We can help with:
Accelerate your career
Join us today
Book an event
A unique opportunity to pitch to publishers and agents.
Learn how to nail your pitch to publishers and literary agents.
We advocate for members
Stay in the know
Stay in the know with industry news and ASA views.
Search our resources
Find ASA members
FAQs on publishing and more.
Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
Have a completed manuscript? Our successful Literary Speed Dating event series gives writers a unique three-minute opportunity to pitch to Australian publishers and agents.
Registrations have not yet opened for this event. Please read the key dates below to learn more, and please scroll down to view the schedule of attending publishers and agents.
17 September 2025, 10am AEST
22 September 2025, 10am AEST
23 September 2025, 10am AEST
Week of 13 October 2025
16 October 2025, 5pm AEDT
17 October 2025, 5pm AEDT
22 October 2025
24 October 2025
Want to see the full 2025 Literary Speed Dating calendar? Click here.
Virtual Literary Speed Dating booking cancellations are not entitled to any refund or credit, as per our refund policy, so please take care when making your booking.
Please note, if you are booking two pitches, you must book them in the same booking form.
You will be asked to select the genre of your manuscript(s) from a dropdown menu, so please ensure you select the most appropriate option. If you believe you have made an error in your booking, please email [email protected] to clarify.
Wednesday 22 October 2025
Please note, all times are in AEDT. Please check your time zone to determine your local time.
Time slot
Publisher/Agent
Accepted genres:
Specifically seeking:
10:00-11:30 am
Key People Creative Management
Jeanne Ryckmans | Agent
“I’d like to be startled!”
Melanie Ostell Literary
Melanie Ostell | Agent/Business Owner
“Distinctive voices with accomplished storytelling; a point of difference.”
HarperCollins Australia – HQ Books
Rachael Donovan | Publisher
“I’m looking for fiction with complex female characters, interesting perspectives, good pace and strong hooks in a wide range of genres, including book club fiction, women’s fiction, mystery, thriller, and a fresh take on myths and legends, or romance.
I’m not currently acquiring non-fiction or children’s/YA.”
Ultimo Press
Alisa Ahmed | Managing Editor
Specified genres only.
12:00-1:30 pm
a4 Literary
Tom Gilliatt | Agent
“Quality commercial fiction, particularly crime fiction and thrillers, that feel fresh and distinctive.”
Annabel Barker Agency
Bella Suckling | Associate Agent
Specified genres only. No picture books.
NewSouth Publishing
Harriet McInerney | Publisher
2:00-3:30 pm
Allen & Unwin
Cassandra Di Bello | Publisher
UWA Publishing
Kate Pickard | Publisher
“Creative and inspiring stories from diverse backgrounds.”
No picture books.
Text Publishing
Penny Hueston | Senior Editor
“Adult fiction (commercial and literary) or non-fiction, but no self-help or heavily illustrated larger format books (cookbooks, gardening etc.).”
Sarah McKenzie Literary Management
Sarah McKenzie | Agent
“Page-turning stories with a compelling voice and unique perspective. Actively pursuing diverse and marginalised voices and First Nations authors.”
4:00-5:30 pm
Shaw Literary
Martin Shaw | Agent
“Outstanding literary fiction, irresistible commercial fiction and strong non-fiction.”
Rebecca Slater | Agent
“I love weird, spooky, feminist and dystopian fiction, superbly-plotted crime novels and heart-warming rom-coms. I’m open to narrative nonfiction, essay collections, and memoirs. As an agent, I’m passionate about championing work by women and non-binary writers, First Nations storytellers and the LGBTQI+ community.”
Friday 24 October 2025
What I’m looking for:
Tom Bailey-Smith | Commissioning Editor
“Contemporary voices with broad appeal. Experts over influencers.”
Melbourne University Press
Foong Ling Kong | Publisher & CEO
“Voice, play on form, well argued and structured narrative, that certain je ne sais quoi.
Please ensure you view MUP’s submissions page prior to booking to ensure MUP is the right home for your work.”
High Spot Literary
Vicki Marsdon | Owner & Agent
“A short descriptive pitch of the project, where it sits in the market, any comparative titles, any relevant information about the author (debut, already published, social media reach).”
Echo Publishing
Diana Hill | Publisher
Pantera Press
LinLi Wan | Editor
UQP
Cathy Vallance | Children’s Publisher
“Literary stories with a unique hook and voice.”
Elizabeth Weiss | Publisher Adult Non-Fiction
“Australian content.”
Catherine Wallace | Agent
“Catherine is looking for non-fiction, romance, crime, thriller, mystery and book club fiction. A great submission will have a really interesting original concept with a strong voice.
She’s definitely interested in adult commercial fiction that is full of twists, turns, gasps and chills; psychological thrillers where nothing is what it seems and there’s a unique idea behind the story; groundbreaking thrillers where the mystery is a game played with the reader and genres are blurred; cosy crimes that are whodunnits with heart and beautifully written plus imaginatively conceived high-concept book club fiction.”
HarperCollins Australia
Anna Valdinger | Fiction Publisher
“Strong commercial fiction with a great plot, engaging characters and a fresh voice.”
Pan Macmillan Australia
Emma Rafferty | Commissioning Editor
“Commercial and crossover (‘book club’) fiction, narrative non-fiction (memoir), and children’s books for older readers.”
Our Virtual Literary Speed Dating events take place online 2-3 times each year, and each event is typically held over two days. These events are exclusive to ASA members.
At each event you have the opportunity to choose which publisher or agent you’d like to pitch to. We recommend reading the list of attending publishers and agents when it is published very closely before booking to ensure your work is a good fit for what they’re looking for.
Please note, in 2025 the Virtual Literary Speed Dating events will be open to bookings for authors of fiction and non-fiction, for adults or children. Picture book and children’s illustrated non-fiction are only accepted at our Picture Book Matchmaker events.
You can book up to two pitches per event. If you are booking two pitches, then you must book them at the same time.
We’ll allocate you a specific time for your three-minute Zoom meeting with your chosen publisher or agent.
During this time, you have the rare opportunity to provide an elevator-style pitch of your work. No screen-sharing is allowed, and feedback or publisher/agent contact details will not be provided.
If the publisher or agent expresses interest in seeing your work, we’ll let you know via email one week after the event. This email will detail what material the publisher or agent wants to see from you and how to send your work to them.
Once you’ve sent the publisher or agent your material, they will get back to you within three months.
