This will be our FIFTH BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION (and probably our last)! Here's everything you need to know for now:
SUBMISSION DATES:
October 28 and 30 -- Adult fiction (all genres except erotica and erotic romance)
November 4 and 6 -- Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction (all genres)
THE ACTUAL AUCTION DATE: December 2
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.
There is a $15 entry fee. (Note: this is an increase from the last couple of years.) Please understand that this is the only MSFV event with an entry fee--because it is, hands down, the most time-intensive to plan, set up, and run.
Amazingly, we've got 19 AGENTS SIGNED UP for this year's auction! This is an all-time record, and assures us of a high level of professional competitiveness and behind-the-scenes trash talking (my favorite part). Hooray for excited agents!
Spread the word! Take a moment to share this link on your blog. Or swipe the info and include a link back here. 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.
Oh, and if you're asking about NA? So far, at least one of our participating agents is accepting it, so all NA authors are invited to submit to the ADULT ROUND, with NA included in your genre designation.
Okay, not that this is relevant to the rules on submitting, but I am curious, why is the "probably the last" one?
ReplyDeleteYou know how networks sometimes run sitcoms too long--beyond their prime? They go out with a fizzle instead of a bang.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to keep running this contest until it loses its sparkle. There are other opportunities all over the web to rise up and take its place. :)
Thanks for running this contest yet again, Authoress (including everything else you do)!
ReplyDeleteMy question: Would it be not a very good idea to enter the contest with a YA dystopian because of market saturation? I know agents are shying away from it in general, and I imagine that would impact your and Jodi's choices, too.
That's a hard question, Chris, and one that's near to my heart, since Dystopian is my favorite genre to write.
ReplyDeleteI will throw this out to the agents and get back to you!
Cool - thanks so much, Authoress!
ReplyDeleteHello - I'm a newcomer here and I would love to get involved with this!
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter if the manuscript is already self-published?
Hi, Bill!
ReplyDeleteGood question! And yes, it does matter, as many agents will not want to take something on that's already been out there. Unless, of course, it has sold phenomenally and shows potential for pick-up by a traditional house.
The best bet for this auction is to submit a completed, polished, unpublished, unagented work.
WOOO!! BD!! One of my favorite times of year!
ReplyDeleteBut, of course, no entering for me anymore (for good reasons of course). I do have to say that i'm so happy that i was finally able to make it into a BD contest last year before i landed my agent and stuff.
Off to cross post on my writer forum!
Here's an ethics question: If you are currently submitted to an agent for consideration (at their request), is it bad form to enter the BD?
ReplyDeleteAnother good question!
ReplyDeleteIt is not bad form. Reason? It is widely accepted that authors are querying multiple agents. Entering a contest in which agents will be reading your material is similar to the querying process. The only thing that would make it NOT kosher to enter would be if you had an exclusive submission with someone. (But I frown upon exclusives, and do hope you haven't given anyone one of those!)
oooo! another noobie question! If, hypothetically, I had an adult MS and a YA MS completed and ready to rock, could I enter both rounds?
ReplyDeleteHi, makelifememorable!
ReplyDeleteYes, you may enter 1 manuscript in each round. (The full contest rules will be posted soon.)
I am also a newbie and very exciting about this competition! Do you have any advice on the 250 word submission? What to do and what not to do?
ReplyDeleteWell, looking at my previous comment (with the typo "exciting"), I expect your first advice would be to proofread!
ReplyDelete