Agent & Editor Consults
consult lottery closes 6:00 pm mst, february 9, 2024
Announcement of the lottery winners will be on february 15, 2024
VITAL DETAILS
- Please do your research prior to adding agents or editors to your conference cart. These will be chosen via lottery and we will not be giving refunds if you get an agent or editor who does not represent what you write, or if you change your mind.
- Attendees are allowed only ONE consultation unless otherwise authorized by the conference chairs. Intentional violation of this policy will result in a warning, and the additional sessions will be deleted from the account and will not be refunded. Further violations may result in the loss of consultation privileges.
- Consultations are non-refundable.
- If you can no longer make your consultation, please let us know so we can give your spot to the next person on the waiting list. Remember, there are no refunds for consult sessions.
- In case of a virtual conference, you will receive an email one week before the conference with your Zoom meeting ID and time.
- If you have a scheduling conflict that cannot be moved, let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate.
- This is not a pitch. It is a critique session. There is no need to prepare a memorized pitch, and please do not as it wastes the time the agent/editor spent reading your sample.
INSTRUCTIONS
Query and First Page Consults
These consults are 10 minutes long and cost $40.00, which is non-refundable.
Please prepare your query and first page of your manuscript and submit it via a Google Form link that will be sent in the beginning of March.
All query and first page submissions are due March 15th, 2024 by 10:00pm MST.
Please follow query and first page formatting guidelines below.
Manuscript Consults
Manuscript consults are 15 minutes long and cost $55.00, which is non-refundable.
Please prepare your query letter and the first 10 pages of your manuscript and submit via a Google Form link that will be sent in the beginning of March. Submit them in one document by March 15th, 2024 by 10:00pm MST.
Please follow the manuscript formatting guidelines below.
Consult lottery closes 6:00 PM MST, February 9, 2024
Announcement of the lottery winners will be on February 15, 2024.
Due to the high demand and limited supply, we use a lottery system for assigning consultation sessions. All attendees who register for a consultation during the lottery period will be pooled together, and then openings will be assigned through a random selection process.
BE AWARE: If you are chosen for a spot, you will be notified by email (the one you registered with) and given 48 hours to pay the additional fee. If you decline or neglect to pay, you will lose your slot and it will be given to another.
You will be notified by February 15th, 2024 if you received a spot. Those who do not receive a spot will be automatically placed on a waiting list and notified in the event of an opening.
Sign Up Steps
- Register for the Storymakers Conference. Check out to complete your registration.
- AFTER REGISTRATION IS COMPLETE, you will be given the option to select up to three (3) query or manuscript critique options in your order of preference. The cost is zero at this time. You will only pay for a critique session if your name is chosen from the lottery.
- Although you may select up to three (3) query or manuscript critique options, it’s important to note that you will only be eligible for one (1) critique session with an agent or editor, so research your options well and choose wisely. Please only choose agents or editors you would be happy working with, as we cannot switch your registration after the lottery has opened.
- You may want to pick a mix of manuscript and query critique sessions, as there are fewer manuscript critiques available, thus they will be harder to get into.
- Those whose names have been drawn will be notified by February 15th, 2024.
- If you are notified that you have received a critique session, you will be sent an email with instructions on how to pay within 48 hours. NOTE: If you do not pay in the 48-hour window, your spot will be given to the next person on the waiting list.
- Attendees will be choosing their own times for consultations using Sign Up Genius. Two weeks before the conference, you will receive an email notifying you that we’ve opened the sign ups. These will be first come, first served, and you are responsible for managing your schedule. You may have to miss parts of classes or intensives. See the Consultation Time Sign Up Instructions section for more details.
Manuscript Formatting Guidelines
- Submit the first ten (10) pages of your manuscript, double-spaced
- 12-point, Times New Roman font
- One-inch margins
- Include the title of your book, your full name, and the genre of your book on a title page or on top of the first page. The title page does not count toward your ten (10) pages.
