Writing by the Numbers 2023
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Performances/Audience.
Number of Productions/Readings: 43 (39 productions, 4 readings).
These were of 26 different plays, including 3 full-length scripts, in 18 US states (double last year's states) and 3 countries (US, Korea, England, plus my first show in Guam!). Several productions were audio versions of plays on radio and streaming.
Number of Performances: 141. This includes published plays.
Previous Years' productions and performances:
2017: 48 total. 227 performances.
Estimated Audience for 2023: 7,293 total.
These numbers are way up from last year, which is very exciting. I'm still pretty far from where I was pre-pandemic.
Previous years' audiences:
(For published plays I estimate low--40 people/performance. I don't track plays used by students in competition, so the actual number is higher. )
My novels have all been out for a while now, so sales are tiny (the smallest yet.)
Books sold: 8
Previous Years' book sales:
2018: 77
2017: 40+
2016: 60+
2015: 350+
2014: 78
Marketing:
Most of my marketing time is spent securing new Plays in Place projects, which leaves little time for other submissions. The Playwright Submission Binge remains an important support that helps make sure I take some time to market my non-PiP work.
Submissions:
Total: 45 (down from 105 last year)
queries for plays: 2
play scripts submitted: 43
Writing output:
- Wrote Revolution's Edge, a new historical site-specific play for Old North Church (Plays in Place commission).
- Wrote The Optimist's Razor, a new historical site-specific play for Historic Northampton (Plays in Place commission).
- Wrote The Great Disappointment Part 1, a new historical ten-minute play.
- Wrote the first draft of Kittie Knox play, for a series of bicycle historical site-specific plays (Plays in Place commission)
- LOTS of research on new historical projects.
Inputs:
Plays watched: 26 (saw 27 in 2022)
Movies/TV series watched: 51 (48 in 2022)
Plays read: 10 (12 in 2022)
Books read: 25 (29 in 2022)
Patrick's writing $$ for 2023
Gross Income: $22,765
published plays performance royalties: $391
play production royalties: $2,195
film projects: $0
play commissions: $12,535
teaching/coaching/consulting: $740
my books: $14
Prizes/fellowships: $0
Producer work for Plays in Place: $6,890
misc. (essays, panels, editing, other): $0
Expenses: about $13,000 (includes mileage expenses)
Net Income: $9,765 (before taxes)
Past years:
My income stayed steady from last year. My commission income was up by 50%, which is excellent. I took in a lot less for teaching and consulting (down $3K, which is fine). I make money from my Plays in Place work with a combo of commissions, royalties, and producer fees. This year, I've got four co-producers helping me manage projects, which is essential, but it also means that the pool of producer dollars has be split into more shares. (We're learning that we need to charge more, so that we can all be paid more fairly for the many hours we spend.) I spent a LOT of time on the road, which is why my expenses were super high this year.
I think I have a shot at staying steady, income-wise, in 2024, but it won't be easy. I will have MUCH less commission money, but I should do okay from royalty and producer money.
My time stats for 2023:
Total working time: 1,904 hours total transit time: 260 hours
Time spent on writing stuff: 1,597 hours
- actual writing and research: 421 hours
- reading for work (not project research): 12 hours
- play attendance: 56 hours
- rehearsals/meetings/consulting/teaching: 108 hours
- marketing and admin: 96 hours
- Seven Devils New Play Foundry Board Work: 60 hours
- Plays in Place: 844 hours
- Transit time for projects: 260 hours
2017: 2,018 total work hours. 1,338 writing hours (371 writing/23 reading/468 rehearsing/347 marketing/129 New Play Alliance and Dramatists Guild)+680 hours on house renovations
2016: 2,096 total work hours. 1,223 writing hours (416 writing/28 reading/438 rehearsing/274 marketing-admin/67 New Play Alliance)+873 on house renovations.
2015: 1,596 total work hours. 1,035 writing hours (262 writing/52 reading/295 rehearsing/303 marketing-admin/123 New Play Alliance) + 561 on moving and house renovations
2014: 1,556 total work hours. 1,426 writing hours (452 writing/109 reading/342 rehearsing/396 marketing/127 New Play Alliance) + 130 hours farming.
2013: 1,898 total work hours. 996 writing hours (394 writing/308 rehearsing/294 marketing) + 902 hours farming
2012: 1,630 total work hours. 896 writing hours. (386 writing/278 rehearsing and meeting/231 marketing) + 734 hours farming
2011: 818 writing/work hours. My kids were a lot younger back then.
That's it. I hope these are useful or interesting to you. Perhaps this can serve as a cautionary tale--I put in a lot of hours and took home a very small income. Or perhaps an inspiration, that it's possible to create engaging work for a big range of audiences and get to work with cool people and get paid (not a lot) to do it.
Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a productive and prosperous 2024 Happy New Year!
