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April 15, 2025

March Literary Speed Dating: ASA’s biggest ever

This March we were joined by 20 publishers and nine literary agents, who heard an incredible 492 pitches from 291 authors over two days. We are delighted to report a 39% request rate at the first Virtual Literary Speed Dating event of 2025!

The highest requested genre was commercial fiction, reflecting the market’s appetite for such fiction. Literary fiction, crime fiction, and historical fiction also proved to be popular, as did fantasy and narrative non-fiction. Middle grade fiction was the most requested of the children’s categories, followed by YA.

Some of the attending publishers and agents were regulars to the ASA’s Virtual Literary Speed Dating events, while several were joining us for the first time. All remarked upon how prepared the participants were, and how professional and compelling their pitches were as a result. Our sincere congratulations to all the authors who pitched at this round – it can be nerve-wracking to put yourself and your work out there, but this feedback demonstrates the high standard of your pitches.

We encourage you to let us know if your manuscript has been picked up by a publisher or agent as a result of a Literary Speed Dating event. The ASA team loves nothing more than celebrating our authors’ wins, and your success could inspire other authors to give pitching a go. And if you find yourself in talks with a publisher, you can access legal advice through Authors Legals’ contract review service.

What did we learn from this round?

We learn something new with each Virtual Literary Speed Dating event and we apply feedback we receive to the information and advice we provide to authors to prepare for the event. Here’s a taste of what we’ve learned from the March 2025 event:

  • With such a wide spread of attending publishers and agents, it is vital authors research and book a pitch with publishers who could be a good ‘match’. The more you know and understand about a publisher’s list as well as what they indicate they are currently seeking, the better you’ll be able to demonstrate why your book belongs in that mix. It’s worthwhile being targeted in your approach at these events — a scattershot approach is unlikely to give you the outcome you want.
  • If you are booking in with a literary agent, make sure you understand and explain what you are seeking from representation. It's helpful if you can articulate your ambitions and your expectations of an agent when pitching to them.
  • Share your motivation for writing your manuscript. This is an opportunity to present not just your work, but the story behind it. Why is this a story you need to tell, and why are you the right person to tell it? Your reasons for writing are often just as fascinating and important as the synopsis.
  • Finally, be prepared for anything, including a swift ending! So many of our authors are Pitch Perfect graduates and have nailed the formula for their three-minute pitch, which often means the publisher has no follow-up questions. That can be a good thing! Don’t be thrown off kilter — a lovely parting message of thanks is all you need to wrap up your appointment.

What can you do if you weren’t a match this time?

Sometimes not matching with a publisher or agent at these events is simply a case of not being the right fit at the right time, but there’s always more work that can be done to improve your chances for future success.

Perhaps you’ve realised your manuscript isn’t quite ready for the submissions process, or that substantial revisions could ensure it’s better positioned for publication. A manuscript assessment can provide valuable insight into whether your manuscript is at a publishable standard, or what you can do to get it there, while a mentorship pairs you with an experienced author who will read your work, listen to your questions and concerns, and advise you on your options as you continue to develop your manuscript.

If you haven’t already attended our Pitch Perfect course, we encourage you to do so. Publishers and agents can tell the difference between an author who has taken the time to learn about the publishing landscape and prepare their pitch, and those who have not. Plus, Pitch Perfect attendees gain priority booking access to Virtual Literary Speed Dating for three years following their booking. 

If you’re uncertain about any aspects of the book industry, you might like to seek out our free Member Advice service to better understand how your book can fit into the market. We also have an on-demand video resource on resilience in creative practice offering valuable guidance on how to remain hopeful in the face of setbacks, which are very common in book publishing.

Are there other pitching opportunities available?

Virtual Literary Speed Dating will return in October this year, but in the meantime we encourage you to continue seeking out pitching and submission opportunities to find the right home for your work. There are other pitching events hosted by other organisations and by writers’ festivals, and you can find a list of publishers, literary agents, and their submission guidelines in the ASA’s Book Industry Directory.

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