The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has launched a digital marketplace, showcasing and selling the work of writers to publishers, agents, and literary scouts throughout the world.
According to the ASA, the International Marketplace is a closed online forum for publishing professionals, to purchase rights or offer representation to authors with either published works with unsold territories or completed manuscripts with all rights available. The program will act as a gateway, allowing authors to negotiate their sales directly. If a publisher, scout or agent is interested in an author’s work, they email the ASA and they will connect them directly to the author or illustrator.
The pilot program, which launched on July, 19, focuses on adult fiction, poetry, and short stories.Three children's and young adult categories are planned to open next January or February, followed by nonfiction and biography in April. Other categories will go online later in 2018, the ASA said.
The marketplace has so far had over 150 author entries. The platform offers publishing professionals exclusive access to browse an author’s biography, synopsis of each entry and first ten pages of their work. All authors must have a completed manuscript as a condition of entry.
