The 2013 Baker's Dozen: Submission Guidelines and Everything Else!

14 agents are ready to outbid each other in the 4th 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 29: Submissions for adult fiction (all genres except erotica), 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (100 max)

October 31: Submissions for adult fiction (all genres except erotica) , 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (100 max)

(See specific genres listed below.)

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

November 7:  Submissions for YA/MG fiction (all genres), 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (150 max)

November 15: 25 winning entries in adult category notified via email

November 22: 35 winning entries in YA/MG category notified via email

Friday, November 29: 60 winning entries posted on blog

Tuesday, December 3: auction is LIVE at 11:00 AM EDT (agents will place bids)

December 4:  auction closes

December 5:  winners announced

SPECIFIC ADULT GENRES REQUESTED BY AGENTS

Contemporary Women's
Fantasy: Contemporary
Fantasy: Dark
Fantasy: Epic/High
Foreign
Historical
Horror
Humor
Literary
Magical Realism
Mystery (including Cozy)
Paranormal
Romance
Science Fiction (all)
Speculative
Suspense
Thriller
Upmarket Commercial

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 an $10 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), though it's certainly easier when you do have an account.
• 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 29, 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 29, but bidding will not begin until 11:00 AM EDT on December 3.  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 (December 4).

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.