RWA PITCHING & BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS PROGRAM Melbourne 2019 Publisher & Agent PitCh Appointments JaCinta Di Mase Penguin Random Harlequin Harlequin Harlequin Allen & Unwin Corvisiero AgenCy Boroughs Publishing Management House RaChael Donovan Jo MaCkay ESCAPE (TBC) Danielle Binks Ali Watts Annette Barlow Marisa Corvisiero MiChelle Klayman What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? I’m looking for: I’m looking for mysteries, Escape will be looking for I’m looking for: I’m looking for: I’m seeking Australian I’m specifically looking for: I’m looking for: • Romance: family sagas, submissions that include a • Contemporary • Romantic comedy rural romances – • Contemporary • Regency romance contemporary women- central romance or • Rural • Women’s fiction • Tear-jerker ultimately uplifting, Romance • Historical romance • Historical centred fiction, romantic elements • Family drama • YA romance romantic and underpinned • Historical Romance • Suspense psychological thrillers, focused on lead characters What are you NOT • Coming-of-age • NA romance with conflict set around • Romantic Comedies • Contemporary — historical, and any story I and an uplifting ending. looking for? • Stories with a unique • LBGTQ romance in all funny, sad and in can’t put down after the • Adventure I’m not looking for: ‘hook’ or premise and a rural communities’ • Romantic Suspense subgenres between! first page. Specifically: • Contemporary • Erotica strong selling point pressing issues of the day, • Paranormal Romance… • And any series with • Women’s life fiction • Mysteries with an • Comedy • Rural romance/ chook eg drought, succession with angsty and sexy plots serious innovative • Family saga Australian hook • Erotic lit What are you NOT planning… I’m also keen where both characters are world building in • Domestic noir • Australian Historical • Fantasy • Medical romance looking for? to find brilliant very well formed with popular tropes such as • Gay • Christian romance I’m not looking for: vampires, wolf packs, • Historical epic • Funny, fast-moving commercial women’s their own issues or particularly with • Historical • Sci-fi and fae. contemporary women- fiction writers – a shortcomings, and an Australian content. • Magic Realism Word Count • Fantasy • Clever writing. centred fiction romantic subplot is very overall creative obstacle • Paranormal Single title (80k upwards) • YA What are you NOT • Rural • Rural romance welcome but she’d love to they need to overcome to What are you NOT What are you NOT looking for? • Suspense • Category romance contract someone who is reach that happily ever looking for? looking for? I’m not looking for: • Sci-Fi writing with a broad brush after. I’m not looking for I’m not looking for: • Erotica • Saga Word Count such as authors like Kate Inspirational romance, and • Fantasy • Georgina/Regency/ • YA/NA Single title (80k upwards) Morton, Hannah Richell, women’s fiction where the • YA What are you NOT Scottish historical romance is not the spine • Children’s Monica McInerney. looking for? romance But they are particularly of the story. We don’t Limited paranormal • Paranormal • Horror keen to see Sweet and publish mainstream • Fantasy • Erotica stories with Beta Heroes romance. Not looking for literary fiction. What are you NOT • Horror • Illustrated shifters of any sort. No • YA • Non-Fiction Word Count looking for? zombies. Not too dark or Word Count Category length (45k-55k) I’m not looking for gory. Marisa is fairly open For the most part, we are Word Count looking for books at 40k Word Count Novella or less (40k down category romance to most things as long as Single title (80k upwards) words and up. Single title (80k upwards) to short story) they stand out. Occasionally, we will Word Count accept novellas 25k words Single title (80k upwards) Word Count and up IF they are a duo or Single title (80k upwards) part of a series so they can Category length (45k-55k) be presented as a box set for print purposes. We also work with e- publishers that accept 50K to 70K words. 1 RWA PITCHING & BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS PROGRAM Melbourne 2019 Business Appointments Ingram Spark Kobo Draft2Digital Findaway Voices Bolinda Australian SoCiety of Authors Melanie Coles NiCk Coveney Dan Wood Kelly Lytle Cristina Lee Olivia LanChester How might you help an How might you help an How might you help an How might you help an aspiring How might you help an aspiring How might you help an aspiring aspiring author? An emerging aspiring author? An emerging aspiring author? An emerging author? An emerging author? An author? An emerging author? An author? An emerging author? An author? An established author? An established author? An established established author? established author? established author? author? We offer advice on the various author? author? We work