Our successful Virtual Literary Speed Dating series gives writers a unique three-minute opportunity to pitch their completed manuscript to Australian publishers and agents.
Virtual Literary Speed Dating: Wednesday 12th and Friday 14th July 2023
Virtual Literary Speed Dating is scheduled to run again in October 2023.
| Attending publishers and agents announced | 31 May 2023 |
| Pitch Perfect priority registrations open | 23 June 2023, 10am AEST |
| All ASA members, bookings open | 28 June 2023, 10am AEST |
| Appointment details and Zoom links issued | 3 July 2023 |
| Bookings Close/Cancellation deadline | 7 July 2023, 5pm AEST |
| Virtual Literary Speed Dating Day One | 12 July 2023 |
| Virtual Literary Speed Dating Day Two | 14 July 2023 |
You will be allocated a 3-minute appointment, one-on-one, to pitch your completed work to your chosen publisher or agent.
You may book a maximum of two appointments per Virtual Literary Speed Dating event.
The pitches will take place via Zoom videoconferencing. You will be sent an individual appointment time and a link to the Zoom meeting. At the time of your appointment, you will be admitted to the meeting 'room' and will have three minutes of pitching time with the publisher or agent. Screensharing will not be permitted during the three minutes - the appointments are intended to be elevator pitches, not presentations.
The publishers and agents will have a speed dating ‘matching’ sheet for all the authors they meet on the day. If you are a ‘match’, you will be invited to send your manuscript to the publisher after the event. This advice will be sent by the ASA within a week of the event.Once material is submitted to the publisher or agent we request they advise you of their intention to publish within three months of the pitch date. Please do not request publisher feedback or contact details during your three minutes.
Publishers and agents will only seek certain material at the event. Do not book into a pitching slot if the representative is not seeking the kind of material you intend to pitch, e.g. do not pitch a picture book to an agent seeking non-fiction. Research the attending publishers and agents carefully to ensure you understand what kind of manuscripts the attending representatives are seeking and to ensure you are comfortable pitching your work to them.
Your pitch must be for a completed manuscript, not an idea, that has not been pitched at two or more Literary Speed Dating events previously. If you are successful in your pitch, the publisher/agent will request to read your completed manuscript. If your manuscript is not complete or you are not comfortable in providing it at present, please continue working on your project and attend a Literary Speed Dating event at a later date when your work is completed.
Literary Speed Dating is a member-only event for ASA members.
Not a member? Join today: https://www.asauthors.org/membership
You can book into a maximum of two pitching time slots across the two days. Strictly no more than two pitch bookings will be accepted per member and no more than one pitching slot with the same publisher/agent.
Cost: $30 incl. GST per pitch (i.e. $60 max. for the event)
Once booked in, ASA staff will add you to the pitching schedule for your chosen publisher/agent and will email with Zoom meeting invitations and your individual appointment time.
These appointment emails will be issued in the week of 3 July 2023. If you do not receive your email by 5 July, please email events@asauthors.org and we will resend.
Virtual Literary Speed Dating bookings are not eligible for refunds or credits, so please consider the attending publishers and agents carefully before booking. Ensure you are ready to and available to attend your appointments. Please see the eligibility criteria below.
Priority bookings open for Pitch Perfect participants Friday 23 June 2023, 10am AEST.
Participants who have attended Pitch Perfect between 2020-2023 will be given priority access to register for Virtual Literary Speed Dating. Participants will be emailed a link at 10am AEST on Friday 23 June 2023 to access registrations early. This link will be emailed from the email address events@asauthors.org at 10am exactly, so please check your junk/spam folder if you do not see it immediately.
Bookings open for all members Wednesday 28 June 2023, 10am AEST.
Bookings close Friday 7 July 2023, 5pm AEST.
Booking cancellations must be received by 7 July 2023, 5pm AEST. We will be unable to amend the pitching schedules after this time and you will appear as a no-show for your appointment. If you decide not to attend, please consider others on the waiting list and advise us with as much notice as possible. Virtual Literary Speed Dating cancellations are not eligible for refunds, please see our refund policy.
Both Full and Associate ASA members are eligible to attend Virtual Literary Speed Dating if you have:
These events are not location restricted. Members from all across the country and overseas are welcome to participate virtually.
Members will not be eligibleto attend if:
If you are uncertain about whether you are eligible or if it is appropriate to pitch, please contact us at asa@asauthors.org or 02 9211 1004 before booking.
You will have a maximum of three minutes face-to-face time. Be as succinct and to the point as possible. Be flexible as the publishers and agents may have questions for you during the three minutes.
We strongly encourage you to attend the Pitch Perfect course prior to pitching at LSD. The course provides vital, up to date information about the publishing industry, gives you the template to structure your pitch, explains what documentation you will need should your material be requested and gives tips on how to make the most of your LSD pitch. Those who attend Pitch Perfect are given priority access to early bookings at LSD. Publishers and Agents want to hear clear, concise and well structured pitches. Those who have attended Pitch Perfect have the greatest success with having their manuscript requested.
You might also consider reading our resource ‘Selling Your Manuscript’ for more general information on writing a synopsis, a written pitch (for paper submissions) and publisher pitching tips for Literary Speed Dating.
Once you have booked, you will receive a link to the ASA’s video, ‘Structuring your 3-Minute Pitch’, which we have found, when followed, increases the chance of pitching success.
