Back in 2006 when I organised the Pitching Opportunity at the Brisbane National SF Convention, Donna Hanson was one of the writers who submitted and her manuscript made it through to the final 12. Recalling this opportunity, Donna has set up a pitching opportunity for the Canberra National SF Con 2013, Conflux 9, with Mark Casciogne from Angry Robot.
Follow the Nat Con on twitter: @CBRNATCON2013
Pitching session with Marc Gascoigne Managing Director and Publisher of Angry Robot Books
Do you have a completed speculative fiction manuscript?
Would you like to pitch your novel to Angry Robot Books’s Marc Gascoigne?
Conflux 9 is providing the opportunity for 10 to 15 debut and previously published authors with the opportunity to pitch their novels to Marc Gascoigne in April 2013 as part of the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to be held in Canberra from 25 April to 28 April 2013. This is a professional development opportunity to have your novel manuscript in front of an editor.
What do you have to do?
Ensure your MS is as good as it can be. Send the first 30 pages of your MS in standard format RTF or DOC file and a maximum two page synopsis (that is, summary of characters, plot and your intentions/inspiration, in that order) to conflux9@gmail.com during the submission period and using the subject line AngryRobotPitch.
It may pay for you to check out some of Angry Robot’s publications beforehand to ensure your work is what they might be looking for. Here is a link to their submission’s page for more information.
If you are already member of Conflux 9 you don’t have to do anything more than wait.
If you aren’t a member of Conflux 9, then join up. The minimum requirement is for entering is a $30 supporting membership.
To attend the pitching workshop during Conflux 9 you need to be attending Conflux on the day of the workshop and a full attending membership is preferred. Those who win a place and cannot attend Conflux 9 will have to give up their place to those the next in line.
What is the process?
The manuscripts will be assessed by two readers and a final list of up to fifteen decided. The authors of these manuscripts will be invited to a preparatory workshop and then to the pitching session.
A two-hour workshop on how to pitch novels will be presented by author, Rowena Cory Daniells. This will be followed by a one-on-one pitching session with editor Marc Gascoigne for 5 minutes.
When will this take place?
Submissions will be open from 1 January to 31 January 2013. The entries will be read during February 2013. The announcement of the shortlisted authors will be made during March. The top ten synopses will be sent to Marc Gascoigne in early April.
And then what?
Marc Gascoigne may invite authors to send him manuscripts for consideration. However, there is no guarantee he will do so. Conflux 9 and Marc Gascoigne do not provide any guarantees that authors who are selected to pitch novels will be invited to submit a full manuscript. All decisions are final and discussion will not be entered into.
Marc will be available during Conflux 9 for any member to talk to, either during general events or in the bar.
Marc Gascoigne
Marc Gascoigne is the Publishing Director of Angry Robot, Britain’s gobbiest SF/F imprint. He’s been in science fiction publishing since 1984, and previous offences include Solaris Books, the Black Library, Fighting Fantasy game books, various role-playing and computer games… and some genuinely wonderful Sonic the Hedgehog novels. You can check out Angry Robot at www.angryrobotbooks.com.
In 2011, Marc was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for his work with Angry Robot Books. Angry Robot Books publishers authors from around the globe. Australians published by Marc and Angry Robot Books include Kaaron Warren, Trent Jamieson and Joanne Anderton.
There is also a Wikipedia entry about Marc’s illustrious career. Here is an interview with Marc by Charles Tan over at Bibliophile Stalker
Catch Marco on Twitter @Marc_Gascoigne
So take this opportunity to research Angry Robot, polish your manuscript and be ready to submit in January 2013. (Note, I won’t be on the panel that decides which manuscripts are pitched to Angry Robot). Best of luck to everyone!
