Microdrama Pitch Check

Paste your vertical drama pitch. See how ready it is to send: the format checks, the hook, cliffhangers and paywall, the fixes that matter most, and how each storefront actually takes pitches.

FreeReelShort, DramaBox, DramaWave and moreStorefronts checked October 22, 2026

Real Example

A Real Pitch, Checked

The free half of an unedited report for a 60-episode revenge romance.

Needs work

Strong, genre-perfect premise and a real emotional engine, but the outline stops at episode 6 when the format needs at least 10 free episodes carrying the story to its first major twist.

The Format Checks

ReadyLogline. Says who it is about, what they want, what stands in the way and what is at stake.
ReadyEpisode length. 90 s per episode. Vertical dramas run 60-180 s, most of them one to two minutes.
ReadySeason length. 60 episodes planned. Seasons run 20-100 episodes.
CloseEpisode outline. 6 episodes outlined. Outline at least the 10 free episodes before the paywall; that is where a series is won or lost.

The Story Checks

CloseHook. Ep1 'Eli walks into the diner' is a reunion beat, not a conflict beat — the format wants a problem visible in the first 5 seconds. Fold the ownership reveal (currently Ep2) into Ep1's cold open so the vise is already closing the instant he walks in.
CloseCliffhangers. The six outlined beats (deed, fire, heiress, daughter-meeting) are genuinely escalating and each could end on a sting, but none are shown ending on anything — write the actual last-line/last-image turn for each so it's provably a cliffhanger, not just a plot event.
Needs workPaywall placement. Only 6 of the required 8-20 free episodes are outlined, and no episode is flagged as the pre-paywall twist. The synopsis's biggest card — 'whose child her daughter really is' — needs to be weaponized visibly right before the paywall, not just implied as background truth. Suggested paywall: episode 10.
CloseEscalation. What exists escalates well (deed → fire → rival → daughter), but it's unclear whether the paternity secret is the central hook (should land by Ep5) or the held-back weapon for later acts — right now it risks doing neither job clearly.

Fix These First

Outline through at least episode 10-12, with a clearly flagged major twist (paternity exposed, or deed forgery traced to Eli) landing right before the paywall.
Rewrite Ep1 so the ownership threat and the reunion collide in the same cold open — conflict must be visible in the first 5 seconds, not revealed in Ep2.
Decide and signal explicitly whether the paternity secret is the series' central hook (must land by Ep5) or a later-act reveal, and build the outline around that choice.

The Storefronts

None of these storefronts publishes standing submission rules, so this shows how each one takes pitches, what it commissions, and its last published contest rules where it ran one.

ReelShort

2/2 contest checks

Romance and drama, often adapted from web novels: billionaire and CEO romance, revenge, identity reveals and werewolf stories, in English for North America.

How to pitch: No open submission portal. ReelShort commissions series, hires writers directly and runs creator contests.

Against OnSolo x ReelShort Global Short Drama Creator Awards, closed October 15, 2026:

ReadyEpisodes ready. 6 outlined; the contest asked for 5.
ReadyEpisode length. 90 s; the contest asked for 60-180 s.

DramaBox

Story-led romance and family drama, with a writers' incubator and screenwriting competitions for new voices.

How to pitch: Through its business page: separate inboxes for finished series, script development and English-language production partners. DramaBox business page

DramaWave

1/2 contest checks

Openly backs AI-made live-action vertical drama, alongside a separate AI comic-drama track.

How to pitch: No standing portal. Pitches have come in through its AI drama award and creator fund.

Against DramaWave Million Dollar Award for AI Short Drama, closed May 31, 2026:

ReadyEpisodes ready. 6 outlined; the contest asked for 5.
CloseOutline length. 127 words of synopsis and outline; the contest took 500-1000 words.

GoodShort

Polished genre series inside the familiar formats, aimed at North America.

How to pitch: Through its business page, which takes finished series from publishers, aggregators and content providers. GoodShort business page

NetShort

Emotionally intense, binge-driving serials; early episodes free, later ones behind coins or a pass.

How to pitch: By email to its business team, which works with creators and studios on production and licensing. business@netshort.com

My Drama

Episodes of two to three minutes, romance and fantasy for a Western audience.

How to pitch: By email to its creative partnerships team, open to studios, independent creators and AI creators with ready-to-license projects. creative-partnership@holywater.tech

ShortMax

Loud, fast, high-emotion genre stories, strong in Southeast Asia and Japan.

