Appointment Types

Explanation of Appointments at Realm Makers

At the annual Realm Makers conference, authors have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with editors, agents, and mentors, whether you attend the conference online or in-person. But what kind of appointment should you choose? Read on for an explanation of the appointment types and who they serve best.

Pitch Appointments

Every registrant has the option to select a pitch appointment at the time of registration! Pitch Appointments are opportunities to convince a publishing house representative to acquire your manuscript or to interest a literary agent in representing you.

*Please note, most professionals taking pitches are in-person only, and a few are also taking virtual appointments. Please check carefully when sign-up time arrives to make sure you can meet with the person you are selecting. (For example, online attendees can’t meet with in-person only editors/agents. Having the most diverse options for appointments is one of the advantages of attending in-person.)

Also DO YOUR RESEARCH. We will make every effort to include our participating editors’ and agents’ editorial needs on our website, but it’s always wise to visit their websites directly to search for submissions requirements.

  • Who are these appointments for?

    Authors who have a completed, polished manuscript that is ready for professional eyes to consider for publication or representation.

  • How long are the appointments?

    15 minutes

  • When do I sign up?

    Pitch appointments are available at the time you register for the conference, so they are first-come/first-served. The most sought-after agents’ and editors’ schedules fill up quickly, so don’t procrastinate at registration time if you are planning on “shopping” your manuscripts. If there are appointments open in June, after the bulk of our registrants have signed up, Realm Makers may allow an additional round of sign ups.

Mentor Appointments

Every registrant has the option to select a mentor appointment at registration time. These are opportunities to sit down with a seasoned professional—some mentors will be authors, others will be editors, agents or other industry-related experts. These appointments are great if you want to pick someone’s brain who has more experience than you in the world of writing, or a specific area of expertise you need help with.

These appointments work best if you come with a handful of specific questions to ask your mentor of choice. They are not long enough for you to ask the mentor to read your work and give feedback. If this is what you’re looking for, consider a paid critique (info below.)

  • Who are these appointments for?

    Authors who are at any stage of their writing journey can benefit from mentoring appointments

  • How long are the appointments?

    15 minutes

  • When do I sign up?

    Mentor appointments will be available when you register, and each registrant may opt to choose one mentor at that time. The most sought-after mentors’ schedules fill up quickly, so don’t procrastinate at registration time if there’s a mentor in the list you REALLY want to speak with. If mentor appointments are still open in June, we may allow another round of appointment selection.

Paid Critiques

You can purchase paid critiques for $30 each. You will book and pay for these appointments in our appointment calendar system. These appointments are a chance for you to send the first ten pages of your current manuscript to a professional who will comb through it, make comments, and tell you what is working well in your writing as well as where you can improve. You receive an appointment during the conference with your critiquer to discuss their feedback

  • Who are these appointments for?

    Authors who are at any stage of their writing journey can benefit from paid critique

  • How long are the appointments?

    30 minutes

  • When do I sign up?

    You must purchase paid critiques in the appointments booking system. Links will be provided to that system in your confirmation email you receive when you conference registration is complete.

Important Information about Paid Critiques

April 30th is the deadline to purchase a paid critique.

May 23rd is the deadline to send their pages in to our critique coordinator, Lisa. You will receive exact instructions after booking.

Some of our critique feedback appointments will be handled online, outside of the conference dates. If that is the case for you, we will email instructions on how to participate in that meeting with your critiquer.