WHAT IS THE LA MANUSCRIPT MARKET?

The market showcases and premieres new, unique, diverse works of fiction and nonfiction in the manuscript stage (for fiction) or the proposal and sample stage (for nonfiction). The works chosen are unpublished but ready to be presented to agents, publishers, and others in the publishing industry. The Market’s main goal is to help writers find agents and publishers and want to help their work reach a wider audience. If an author’s work needs an agent, we hope they can find them here. If an author has an agent but the work needs a publisher, we hope that exposure occurs here. And if an author wishes to self-publish, we provide resources to make it happen. Whether works are sold at the market itself or connections are made that result in later relationships, the Market is a platform for exciting new writing to find an audience.

MISSION AND VALUES

The LA Manuscript Market’s mission is to expose exceptional work to the publishing industry and to facilitate it finding the widest audience possible. In service of this mission, we inspire and empower authors of outstanding, unpublished fiction and nonfiction by forging meaningful connections to members of the publishing industry and the public. We do this by curating a meetings-based forum that creates a pipeline of access to the publishing industry and reading communities. Through a rigorous selection process, author readings, personalized meetings between authors and members of the publishing industry, and pre- and post-event support for authors, we seek to nurture work that offers authentic, fascinating, challenging stories, explores new avenues of creativity, is inclusive of diverse experiences, and reveals truths about our shared humanity. We believe in supporting authors who have unique stories and knowledge to share, particularly those who may not otherwise have access to the publishing industry.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

A distinguished selection committee chooses a variety of projects, between 60 and 100. LA Manuscript Market staff then produce a catalog of the works, which is made available – along with excerpts/samples and manuscripts – to a targeted list of approximately 40 to 60 publishers and agents before the market. Based on these materials, publishers and agents then pre-select authors they would like to meet with during the market. During the days of the market, these prearranged meetings take place, with scheduling having been set beforehand by the market staff. Additional meetings may also be added during the market. Authors too will also have the opportunity to request meetings with services such as self-publishing and ebook platforms that can enable direct contact with audiences. Each author will perform a reading onstage as well. Special performance aspects such as music and visual projections are welcome at the readings. Nonfiction authors will have the opportunitity to present their work as a prepared talk or lecture. High-quality video recording of their reading will be available at the Market’s end. Panels, networking breakfasts and lunches, parties, and awards will round out the programming to create a uniquely powerful event that puts new, compelling work front and center for industry eyes and helps launch it into the world.

Lauren Wilson has served as a copy editor, copywriter, and film programmer in the realms of book publishing, film festivals, and entertainment advertising. She’s worked for organizations such as Penguin Random House, Library of America, the Paley Center for Media, Tribeca Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, Independent Filmmaker Project, 20th Century Fox, and Trailer Park. Hailing originally from North Carolina, she recently studied memoir writing at UCLA Extension, and has a BA in film studies from Yale and an MA in film and media studies from UC Santa Barbara. Find out more about Lauren here.