To read about our previous Literary Speed Dating events, please read the news articles below:
The publishers and agents attending the July 2023 Virtual Literary Speed Dating are listed below.
Click the booking buttons for the publisher/agent you wish to pitch to and follow the booking prompts.
Hachette Australia (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Rebecca Allen, Deputy Managing Editor
Seeking: Adult literary fiction, adult commercial fiction
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
High Spot Literary
Rep: Fergus Inder, Junior Agent
Seeking: Literary fiction and some genres of commerical fiction. Genre fiction including Action/Adventure, Crime, Horror/thriller/paranormal, Adult literary, Romance. Creative non-fiction/memoir with comedy. No YA. Only seeking Australian Based Authors
Book a pitch to High Spot Literary
University of Queensland Press (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Clair Hume, Publisher, Children’s and YA
Seeking: Compelling middle grade and YA fiction with great tension and a unique perspective. Inventive non-fiction ideas for children and teens.
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Penguin Random House Australia (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Beverley Cousins, Commercial Fiction Publisher
Seeking: Commercial fiction: women’s fiction, crime and thriller, suspense, historical fiction, domestic dilemma, single-title romance, and commercial/literary crossover fiction (e.g. reading group fiction). NO sci-fi, fantasy, horror, dystopia
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Wolf Literary Services (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Rach Crawford, Agent
Seeking: Literary and upmarket fiction, and narrative non-fiction. Drawn to exceptional writing, voice-driven work, high concept hooks, and literary and upmarket novels that flirt with genre (e.g. literary speculative fiction). Also open to crime fiction and domestic thrillers, particularly from authors representing traditionally marginalised backgrounds. Non-fiction: beautifully-written work by journalists, expoerts, or writers with lived experience in their topic. Not interested in memoir, children's, or YA.
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Shaw Literary
Rep: Martin Shaw, Literary Agent
Seeking: Literary & commercial crossover fiction, crime fiction, memoir, non-fiction
Penguin Random House Australia (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Heather Curdie, Commissioning Editor, Young Readers
Seeking: Junior and middle grade fiction or non-fiction, picture books
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
HQ Books, a division of HarperCollins (BOOKED OUT)
https://www.harpercollins.com.au/hq/
Rep: Suzanne O’Sullivan, Commissioning Editor
Seeking: Commercial women’s fiction including romance, suspense, crime, book club fiction and comedic stories. They can be contemporary or historical, but need engaging, active characters, a distinctive voice, a strong hook and a well-constructed plot. HQ is not currently accepting high fantasy, science fiction, erotica, horror, children’s or young adult fiction.
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Melanie Ostell Literary
Rep: Melanie Ostell, Agent
Seeking: Adult fiction and non-fiction. Adult: lit fiction, high-quality commercial fiction, crime fiction; non-fiction: biographies, histories, science and technology. No middle grade, no memoir, no YA
Book a pitch to Melanie Ostell Literary
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing (BOOKED OUT)
https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/hardie-grant-childrens-publishing
Rep: Pooja Desai, Design Manager
Seeking: Looking for picture books and/or board books from diverse creators who would feel at home on our Bright Light imprint. Bright Light aims to shine a light on challenging conversations, and give parents, carers and educators the opportunity to spark these conversations with children through the power of stories
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Affirm Press
Rep: Ruby Ashby-Orr, Senior Editor
Seeking: Interested in strong commercial NF (particularly memoir) and fiction, no children’s lit or poetry
Pantera Press (BOOKED OUT)
https://www.panterapress.com.au/
Rep: Tom Langshaw, Commissioning Editor
Seeking: Crime/Thriller/Mystery, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Commercial Women's Ficiton, Memoir, Narrative Non-Fiction, Personal Development
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Monash University Publishing
https://publishing.monash.edu/
Rep: Julia Carlomagno, Director and Publisher
Seeking: Nonfiction - biography, history, current affairs, politics, memoir (no self-help or personal transformational journey books). Fiction - previously published literary fiction authors (publication may be in journals or other smaller scale platforms).
Book a pitch to Monash University Publishing
Hachette Australia (BOOKED OUT)
Rep: Jeanmarie Morosin, Head of Children’s Publishing
Seeking: All children’s categories: picture books, junior fiction, middle grade, YA, Non-fiction and graphic novels.
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Pantera Press (BOOKED OUT)
https://www.panterapress.com.au/
Rep: LinLi Wan, Trainee Editor
Seeking: I am open to both fiction and non-fiction, as well as YA and middle grade. Commercial Women's Fiction, Romance, Crime, Historical Fiction, SFF / Spec Fic, Literary Fiction, Narrative Non-Fiction, YA, Middle Grade
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
Curtis Brown Australia (BOOKED OUT)
https://www.curtisbrown.com.au/
Rep: Caitlan Cooper-Trent, Associate Agent
Seeking: Crime, thriller, horror or women’s commercial, romcom, literary or magic realism, non-fiction generally is fine too (just not historical) Not memoir, no YA or children's
This session has booked out. Join the wait list.
New South Publishing
Rep: Harriet McInerney, Publisher
Seeking: Non-Fiction
Book a pitch to NewSouth Publishing
Pitch Perfect priority registrations open 23 June 2023, 10am AEST and close 28 June 2023, 9am AEST.
All ASA members, bookings open 28 June 2023, 10am AEST.
Bookings close 7 July 2023, 5pm AEST
Keep up-to-date with ASA advocacy, support and advice
with our fortnightly newsletter.
