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ASA Events

Virtual Literary Speed Dating

You must read the eligibility requirements for the Virtual Literary Speed Dating event prior to booking, even if you have pitched at an event in the past, as this information is subject to change. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements prior to placing a booking.

Eligibility requirements

Both Full and Associate ASA members are eligible to attend Virtual Literary Speed Dating if you have:

  • A current, financial ASA membership.
  • The required materials for your genre ready to submit — please check the detailed information for your genre below.
  • Confidence in using Zoom in a fast-paced environment.
  • Studied the event’s publisher and agent schedule carefully and have confirmed that the individual representing the publisher/agency is accepting your manuscript’s genre/category at this particular event.

Fiction and poetry authors: Your pitch must be for a completed manuscript that is ready for the submission process and has not previously been pitched more than four (4) times at our Virtual Literary Speed Dating events. If you are successful in your pitch, the publisher/agent may request your completed manuscript, sample chapters, and/or supplementary materials. If your manuscript is not complete or you are not comfortable in providing it at present, please continue working on your project and consider attending a Virtual Literary Speed Dating event at a later date once your manuscript is completed.

Memoir and biography authors: Your pitch must be for a completed manuscript that is ready for the submission process and has not previously been pitched more than four (4) times at our Virtual Literary Speed Dating events. If you are successful in your pitch, the publisher/agent may request your completed manuscript and/or supplementary materials. If your manuscript is not complete or you are not comfortable in providing it at present, please continue working on your project and consider attending a Virtual Literary Speed Dating event at a later date once your manuscript is completed.

General, narrative, illustrated, and lifestyle non-fiction authors: You do not need to pitch a completed manuscript — materials from your book proposal, such as a chapter outline and sample, will suffice. Please note, you can only pitch a manuscript up to four (4) times at our Virtual Literary Speed Dating events.

Children’s authors: Your pitch must be for a completed junior fiction, middle-grade fiction, young adult fiction, or graphic novel manuscript that is ready for the submission process and has not previously been pitched more than four (4) times at our Virtual Literary Speed Dating events. If you are successful in your pitch, the publisher/agent may request your completed manuscript, sample chapters, and/or supplementary materials. If your manuscript is not complete or you are not comfortable in providing it at present, please continue working on your project and consider attending a Virtual Literary Speed Dating event at a later date once your manuscript is completed.

You are not eligible to attend if:

  • Your ASA membership has lapsed or is unfinancial.
  • Your manuscript is incomplete.

Please note, this is not applicable for general, narrative, illustrated, and lifestyle non-fiction authors.

  • The manuscript you intend to pitch has already been pitched four (4) times at Virtual Literary Speed Dating.

If you are unsure of how many times you have previously pitched a particular manuscript, please contact us at [email protected] or 02 9211 1004 before booking.

  • You have self-published or previously published the work you intend to pitch.

Virtual Literary Speed Dating is for unpublished manuscripts only. To understand more about why traditional publishers do not wish to republish self-published books, see our FAQs on Getting Published.

  • You have already submitted the manuscript to the publisher/agent you intend to book in with.
  • The manuscript you intend to pitch is a picture book or children's non-fiction.

Picture book and children’s non-fiction pitches are accepted at Picture Book Matchmaker events only.

If you are uncertain about whether you are eligible to book or if it is appropriate to pitch a particular manuscript at this event, please contact us at [email protected] or 02 9211 1004 before booking.

Please note that only one manuscript can be pitched per pitch session.

This manuscript should be the one that you detail as part of your booking.