Pitch Me! Connecting Australian Writers
Pitch Me!, is a program connecting Australian writers with agents and publishers.
Open only to writers from Varuna’s recent Fellowship and Masterclass programs, the intention of Pitch Me! is to create opportunities for writers who are seeking a publishing contract or agency agreement.
All submissions to Pitch Me! will be read by one publisher and one agent.
Pitch Me! will select two writers for this award. Each writer will receive:
· An extended editorial conversation with either Aviva Tuffield or Grace Heifetz, focusing on developing work with a view to publication.
· A $2,000 development payment. This payment can be used for editorial or mentoring advice, or for helping find time and space to concentrate on writing.
· (Optional) A one-week residency at Varuna.
WHAT YOU NEED TO SEND US
To apply, you need to submit a synopsis of your completed manuscript along with the first three chapters, up to 10,000 words. If your first chapters are quite short, you may submit more than three chapters, but please note that a total of 10,000 words is the limit.
For poetry, you need to send us a selection of 10 poems.
If requested, you need to have a complete draft available. Work must be unpublished and uncontracted to an agent or publisher.
KEY DATES
APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED.
Closing date: 22 January 2024
FEES
There are no fees to apply for this program. If you are successful and wish to take up the option of a one-week residency at Varuna, you need to pay a contribution fee of $350.
THE FINE PRINT
Pitch Me! is open to all Varuna Fellowship recipients and Masterclass participants from the past 24 months. The list of eligible programs is included in the FAQ, but you can also reach out to us by emailing us here if you aren’t sure. Work must be unpublished and uncontracted to an agent or publisher. If you have previously submitted your work to Pitch Me! it must have progressed substantially in the last year.
Your Publisher
In 2023/24, our publisher is Aviva Tuffield, a publisher at UQP who has worked in Australian publishing for more than twenty years, including at Black Inc, Affirm Press and Scribe Publications. She was a co-founder and the inaugural executive director of the Stella Prize. At UQP she is proud to work with many prize-winning authors, including Tony Birch, Sarah Holland-Batt, Ellen van Neerven, Mirandi Riwoe, Evelyn Araluen and George Haddad.
Your Agent
The publishing agent for this program is Grace Heifetz of Left Bank Literary. Grace has worked in the industry for over 20 years, holding a number of roles at Curtis Brown before she started her own agency in 2019. Her clients include authors such as Chris Hammer, Bri Lee, Emily Maguire and Nakkiah Lui. She is also the Chair of The Australian FNPOC (First Nations and People of Colour) Publishing Internship program (Open Book).