How to pitch: No public submission route found. Approach through its parent company or an agent.

The Method

The Conventions a Vertical Drama Is Judged By

What the check measures, and how well each rule is backed up. We only count what a source states; practitioner advice is labelled as such.

Convention	Rule of thumb	Confidence	Sources
Episode length	One to two minutes is typical; three minutes is the usual ceiling.	Well sourced	Microdrama (Wikipedia), OnSolo x ReelShort contest rules
Season length	Between 20 and 100 episodes; English-language seasons often run 50 to 80.	Reported	Microdrama (Wikipedia)
Cliffhangers	Nearly every episode ends on a cliffhanger.	Well sourced	CNBC via Microdrama (Wikipedia)
Free episodes before the paywall	Around the first 10 episodes are free, then coins, ads or a pass; reported cut-offs run up to 20.	Reported	NetShort FAQ
Early hook	The story's hook lands within the first five episodes.	Well sourced	OnSolo x ReelShort contest rules
Cold open	Each episode opens on conflict within its first few seconds.	Practitioner advice	No published source

How Vertical Drama Storefronts Take Pitches

Most writers expect a submission portal with a word count and a checklist. As of October 22, 2026, none of the big storefronts publishes one. ReelShort commissions series and runs creator contests; DramaBox and GoodShort route partners through business pages; NetShort and My Drama take pitches by email; DramaWave has worked through an AI drama award. The word counts and episode numbers that circulate online trace back to blogs that cite no source.

So the honest way to get ready is to match the format conventions above, which every storefront's hits follow, and to send the right material to the right inbox.

Storefront	How it takes pitches	Public contact
ReelShortCrazy Maple Studio	No open submission portal. ReelShort commissions series, hires writers directly and runs creator contests.	None published
DramaBoxDianzhong	Through its business page: separate inboxes for finished series, script development and English-language production partners.	DramaBox business page
DramaWaveSkywork AI (Kunlun)	No standing portal. Pitches have come in through its AI drama award and creator fund.	None published
GoodShortSingapore New Reading Technology	Through its business page, which takes finished series from publishers, aggregators and content providers.	GoodShort business page
NetShortNetstory (Singapore)	By email to its business team, which works with creators and studios on production and licensing.	business@netshort.com
My DramaHolywater	By email to its creative partnerships team, open to studios, independent creators and AI creators with ready-to-license projects.	creative-partnership@holywater.tech
ShortMaxShortMax Limited (formerly ShortTV)	No public submission route found. Approach through its parent company or an agent.	None published

What to Have Ready Before You Pitch

A logline that says who, what they want, what is in the way and what they lose.
A synopsis of the whole season arc, not just the setup.
An outline of at least the free episodes before the paywall, each ending on a turn.
Two or three finished sample episodes, 9:16, with English subtitles.
Proof you own the rights to the story.

Next in PyxelJam Studio

Your season plan is ready to become episodes.

Open your outline as a Microdrama project: episode beats, hooks, 9:16 frames and clips, plus a tracker for every storefront you submit to.

Start my series, free Your outline and season plan come with you.

Illustration of what comes next. Real frames are drawn from your own shots after you sign up.

ScriptShot listFramesClipsFinal cutPublish

Questions

What do ReelShort and DramaBox require in a pitch?

Neither publishes standing submission requirements. ReelShort commissions series and runs creator contests; DramaBox routes partners through its business page. Word counts that circulate online come from blogs that cite no source. Match the format conventions and send a strong logline, synopsis, outline and sample episodes.

How long should a microdrama episode be?

One to two minutes is typical, and three minutes is the usual ceiling. ReelShort's 2026 creator contest asked for 60 to 180 seconds.

How many episodes does a vertical drama season have?

Between 20 and 100; English-language seasons often run 50 to 80.

Where does the paywall go in a microdrama?

Around the first 10 episodes are usually free, with reported cut-offs up to 20. Those free episodes have to hook the viewer, and a major twist should land at or just before the paywall.

How is the readiness score worked out?

The countable parts (logline elements, episode and season length, how many episodes are outlined) are checked by rules. The story parts (hook, cliffhangers, paywall placement, escalation, genre fit) are judged by an AI reader against the format conventions. The score combines both.

Is it free?

Yes. The score, checks and top fixes are free. Leave your email to unlock storefront fit, logline rewrites, notes per episode and a suggested season plan.