versions of the script or photographs from previous production of the script for inclusion in the Lazy Bee Scripts web site). Use of such graphics is at the discretion of Lazy Bee Scripts.
Graphics should be submitted in one of the following formats:-
  • JPEG (.jpg)
  • TIFF (.tif)
  • GIF (.gif)
 
Got all that? Good. The Guide to Getting Your Script Published will explain the submission process.