Lazy Bee Scripts
Murder Mystery Formatting

This Only Applies If...

You have submitted a publication query and we have invited you to submit your text.

We will only consider murder mysteries submitted in any of the following File Formats

(There is also an option for submitting separate graphics; see below.)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
• Rich Text (.rtf)
• OpenOffice text (.odt)
• Text (.txt)

What to Submit

We are expecting a complete package

• The content of the mystery
• Enough information to tell a complete novice how to run the mystery.
  (If you are not sure what this should be or how it should be structured, then visit our Murder Mysteries pages.  Pick a mystery that has a similar structure to yours. On the mystery details page, download the "Taster pack" and examine the contents carefully.)

In general, we would prefer to receive everything in one document.  (If the structure of the mystery suggests that there should be multiple documents, then combine them, but indicate by headings where new sections start).
The exception is graphic files, which may be sent separately.

Murder Mystery Submission Checklist

Before submitting your text, please ensure that you can answer yes to all the applicable questions:-

• Is the Murder Mystery title at the top of the first page?
• Is the author's name immediately below the title?
• Is there a list of characters?
• Is the list of characters complete (including detectives, masters of ceremony and other incidental roles)?
• Is there a plot overview?
• Is there a list of suggested timings?
• Is there a set of instructions for staging the mystery?
• Is there a list of essential props?
• For a mystery with improvisation: are there character briefs?
• For a mystery with improvisation: is there a "plot line"?
• For a mystery containing options for localisation: are they clearly indicated in the text?
• For a scripted mystery: are stage directions clearly differentiated from speeches?
• For a scripted mystery: are your character names consistent throughout the script?
• For a mystery with interrogation by the audience: does the text explain how this is mangaged?
• For a mystery with written evidence: is each piece of evidence written in an appropriate style?
• For a mystery requiring a specific setting: is the setting described adequately?
• Is the management of the denoument described explicitly?
• Has your text been proof-read and corrected?
• Have you run a spell-checker and corrected your text?

Graphics

Graphical files may be useful for

• A logo for this Murder Mystery
• Some types of clues
• Maps
• Diagrams

If you want to send graphics, we can handle the following formats

• JPEG (.jpg)
• TIFF (.tif)
• GIF (.gif)
• Portable Network Graphics (.png)
• Portable Document Format (.pdf)

The minimum resolution used for any graphical format should be 300 dpi.
If you have an original graphical file, that is preferable to pdf.
Scanned files are not acceptable unless they are either absolutely pristine, or the document is supposed to look like a scan!
Remember that images are subject to copyright!