Make the Perfect Online Pitch

Searching for a publisher for your completed manuscript? Sign up for Perfect Online Pitch. This is your opportunity to pitch your (polished) manuscript to a leading New Zealand publisher and, if successful, to submit your full manuscript. All genres are accepted as long as the work is relevant to the specific genres each publisher is currently seeking.

Registration Opening Time

Registrations for Perfect Online Pitch will open from 3pm on Monday 5 August 2024 until midnight on Wednesday 7 August 2024 (or until limit is reached).

How will the Perfect Online Pitch work?

You will be allocated a 5-minute appointment, one-on-one, to pitch your completed work to your chosen publisher. This appointment will take place on Zoom on Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21 or Thursday 22 August 2024. Appointments will be available according to this schedule. Please see below for the list of publishers and pitching times.
Once booked in, we will add you to the pitching schedule for your chosen publisher and will email with Zoom meeting invitations and your individual appointment time one week before the event. If you do not receive this, please contact events@nzauthors.org.nz
At the time of your appointment, you will be admitted to the meeting ‘room’ and will then have five minutes of pitching time with the publisher.
Screensharing will not be permitted during the five minutes – the appointments are intended to be elevator pitches, not presentations.
The publishers will have a ‘matching’ sheet for all the authors they meet on the day. If you are a ‘match’, you will be invited to send your manuscript (or other requested information) to the publisher after the event. We request that this advice will be sent by the NZSA within a week of the event.
Once material is submitted to the publisher, we request they advise you whether they are interested in pursuing a relationship with you within six months of the pitch date.
Please do not request publisher feedback or contact details during your five minutes.

Before booking

Do your research on publishers. Ensure you understand what kind of manuscripts the attending representatives are seeking and ensure you are comfortable pitching your work to them.
Only book into a pitching slot if the representative is seeking the kind of material you intend to pitch, i.e., do not pitch a picture book to a publisher seeking non-fiction.
Your pitch must be for a completed manuscript, not an idea. If you are successful in your pitch, the publisher will request to read your completed manuscript.
If your manuscript is not complete or you are not comfortable in providing it at present, please continue working on your project and attend a POP at a later date when your work is completed.
Ensure you are ready and available to attend your appointments. We will not schedule follow-up sessions with publishers if you cannot attend.
Booking cancellations must be received by 16 August. We are unable to amend the pitching schedules after this time and you will appear as a no-show for your appointment. If you decide not to attend, please consider others on the waiting list and advise us with as much notice as possible.

Application process and rules

Applications will open from 3pm on Monday 5 August 2024 until midnight on Wednesday 7 August 2024 (or when the limit is reached).
Apply to your chosen publisher. One pitch per person per round of Perfect Online Pitch.
You must pay to confirm your entry. Payment must be made within 24 hours.
Once your entry has been submitted successfully, you will be emailed a copy of your entry. Please check your junk/spam folder if you don’t see the email.
There are limited places available with each publisher. We will accept applications by date of application assuming the form has been correctly filled in. If the booking for a publisher has closed, email events@nzauthors.org.nz to join the waitlist. (We will email you if a place becomes available.)
Once payment has been received, we will send you details about the pitching session.
Pitchers will be notified by Monday 12 August.
Pitching sessions will be held between Tuesday 20 August to Thursday 22 August.

Conditions

You must have:

A current NZSA Membership.
A completed, unpublished manuscript that can be provided (in full) to the publisher if requested.
A manuscript that matches the genre/readership that is being actively sought by the publisher.
Ability to use Zoom in a fast-paced environment (if you are a little rusty on Zoom or haven’t used it in a while, do a test run beforehand).
Paid the fee of $35 incl GST.
One pitch per person per round of Perfect Online Pitch.

Exclusions

Previously self-published or traditionally published work.
Any manuscript you have previously submitted to the selected publisher.

If you are uncertain about whether you are eligible or if it is appropriate to pitch, please contact us at events@nzauthors.org.nz before booking.

Any tips for pitching?

You have a maximum of five minutes face-to-face time. Be as succinct and to the point as possible. Be flexible, as publishers may have questions for you during the five minutes.
Successful applications will be provided with the ASA Selling Your Manuscript resource.

