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Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
You must read the terms and conditions for Picture Book Matchmaker prior to booking to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and understand the application, assessment, and preparation process.
1. The Australian Society of Authors (ABN 26 008 558 790) of Suite C1.06, 22-36 Mountain Street, ULTIMO, NSW (ASA) is facilitating opportunities for ASA members to pitch to Australian picture book publishers and agents, but the ASA is not representing authors and illustrators as an agent.
2. Picture Book Matchmaker is a professional development opportunity available to ASA members only. In order to submit a booking application and accept a booking offer, entrants must be a current financial ASA member.
3. Each entrant must be:
(a) an Australian citizen or permanent resident; and
(b) aged 18 years or over.
4. In submitting a booking application to Picture Book Matchmaker, each applicant warrants that:
(a) the words and illustrations submitted are their original creation;
(b) they are the sole owner of all rights, including copyright, in the material submitted for assessment;
(c) their submitted material has not been wholly or substantially created by the use of generative AI technologies, and where generative AI software has been used to assist the creation of works, the entrant must be transparent about the usage; and
(d) to the best of their knowledge, their submitted material contains no defamatory matter, or any matter that invades any individual’s rights of privacy, and all statements in the work purporting to be facts are true.
5. Author and author-illustrator applicants may only:
(a) submit unpublished manuscripts that are not already exclusively licensed to a publisher (or other third party); and
(b) submit a manuscript a maximum of two (2) times at Picture Book Matchmaker. Any manuscripts that have already been pitched two (2) times are ineligible for submission.
6. Illustrator applicants may:
(a) only submit illustration projects that are not already exclusively licensed to a publisher (or other third party). Illustrators submitting portfolios should submit original illustration examples rather than final page spreads from published books. All illustrators are encouraged to check the terms of their publishing agreement(s) if including images in their portfolio that have been published; and
(b) pitch a portfolio an unlimited amount of times at Picture Book Matchmaker, to different publishers or agents.
7. Applicants must disclose in their application form whether the manuscript or portfolio they intend to pitch has been previously submitted to any of the attending publishers and agents.
8. The assessors, board members and employees of the ASA are ineligible to apply for Picture Book Matchmaker.
9. Authors, author-illustrators, and illustrators wishing to attend the event must submit an application to be considered for a pitch appointment. Pitch appointments are limited at Picture Book Matchmaker and bookings will be offered only to those whose materials best fit the assessment criteria.
10. Author applicants may submit up to three (3) files for assessment. Accepted files that can be submitted are:
(a) a written statement of max. 300 words; and
(b) a maximum of two (2) picture book manuscripts with 300-word synopsis.
11. Author-illustrator applicants may submit up to four (4) files for assessment. Accepted files that can be submitted are:
(b) an illustrator portfolio;
(c) a picture book storyboard; and
(d) a completed manuscript with 300-word synopsis to accompany that picture book storyboard.
12. Illustrator applicants may submit up to two (2) files for assessment. Accepted files that can be submitted are:
(b) an illustrator portfolio.
13. ASA Style File Illustrator applicants may submit up to four (4) files for assessment. Accepted files that can be submitted are:
14. Statement and manuscript files must be submitted in Word Document format. Portfolio and storyboard files may be submitted in PDF format.
15. Applicants may submit no more than one (1) application for each Picture Book Matchmaker event.
16. Successful applicants will be matched with an attending publisher or agent during the assessment process and offered a booking with that publisher or agent only. Successful applicants may refuse any booking offer made by the ASA.
17. Applicants must submit material they intend to use for their pitch. Applicants cannot supply manuscripts or portfolios that they do not intend to pitch to the publisher/agent at the Picture Book Matchmaker event. Material cannot be pitched that has not been included in the application materials.
18. Booking applications open 9 February 2026, 10:00 am AEDT.
19. Booking applications close 19 February 2026, 4:00 pm AEDT.
20. Booking offers for successful applications will be issued in the week of 30 March 2026.
21. Any cancellations must be received by 16 April 2026, 4:00 pm AEST.
22. Pitches will take place during the Picture Book Matchmaker events on 22 and 24 April 2026.
23. Applications to Picture Book Matchmaker incur an administration fee of $20.
24. Successful applicants will be required to pay an additional $25 booking fee to secure their pitch appointment.
25. Application fees and booking fees are non-refundable. Refunds will not be issued for entries that do not meet the terms and conditions and are deemed ineligible.
26. Booking applications will be assessed by a judging panel of two (2) external assessors appointed by the ASA. The judging panel will be announced on the ASA website by February 2026.
27. The judging panel will determine the applicants who will be offered a pitch appointment with an attending publisher or agent. Applications will be assessed on their potential for publication, readiness for publication, and whether they are the best fit for the attending publishers and agents.
28. As illustrators featured on the ASA Style File have already been assessed and met a professional standard, portfolio applications from Style File members will be assessed only on suitability for the attending publishers and agents and the assessment fee will be waived. The booking fee is included in the ASA’s Style File member benefits and will also be waived.
29. As CA/ASA and ASA Award Mentorship recipients have already been assessed and met a professional standard, picture book and portfolio applications from award mentees will be assessed only on suitability for the attending publishers and/or agents. Assessment and booking fees will be waived.
30. As Arts Tasmania Award Mentorship recipients have already been assessed and met a professional standard, picture book and portfolio applications from award mentees will be assessed only on suitability for the attending publishers and/or agents. Assessment and booking fees will be waived.
31. The judging panel’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into either during or after the assessment process. No personalised feedback will be given to applicants.
32. The successful applicants will be offered an opportunity to book a six-minute pitch appointment with one attending publisher or agent. Booking offers will be issued by email.
33. Pitch appointment bookings are only confirmed once payment of the $25 booking fee has been received by the ASA.
34. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified and placed on a waitlist. By submitting an application, applicants acknowledge that they may be offered an opportunity to pitch after the initial offers are issued in the week commencing 30 March 2026. Waitlisted applicants acknowledge there is no guarantee of being offered a booking, as openings will be dependent on cancellations and declines of the initial booking offers.
35. The ASA cannot guarantee that any pitch given at Picture Book Matchmaker will lead to a publishing offer or professional connection.
36. Bookings and booking offers are not transferable to any other Literary Speed Dating or Picture Book Matchmaker event, and are not redeemable for cash or any other goods or services.
37. Applicants consent to the ASA collecting their contact information for the purpose of running Picture Book Matchmaker and, if successful in booking a pitch, disclosing their name and information from their application materials with the publisher or agent with whom they have booked.