- Save the document with your last name and book title.
- Include a brief query letter on the cover page. While it won’t be critiqued, it gives the agents the necessary context for the pages they are about to read.
Query and First Page Formatting Guidelines
- Authors will need to submit a polished copy of the query letter to the critique session.
- While the query letter may be single spaced, it should not be more than one page.
- The first page of your manuscript needs to be double spaced, with one-inch margins, and 12-point Times New Roman font.
Consultation Time Sign Up Instructions
Attendees will sign up for their own consultation session time through Sign-Up Genius.
The conference committee will no longer be assigning sessions.
How It Works
- Attendees will use Sign Up Genius to sign up for their consultation time.
- Times are first come, first served. You MAY NOT put your name on more than one time slot to save them for yourself or for others.
- Attendees can only sign up themselves, not other people.
- Sign ups will open one to two weeks before the conference, so you will have plenty of time to figure out your schedule. We will notify you via email when sign ups will open.
- Yes, we understand that the ideal time slot may not be available. It is up to you to decide what breakouts/intensives you can miss part of.
- If you have an unavoidable conflict (for example, you are attending only one day and there are no available openings for that day), please contact us.
- We will not be sending out reminder emails or including reminders on name badges. YOU are responsible for keeping track of your own consultation time. If you forget, we’re sorry. There is no guarantee the agent/editor will be able to fit you in some other time.
- If you sign up for a slot, without having received one through the conference, your agent/editor consultation privileges will be revoked.
AGENT & EDITOR CONSULTS FAQ
What happens if I don’t win an agent/editor slot in the lottery?
If you don’t win the lottery, your name will be put on a waitlist in case of openings (as people cancel or change their minds). In the (unlikely) event that an agent or editor’s critique sessions don’t fill, they will be offered to other attendees after the lottery period.
Can I have more than one session with an agent?
No. As stated above, only one session per attendee. The only exceptions to this are – 1) giveaways or 2) if we still have open sessions in the final couple of weeks before conference, we MAY open up for people to have dual sessions.
Attendees are allowed only ONE agent/editor consultation unless otherwise authorized by the conference chairs. Intentional violation of this policy will result in a warning, the additional sessions will be deleted from the account and will not be refunded. Further violations may result in the loss of pitch consultation privileges.
How can I prepare for my critique session?
- Submit the best possible work: have beta readers give you feedback and revise and polish before submitting/appearing at the session. Make sure that the work fits the agent/editors wish list.
- Arrive a few minutes early to your appointment (we suggest 10 minutes). It’s better to take the time to catch your breath and steady your nerves before you’re in the spotlight.
- Dress professionally.
- Take your time. Settle in, set down your bag, introduce yourself, take a deep breath.
- If you are doing a query critique, give the agent your query.
- Come prepared with questions (about your query, the manuscript idea, the market, etc.) in case you have extra time at the end of the session.
- Please do not bring extra materials (sample chapters, etc.) to give to the agent/editor. Each agent/editor is seeing about 25 people so it would be a lot of paper for him/her to haul back on the plane. The agent/editor will also give you additional instructions if needed.
Can I get a refund if I can’t make my critique session?
No.
What if I can’t get a session with the agent/editor of my choice?
You are able to make up to three (3) selections for the lottery. Please choose agents/editors who you would like to work with. If you don’t get a consultation with your first choice, consider submitting to them after the conference. Many visiting agents and editors accept queries from conference attendees. Instructions will be sent out after the conference for those who do.
When will I find out the time for my critique session?
Attendees will sign up for their own consultation times before the conference on a first come, first served basis. It is up to each attendee to manage their own schedule and choose the best of available times.
Can I transfer my consult?
No. If you can’t make it to your consultation, please contact one of the agent/editor co-chairs to let them know that you cannot make your session. They will then offer that spot to someone on the waiting list. It’s not fair to people on the waiting list if sessions are offered to other authors.