with all authors and The audiobook category is the Draft2Digital works with pathways to publishing for aspiring IngramSpark is a self- The Kobo Writing Life blog and authors at every stage of their offer tremendous service and fastest growing segment in the authors, as well as mentorships and publishing platform, so podcast offer tonnes of careers so we have answers new opportunities. For all publishing industry and whether workshops. Emerging authors regardless of your author resources for authors at all for nearly any questions you authors we can help you think an author is aspiring, emerging might be interested in our advice status, you can utilize our vast levels who want to learn craft may have. We have tools to through the right approach to or established, publishing an service where you can ask about printing and distribution and business strategies specific help get your first novel out to creating your audiobooks and audiobook opens doors to new any aspect of publishing and our network to publish your own to promoting their titles on the world and we have tools the best paths to getting those audiences all around the world. If Contract Assessment Service in designed to save you hours of which we conduct a legal and works. Whether you are Kobo. When an author is ready works to a world of listeners. We an author wants to record their work if you have dozens of industry review of your publishing looking for author copies to to upload a title, our team of published novels. In addition work closely with authors at all own book, we have a great team offer. Established writers can sell at your book launch, ARCS author care experts is available to our publishing tools we levels to set release schedules, of producers to guide them benefit from our workshops on for your beta readers or a to answer any questions. And have our Books2Read tools to pair audio marketing initiatives through the process. reinvigorating your career and our platform to get your print once the book is live, we offer help authors let readers know with eBook marketing efforts, Alternatively, we’re experts in advocacy efforts to improve the and/or ebook into the big promotions to help grow your how to find their book promote new and noteworthy the selection of the perfect for a returns to all authors. All writers online retailers…we can help. sales. globally. releases, and provide paths for book and will work with an can enter their books into our monthly bulletin New to View, promotions and other features author every step of the way to which showcases new publications. with our distribution partners. find a voice that works for them. Our goal is to be an extension of your team focused on audio! 2 RWA PITCHING & BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS PROGRAM Melbourne 2019 Individual Profiles RaChael Donovan Harlequin BIO: WISHLIST: Rachael works with the Harlequin publishing What is the minimum word-count your agency takes or your publishing house requires? team as a commissioning editor. She has Single title only (80k and upwards) been in the What sub-genres or genres are you not looking for? Australian publishing industry for over ten Erotica, Georgina/Regency/Scottish historical romance, paranormal, fantasy, horror and YA. years and has worked in a variety of roles Is there a genre or sub-genre you’re particularly keen to see? from administration and sales to editorial. Romance: rural, historical, suspense, contemporary — funny, sad and in between! — women’s life fiction, family She joined Hachette Australia as a division saga, domestic noir and historical epics, particularly with Australian content. coordinator before branching out into What genre is your personal favourite? product management and marketing in the There are too many to count! Like most readers, I read widely, but there’s always special place in my heart for a heady days of YA Vampire romances. tragic love story. What is your major turn-off in a book? She crossed over into editorial with the local Psychological tension and the connection between people is engrossing, but anything overly gory on the page is publishing division before moving to Allen & hard going. Unwin. There she worked with a creative and What is likely to really knoCk your soCks off besides an engaging voiCe and well-written book? fun children’s publishing team as a children’s Something that shows you more about the world around us or the universality of human experience without you editor. Over the years she has helped create even realising it as you’re too engrossed by the characters. books of fantasy, moving memoirs, kids’ Any adviCe to your potential pitChers? picture books and war stories; but fiction is Easy to say, I know! But don’t be nervous. We’re looking for books to publish from new Australian writers, so I her one true love. Now she is dedicated to want to hear about you and your story.