Our July Literary Speed Dating results

25.08.21

Thank you to all our members who joined us for our Virtual Literary Speed Dating event at the end of July. Over two days, the ASA hosted sessions with 14 publishers and 4 agents, facilitating 290 pitches from members across Australia.

We are delighted to share that of these pitches, 36.55% received an expression of interest from a publisher or agent! 

We’ve also been thrilled to hear from previous attendees of Literary Speed Dating about their successes and upcoming publications. Michelle Tom attended our Literary Speed Dating event in July 2020, and is now having her book, Ten Thousand Aftershocks, published by HarperCollins Australia on 1 September:

'Weeks deep in one of Victoria's early 2020 lockdowns, I signed up to the ASA's Literary Speed Dating event in a decision that would set in motion my dream of publication. 

The day of the event, I ran my pitch past my writing group via Zoom. I had prepared two openings, and we discussed which might work best, settled on one, and I paced away the next few hours waiting nervously for my meetings. From my bedroom I spoke with three industry people, also on Zoom; two publishers and Melbourne literary agent, Sarah McKenzie. A week later Sarah asked to see sample pages and told me it would be a few weeks before she got back to me, but within a few hours she emailed to ask for the whole manuscript. A few days after that she offered to represent me, and that was the start of a wild ride. 

A week or so later I had in my hands two offers for Ten Thousand Aftershocks, my memoir of surviving the Christchurch earthquakes and a chaotic family, which is released on 1 September with HarperCollins Australia. One of the publishing offers also resulted from Literary Speed Dating.

I owe so much to this event because by signing with Sarah I was granted access to a wider range of publishers and the kind of advice and support so important to a debut author. 

For anyone considering taking part in Literary Speed Dating, I encourage you to do so. Practice your pitch, get feedback, be ready for questions about comparable titles and be able to explain your premise quickly and succinctly. It is more than worth the effort, and I will always be grateful to the ASA for providing this important portal to industry.'

Congratulations! Should you need any assistance or support regarding the next steps of your publishing journey the ASA is here to help. Review our Frequently Asked Questions on the publishing industry, check out our standard contract templates, review our series of articles on the questions to ask before signing your publishing contract, or ask for advice through our free members-only Advice service.

Not to worry - we’ll be hosting another Virtual Literary Speed Dating event in October of this year. Plus, ahead of the event you can learn the secret to a successful pitch by joining us for Pitch Perfect, our masterclass series that will teach you everything you need to know to prepare for, and nail, your pitch. Importantly, members who have attended Pitch Perfect sessions will be given early access to bookings for our October Literary Speed Dating event. Alternatively, you can seek advice from our Advice team via our free members-only Advice service here.