ASA Events

Picture Book Matchmaker is a new event in the ASA’s Virtual Literary Speed Dating series which has been designed specifically for picture book creators, including authors, author-illustrators, and ASA Style File illustrators. This event is exclusive to ASA members.

Developed in consultation with Australian publishing professionals, this event offers picture book creators a unique six-minute opportunity to pitch to Australian children’s publishers and agents and forge connections for potential ongoing collaboration.

Authors and author-illustrators are welcome to pitch between 1 to 3 manuscripts, while ASA Style File illustrators can share their portfolio of work. This new six-minute format accommodates screen-sharing, ensuring you can showcase your work clearly and effectively.

Picture Book Matchmaker events will take place annually and each event will typically be held over two days. 

Think of this as more of a first date than speed dating — and it’s a date set up by professional matchmakers.

Unlike Virtual Literary Speed Dating, the Picture Book Matchmaker events have a booking application process. This is to ensure that creators are matched with a publisher or agent who is actively seeking the kind of work they have created. This booking application process negates the need for Pitch Perfect priority access for this event. 

Members who have attended the ASA’s Pitch Perfect or Pitch Perfect: Picture Books course within the previous three years will still be given priority access to book Virtual Literary Speed Dating. Picture book creators who also work in the genres and categories that are accepted at Virtual Literary Speed Dating still enjoy this benefit for that event.

We have introduced a booking application and assessment process to improve the overall experience for picture book creators as well as the attending publishers and agents.

Virtual Literary Speed Dating bookings for publishers and agents seeking picture book manuscripts have always been the first to book out, often during the Pitch Perfect priority access period. With each Literary Speed Dating event, many picture book creators missed out on securing a booking and were left disappointed. With Picture Book Matchmaker, we want to make sure that as many applicants whose submissions show readiness and potential for publication have access to the opportunity to pitch. 

As far as we know, only three picture book creators have been published through Virtual Literary Speed Dating over the last five years. With a dedicated event, we have been able to compile a schedule of attending publishers and agents who are prepared and eager to focus solely on picture book pitches. We have also been able to ask these publishers and agents what they are actively seeking from picture book creators for their lists. This is incredibly valuable information — the level of detail they have provided means you can easily identify whether your work fits with what they want.

In changing the event format and introducing a booking application and assessment process, we are ensuring that picture book creators are paired with a publisher or agent who is actively seeking the kind of work they have created. This is the ‘matchmaking’ part of the process. 

Applicants will not have the option to nominate a preferred publisher or agent. The external assessment panel will be determining which applications best meet the assessment criteria, one of which is ‘best fit for the attending publishers/agents’. The assessors will be referencing the descriptions provided by the attending publishers and agents to “match” them with suitable applicants.

This information is accessible to anyone interested in the event — it’s listed in the schedule of attending publishers and agents on the event page. So, if there is a particular publisher you’re keen on and their “seeking” description aligns with your work, you’ll have a good idea of which kinds of materials to submit for the best chances of matching with them.

Applicants will be asked in the booking form to specify whether they have previously pitched or submitted these same materials to any of the attending publishers/agents. This information will help ensure applicants are not matched with a representative that has previously considered their submission.

A total of 1-3 picture book manuscripts or one illustrator portfolio can be pitched per appointment, and this must be factored in when compiling your application materials. You should submit materials that are representative of what you plan to pitch at the event.

These application materials can take the form of a manuscript, storyboard or flatplan, illustrator portfolio, written pitch, or statement.

You can attach up to three files totalling a maximum of 20 pages for assessment.

If you want to submit more than one manuscript or storyboard/flatplan, these must be in separate files. You cannot conflate multiple submission materials into one file.

The assessment process is the ‘matchmaking’ element of this event. Pitch appointments are limited at Picture Book Matchmaker, so bookings are offered only to those creators whose application best fits the assessment criteria. 

Booking applications are assessed by two external assessors with extensive experience in Australian picture book publishing. The criteria for assessment is the potential for publication, readiness for publication, and whether the creator’s submitted materials are the best fit for what the attending publishers and/or agents are seeking. 

Potential for publication:

•  The themes, language, length and feel of your story idea or portfolio are comparable to what is currently being published. 
• This is the criteria that assesses whether your work is likely to be successful at being accepted for a publisher contract or representation.

Readiness for publication: 

• The manuscript shows clear signs that it has been refined and edited by the author, and that can be developed further in collaboration with the publisher.
• This is the criteria that ensures you are ready to pitch at this point in time. 

Best fit for the attending publishers/agents:

• The manuscript or portfolio fits the description given by the attending publishers and/or agents about what they are seeking at this event.
• The assessors will use this criteria to judge whether your work suits one or more attending publishers/agents and, if so, who it best suits.

The assessment panel determines which applicants are offered pitch bookings, and with which publisher or agent.

During the six-minute pitch appointment, you have the rare opportunity to pitch your work in a more informal, conversational setting than in the ASA’s Virtual Literary Speed Dating events. All pitch appointments are via Zoom and screen-sharing is accommodated, so you can showcase your materials effectively. The longer appointment length offers increased scope for receiving feedback from, and establishing a rapport with, the publisher or agent.

It’s important to be flexible with your approach to this pitch — you want to leave room for publisher or agent to ask questions and to get to know you as a creator on a more personal level.

For the best chance of success, we encourage you to attend our Pitch Perfect Picture Books course prior to applying. You’ll receive an up-to-date snapshot of the publishing landscape in Australia and learn how to identify the right home for your work, how to succinctly describe your work, how to structure your six-minute pitch, and what you need to have prepared for the application and submission processes. 

For more general information on pitching, see the ASA’s video, ‘Structuring your 3-Minute Pitch’.

The ASA issues booking offers to the successful applicants via email. To confirm your booking, you will be asked to pay the $25 pitch fee. You will be emailed an invoice to complete this payment and confirm your booking.

In the event of a booking offer being declined or cancelled, waitlist offers will be emailed to applicants shortlisted by the assessment panel. 

You can find the booking cancellation cut-off date listed in the key dates of each Picture Book Matchmaker event. These key dates are listed at the top of the event page.

If you let us know that you are cancelling your appointment by booking cancellation cut-off date, your details will be removed from the pitch schedule for that publisher/agent, your place will be offered to someone on the wait list, and this booking will not count towards your maximum of two pitches for the submitted materials.

If you cancel your booking after this date, your details will be listed on the pitch schedule provided to the attending publisher/agent and your booking will count towards your maximum number of two pitches.

If you let us know your reason for cancelling, however, the ASA team member hosting that pitch session can inform the publisher/agent — this is helpful in that your reputation with that representative won’t be damaged by not attending your pitch.

As per our refund policy, Picture Book Matchmaker events are not entitled to any refund or credit, regardless of timeframe of notice. Any attendance cancellations received for a Picture Book Matchmaker registration will not be refunded.

In the event of a cancellation made by the ASA, you will be entitled to a full refund.

If the publisher or agent expresses interest in seeing more of your work or keeping in contact with you, 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.

If you’ve sent the publisher or agent any requested material, they will get back to you within three months.

As the peak body setting the industry standards for rates of pay, we are committed to the principle of fair remuneration.

The booking application fees will be paid to the assessment panel for the work of assessing your application.

The pitch booking fees, like the Virtual Literary Speed Dating booking fee, helps to cover the cost of administering, facilitating and staffing this event.