October seems to be a huge month for aspiring authors, so I thought I’d compile a list of events to check out and participate in. If you’re an aspiring children’s and young adult literature author, and are not agented yet, this post is for you.

PBCritiqueFest (October 17-31st)

Want to win a picture book manuscript critique? Well, this event gives you 31 chances to win. Register for the event and sign up for the newsletter. Promote the event and its participants for additional entries. If you win, you’ll get a critique from an author, author-illustrator, or literary agent.

Tip: Take a look at the participant list before heading to the registration form. The form asks for your top 3 choices in each participant category and your top choice overall. So have that information ready to go. You also have to provide info about the manuscript you want critiqued. So have that one chosen beforehand, as well.

Winners Announced: November 6th

More Info: Event website

DVPit (October 25-26th)

During this event, “unagented, marginalized voices that have been historically underrepresented in publishing” can pitch their manuscript(s). October 25th focuses on children’s and young adult literature; October 26th focuses on adult literature.

Make sure to read the requirements for the pitch party carefully. For example, you can only tweet one pitch per hour, and you can pitch the same manuscript up to six times. If you are new to pitch parties, I have a post about what they are and how I prep for them.

Time: 8 AM – 8 PM EDT

PBPitch (October 28th)

A pitch party specifically for aspiring picture book authors. This party is much more strict than DVPit, as you can only pitch a manuscript once in the morning and once in the afternoon (after 2 PM, specifically). You can pitch more than one manuscript, but each can only be pitched twice. This event also recommends commenting on each others’ posts for support, rather than retweeting pitches and cluttering up the hashtag. Here are all the requirements.

Time: 8 AM – 8 PM EDT

Bonus: Cardinal Rule Press Open Submissions Period Closes (November 1st)

If you’ve been considering submitting a picture book manuscript to CRP, but don’t have an agent, now’s the time to submit. The submission period closes on November 1st and won’t open again until January 1st. Make sure to do your research before submitting.

More Info