Publishers for Perfect Online Pitch August 2024

Tuesday 20 August, 10:00am – 11:00am (CLOSED – FULL)

Allen & Unwin

Rep: Michelle Hurley and Tess Nichol

Seeking: We’re after fiction excluding science fiction or horror, narrative non-fiction and lifestyle (gardening, food).

Tuesday 20 August, 1pm – 2pm (CLOSED – FULL)

Bateman Books

Rep: Louise Russell

Seeking:

Original, on-point, funny junior and middle-grade fiction;
Engaging YA fiction that reflects cultural diversity and/or tackles issues most critical for young people today, e.g. gender identity, climate change, online addiction or bullying/social media pressure;
Non-fiction for children of all ages that tackle relevant subjects, potentially tying in with new school curriculum;
High-quality crime, historical fiction, romance and speculative fiction.

Tuesday 20 August, 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Auckland University Press

Rep: Sam Elworthy

Seeking: Adult non-fiction manuscripts on te ao Māori; history; art; natural history; biography; music; culture. Writing in te reo Māori.

Wednesday 21 August, 9:30am – 10:30am

Landing Press

Rep: Adrienne Jansen

Seeking: Landing Press publishes accessible poetry that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. We have a strong focus on diversity. Not everything we publish reflects that diversity, but everything we publish is accessible.

Wednesday 21 August, 10:30am – 11:30am

Oratia

Rep: Carolyn Lagahetau

Seeking: Oratia invites submissions for our adult and children’s book lists. For our adult list we seek ideas in the genres of history, Māori, Pasifika and general non-fiction; for children we look for picture book manuscripts and non-fiction submissions for over fives. Have a look at our 2024 catalogue to see our complete list and visit our website to find out more about our books and learn the who, how and why we love to make books.

Wednesday 21 August, 12:30pm – 1:30pm (CLOSED – FULL)

Moa Press

Rep: Kate Stephenson

Seeking: I’m looking for excellent storytelling with an irresistible hook – something that I can easily pitch to readers in a couple of lines. I publish a broad range of fiction and non-fiction, and while you never know exactly what you’re looking for as a publisher, amongst other things, I’d love to find a literary novel with a high concept premise, a sweeping love story with a distinctive setting or twist on the genre, a fast-paced romantasy series, an unforgettable memoir, and a fascinating untold New Zealand non-fiction story.

Thursday 22 August, 9:30am – 10:30am (CLOSED – FULL)

OneTree House

Rep: Christine Dale

Seeking: Works that have been edited and prefer those that have worked with skilled manuscript assessors. Novels: either Junior Fiction or YA. Preferences for strong female characters and relevance to today’s readers. Junior fiction to be on topics of problem-solving, fitting in, social media and can be humorous or serious. YA fiction needs to be on topics that reflect diversity and tackles topics such as FOMO, first loves – not forever love, inclusion and acceptances, family dynamics, and overcoming adversity. We are also interested in crime-solving, whodunnits at this level. Picture books: No more than 900 words, preferably prose, featuring human characters rather than animals and topics that are dear to young hearts such as fairness, sibling rivalry, food, starting school or learning from other cultures.

Thursday 22 August, 10:30am – 11:30am (CLOSED – FULL)

Little Moa

Rep: Alison Shucksmith

Seeking: Little Moa is looking for stories that represent Aotearoa and Oceania. We want the kind of book that is found in the same space as kids play.

Thursday 22 August, 12:30pm – 2:30pm (CLOSED – FULL)

Penguin Random House

Rep: Grace Thomas

Seeking: We’re enthusiastically seeking literary and commercial fiction, and are also excited to hear from authors with unique non-fiction books for the general market in a wide range of genres, from memoir to creative non-fiction, Te Ao Māori, art and architecture, gardening, business and motivation. We have a special commitment to publishing new authors reflecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s diverse population. We’re not able to consider manuscripts from authors outside Aotearoa, unless they have a particular connection or relevance to this place.

Register for Perfect Online Pitch

Registrations for Perfect Online Pitch will open from 3pm on Monday 5 August 2024 until midnight on Wednesday 7 August 2024 (or until the limit is reached).