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Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
You must read the below information about the Picture Book Matchmaker events carefully prior to submitting a booking application, even if you have pitched at a Literary Speed Dating event in the past, as this information is subject to change.
Find answers to common queries about our Picture Book Matchmaker event in the FAQs below.
Picture Book Matchmaker is an event in the ASA’s Virtual Literary Speed Dating series which has been designed specifically for picture book creators, including authors, author-illustrators, and illustrators. This event is exclusive to ASA members. Think of this as more of a first date than speed dating — and it’s a date set up by professional matchmakers.
Developed in consultation with Australian publishing professionals, Picture Book Matchmaker offers picture book creators a six-minute opportunity to pitch to Australian children’s publishers and agents and forge connections for potential ongoing collaboration. This format accommodates screen-sharing, ensuring you can showcase your work clearly and effectively.
Picture Book Matchmaker events take place annually, with each event typically held over two days.
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 will still be given priority access to book Virtual Literary Speed Dating for the three years following their course. Many picture book creators also work in the genres and categories that are accepted at Virtual Literary Speed Dating, and they will still enjoy this benefit for that event.
The Picture Book Matchmaker booking application and assessment process has been established to improve the overall experience for picture book creators as well as the attending publishers and agents. 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 course of 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.
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.
And while you cannot nominate a preferred publisher or agent in your application, you will be asked to specify whether you are open to pitching to a publisher, an agent, or both, as well as whether you have previously pitched or submitted your work to any of the attending publishers or agents. This information will help ensure applicants are not matched with a representative that has previously considered their submission.
Yes, you can still apply to Picture Book Matchmaker if you have previously pitched to one or more of the attending publishers and/or agents. Applicants will be asked in the booking form to specify whether they have previously pitched or submitted this same work 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.
You can find a detailed listing of the required and optional application materials for your applicant type by following the appropriate link below.
The assessment process is the ‘matchmaking’ element of Picture Book Matchmaker. Pitch appointments are limited at this event, 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 means that 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 means that your concept, execution, and writing and/or illustration style shows clear signs that the work has been refined and edited over time, and that it can be developed further in collaboration with the publisher/agent. This is the criteria that ensures you are ready to pitch at this point in time.
Best fit for the attending publishers/agents means that the application materials fit the description given by the attending publishers and/or agents about what they are seeking at this event, as well as the publishing house or agency’s list overall. This is the criteria that the assessment panel uses to determine which applicants are offered pitch bookings, and with which publisher or agent.
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.
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. A booking is not confirmed until payment has been received.
In the event of a booking offer being declined or cancelled, wait list 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 pitch appointment by the 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 for the submitted materials.
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 of the booking fee.
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 within one week following 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 have agreed to get back to you within three months. If you do not hear back after three months have passed, please contact the publisher or agent directly.
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.
