The Fourth Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction: Facts and Schedule

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the season of the fourth annual BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION!

For the newcomers:  The Baker's Dozen Agent Auction is MSFV's biggest event of the year.  60 250-word entries, hand-picked by Jodi Meadows and Authoress, will be placed on the auction block for agents to bid on (with requests for pages, up to a full manuscript request).  It bears the name "Baker's Dozen" because the original auction in 2010 included 13 agents--a baker's dozen.  The actual auction is in December, but the fun starts NOW!

LOGLINE CRITIQUE ROUNDS

Each Baker's Dozen entry is required to have a logline.

What is a logline?  A logline is a 1- to 2-sentence pitch that encapsulates your story and makes us want to read it.  See HERE and HERE for advice on writing an effective logline.

We will have 3 critique rounds for those of you who would like feedback on your loglines prior to submitting. These rounds will be run as lotteries. Times TBA.

ROUND 1: Tuesday, October 1 (submissions on Monday, September 30)
ROUND 2: Tuesday, October 15 (submissions on Monday, October 14)
ROUND 3: Tuesday, October 22 (submissions on Monday, October 21)

SUBMISSION DATES FOR THE AUCTION

ADULT ROUND 1: Tuesday, October 29 (100 entries)
ADULT ROUND 2: Thursday, October 31 (100 entries)
YA/MG ROUND 1: Tuesday, November 5 (150 entries)
YA/MG ROUND 2: Thursday, November 7 (150 entries)

WINNER NOTIFICATION

25 adult category winners notified via email: Friday, November 15
35 YA/MG category winners notified via email: Friday, November 22

60 WINNING ENTRIES POSTED: Friday, November 29

AUCTION GOES LIVE FOR AGENTS: Tuesday, December 3 (for 24 hours)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• There will be a $10 entry fee for this contest. Every entrant must pay the fee at the time of submission.  This is the only event I charge for, simply because of the amount of work it takes to pull it off.  Payments will be accepted through Paypal; you do not need a Paypal account to make this payment (you will have the option to use a credit/debit card).
• A maximum of 500 entries (200 adult, 300 YA/MG) will be accepted. Of these, 60 winners will be chosen (25 adult, 35 YA/MG).
• If the maximum number of adult entries isn't reached, the remainder will be added to the YA/MG entry maximum (because you know as well as I do that I'm going to be inundated with kidlit).
• The 60 winning entries will receive critique from editors, authors, and blog readers, in addition to being on the auction block for our participating agents.
• The (up to) 440 non-winning entries will be given the option to receive critique on the blog via lottery at a later date. (Because, yanno, I can't exactly post hundreds of entries for critique simultaneously.)

Names of participating agents (and critiquing editors and authors) will be posted soon.  I've got a GREAT line-up, as always!

Just a reminder that there will be no Secret Agent contest in November. October's SA will run as planned. And, yes. You may enter the October SA and still submit to the Baker's Dozen auction. Unless you win the SA contest, of course.

Questions?  Ask below!  But please don't ask specific questions about submissions: I will be posting detailed instructions as we get closer to the submission dates.  I promise that everything you need to know will be included in that post.

Spread the word. Invite your friends. And start working on your loglines!