Six months may SEEM like a long time, but...we'll blink and it'll be September, right?
So for those of you who are already counting the days, and for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I give you THE 2013 BAKER'S DOZEN EARLIEST INFO EVER!
SUBMISSION DATES:
October 29 and 31 -- Adult fiction (all genres except erotica and erotic romance)*
November 5 and 7 -- Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction (all genres)
THE ACTUAL AUCTION DATE: December 3
Now, there will be lots of other dates nestled in there as well, such as our logline critique rounds (3 of them), winner notification dates, and so on. But the above dates are THE BIG ONES. So mark your calendars!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION IS:
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.
(Well, it deserved a bigger font, right?)
Here's the thing: Though participation was comparable last year (as in, actual number of entrants), our audience on the actual day of the auction was slightly smaller than the previous year. I COULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR THIS.
So do this, if you will: Take a moment to share this link on your blog. Or swipe the info and include a link back here. If we're going to do this thing, we want people to KNOW, right? The bidding is always fast and furious (I seriously have to clear my calendar that morning); too much fun to risk missing.
If you're new to the Baker's Dozen, you can learn more by perusing past contests. Just click on the "Baker's Dozen" tag in the archives (on the side bar).
Oh, and now's your chance to ask questions and get generally chatty in the comment box. No question is too stupid (well, unless 5 people have already asked the same thing, in which case it's a matter of YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION), so ask away.
* I've been asked about the inclusion of NA fiction. Please know that the genres represented reflect the tastes of the agents who agree to participate. If there is a fair showing of agents who accept NA, I will include it with the adult submissions (because NA is not children's literature).
Okay here's my stupid question:
ReplyDeleteHow many entries will be chosen per genre group? Does it vary on how many you get or is there a set #?
How exciting! It may be six months away, but I, for one, am definitely looking forward to the fun. Thanks for another fantastic opportunity for writers! :)
ReplyDeleteThere will be 25 adult entries and 35 YA/MG entries chosen. Jodi and I will accept a maximum of 200 adult entries and 300 YA/MG entries. (Because if we don't cap it, we'll die. I think.)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Btw, I totally misread the part where it says 60 250 word entries (read as 60-250 word entries). So that really was a stupid question but the breakdown was helpful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the early warning, I will do my best to be around for it!
ReplyDeleteMy stupid question:
ReplyDeleteAre these like the Secret Agent contests, where we submit the first 250 words of our manuscript? Or is it a 250-word pitch? What, exactly, will we be submitting?
Thanks for the dates and for running it. Can't wait to see it unfold this year.
ReplyDeleteI CAN'T WAIT!!
ReplyDeleteAnd also, i really can't wait for the logline crit sessions, because i need all the help i can get with loglines
charlotteashley --
ReplyDeleteThe entries will consist of a 1- to 2-sentence logline, followed by the first 250 words of the manuscript.
There is an entry fee, right?
ReplyDeleteCorrect. There is a $10 entry fee.
ReplyDeleteSo excited that my MG manuscript will be complete by then! *marking on calendar with glee*
ReplyDeleteEven if mine doesn't make it in, I look forward to critiquing and lurking!
Thanks so much for the early info. I'll be ready to submit by then!
ReplyDeleteNew to MSNV, so here's my "stupid" question. What's a logline?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the early info...I tweeted and posted on Facebook. :)
ReplyDeleteI actually made it my goal to get my recently completed MS edited in time for the Baker's Dozen contest. The contest at the end of 2013 if I'm lucky, and then querying will being in 2014.
ReplyDeleteHere's my question: You say the original contest had 13 agent judges, but that seems to imply subsequent contests have not. How many Baker's Dozen contests have there been, and how many judges have there been in past years?
And a huge THANK-YOU for hosting this. I'm excited already.
Betsy -- Follow the links on loglines here:
ReplyDeletehttp://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2012/09/our-third-annual-bakers-dozen-agent.html
Anonymous -- I think we had 16 last year...? Anyway, you can find the old contest posts in the archives and see the line-ups from the last 3 years.
Here is my question: one entry per author? Or can you have multiple submissions?
ReplyDeleteOne entry per author per category. Which means you may enter 1 excerpt in the adult round and 1 excerpt in the YA/MG round. (Most writers write one or the other, obviously.)
ReplyDeleteSounds great. I've linked this contest to my blog, and Tweeted it!
ReplyDeleteI'm one of the many counting the days. Thanks for the early info. I'll spread the word.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteQ: if your first 250 words include a flashback to a rape, but doesn't have any detail, just the emotional reaction of the flashback (the flashback showing only where and when it happened), would that be too much for this audience? My genre is Upmarket Women's Fiction, but the first 250 words is rough, emotionally speaking. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads' up! It's the perfect kick in the ass I need to be ready this year:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Authoress, I will try to get my act together soon enough to submit either my MG horsey novel or my YA thriller. Looking forward to it. But I do have to ask what NA fiction stands for? New Adult?
ReplyDeleteAlso, may I post a link on the Carteret Writers website? I'm Prez at the moment. www.carteretwriters.org Sarah
Hi, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteYes, NA = New Adult.
And yes, by all means, please do post a link! :)
Hi, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteYes, NA = New Adult.
And yes, by all means, please do post! :)
linked on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsay.kitson
ReplyDeleteSo my dumb question is how do you make the submissions? Will there be a form on the site to enter one and pay the fee on the dates for submissions - in my case October 29 and 31 for adult fiction?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sammy --
ReplyDeleteWe have a web form for all submissions. Full submission instructions for the BD will be posted this week! :)
Last year we were able to submit 1 MG ms and 1 YA ms. Are the rules the same this year?
ReplyDeleteCan you post less than 250 words?
ReplyDelete