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Thursday, October 23, 2014

The 2014 Baker's Dozen Agent Auction: Submission Guidelines and Everything Else!

21 agents are ready to outbid each other in the 5th annual BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION. Is your logline ready?  Do you have a clean, ready-to-be-queried manuscript? Then jump right in!

THE DATES

October 28: Submissions for adult fiction (all genres except erotica), 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (100 max)
October 30: Submissions for adult fiction (all genres except erotica) , 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (100 max)

(Note: NA is included in the adult submission round. Please label your entry as such.)

November 4:  Submissions for YA/MG fiction (all genres), 9 AM to 5 PM EST (150 max)
November 6:  Submissions for YA/MG fiction (all genres), 9 AM to 5 PM EST (150 max)

November 14: 25 winning entries in adult category notified via email
November 21: 35 winning entries in YA/MG category notified via email

Friday, November 28: 60 winning entries posted on blog
Tuesday, December 2: auction is LIVE at 11:00 AM EST (agents will place bids)

December 2:  auction closes at 11:00 PM EST
December 4:  winners announced

THE SUBMISSIONS
  • During the appropriate submission window, send your LOGLINE and the first 250 words of your COMPLETED AND POLISHED MANUSCRIPT. 
  • To submit, GO HERE and follow the directions. Be sure to check your word count and preview your entry before hitting "submit."
  • YES, you may submit your entry if you were in ANY Secret Agent contests this year.
  • NO, you MAY NOT submit if you were one of last year's 60 Baker's Dozen entrants...UNLESS it is a DIFFERENT MANUSCRIPT.
  • YES, you may submit more than one entry.  Each entry must be processed separately.
  • The word count will be set at 325. This includes your logline and your first page.
  • All entrants must pay a $15 entry fee. You will be asked to pay before your entry is completed. You do not need a Paypal account to pay the fee (you should be given the option to use a credit card).
  • Please do not enter if you are already agented.
  • Please notify me if you receive an offer of representation prior to the announcement of winners. Also, please understand that the entry fee is non-refundable.
  • By entering this contest, you are giving implicit permission to have your work posted and publicly critiqued.
THE BIDDING AND CRITIQUING
  • As soon as the winning entries post on November 28, critiquing may begin.  Critiques will be offered by one of our two participating editors (adult or YA/MG, depending on your genre), one of our two participating authors (adult or YA/MG, depending on your genre), and as many of our  blog community members as show up.
  • Agent bids will consist of the number of pages they would like to read, up to a full manuscript.
  • There is no guarantee that every entry will receive an agent bid.
  • Each of the 60 winners is requested to critique a minimum of 5 other entries.
  • Agents will be reading the entries beginning on November 28, but bidding will not begin until 11:00 AM EDT on December 2.  This will give the agents several days to decide which entries, if any, they'd like to place a bid on.
  • Critiquing may continue after the bidding has closed (11:00 PM EDT on Dec 2).

THE PARTICIPATING AGENTS: HERE

THE PARTICIPATING AUTHORS AND EDITORS: HERE

QUESTIONS

If I've missed anything, please leave your question in the comment box below.  But please MAKE SURE YOU CHECK ALL THE RECENT BAKER'S DOZEN AND LOGLINE POSTS before asking.

26 comments:

  1. Hi Authoress,

    How do you like the submissions formatted? Plain text, Times Roman 12, no indents, single space (extra space between paragraphs), _word_=italics, no bold, etc.? Any other formatting guidelines that you'd suggest?

    If this is common knowledge or posted elsewhere on your site, my apologies.

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Authoress!

    You say entries are capped at 350wds - so, let's say my logline is smaller than 75, and my 250 end in the middle of a sentence. Is it OK to go past the 250 count in that case (while keeping the sub under 350)? Or should we choose the last finished sentence before the 250 end?

    Thank you so much for this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shelly -- Plain text is best. No indents, double space between paragraphs.

    Pinguicha -- There is admittedly no way for the Bot to determine the difference between the logline and the excerpt. Jodi and I would certainly appreciate it, though, if everyone would stick to the 250, because we will have a LOT of reading to do!

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are two dates posted for each category. Why is that? If we are not among the first 100, do we try the next day?

    ReplyDelete
  5. trreat -- That's correct. I have 2 separate submission dates for each category to ensure that everyone who wants to enter has the chance. So if you don't get into the first 100, you may submit on the 2nd day and try again!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The rules state you cannot enter a manuscript that was in a previous Baker's Dozen contest. What if the manuscript has been entirely rewritten for a different genre? I.e. from Adult to YA?

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is all so fantastic. Thank you, authoress. What a wonderful service you are offering to the writer community. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Authoress, this is a silly question but above you state the times for adult entries are EDT. But isn't the East Coast of America on EST as of November 4th? Just trying to figure out what time that is for me in Europe! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yep, you're right, Lucy! I forgot that standard time is sneaking in between the weeks. I will change that -- thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Authoress--thanks for this great opportunity! In your post you mention the word limit is 325, but in the comments someone posted the limit as 350. Can you please clarify which it is? Thanks--can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nicole -- It's 325, as I stated. The submission form will count your words for you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yay! It's almost time!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Please can you you tell me if this is a US only based auction I am in the uk ?

    ReplyDelete
  14. It is world-wide. One of the agents is from Israel!

    You should be able to pay via Paypal with UK conversion.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I hope this isn't a foolish question. I've looked around for the answer but haven't found it.

    When the agents place their bids, will the winners be notified of everyone who was interested in their manuscript, or just the top bidder?

    Thanks for putting this together, and all the work you're doing!

    MB

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've recently been referred to you site and wow, what great opportunities you provide for the writing community. Thank you. I was wondering if the Baker's Dozen only occurs every two years - can't see one in 2013 - and are they always at the end of the year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Taryn -- thank you for reading the blog!

      The Baker's Dozen ran for 5 consecutive Decembers beginning in 2010. Sadly, I have retired the auction. However, I am replacing it with something new, which I will be announcing in the next month or so! So your best bet is to subscribe to the blog and keep your eyeballs on it. :))

      Delete
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