Manuscript consultations

Manuscript consultations with our Canadian Writer-in-Residence are free and open to the public.

Writers from across Canada are welcome to submit; however, priority is given to writers located in the Calgary area.

We welcome submissions of work at any stage. A manuscript is required. 

You can request a consultation in order to:

• receive guidance and edits on your written work,
• discuss your ideas, or
• receive advice pertaining to writing and publishing in Canada.

How to submit your manuscript

Please fill out the form below to submit your manuscript to 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence Tracy Dawson.

• Due to high demand for consultations with our writers-in-residence, you are entitled to one individual consultation per academic year.

Manuscript specifications

Genre

• Fiction
  • All sub-genres from literary fiction to sci-fi fantasy, and anything in between
  • Excluding fan-fiction
• Non-fiction
  • All forms, including memoir, personal essays and investigative journalism
• Screenplay and Teleplay
  • All genres of screenplay: feature film, short film, episodic television
• Writing for children
  • Writing for all age groups, including picture books, middle-grade and YA

Tracy is happy to review submissions of children's lit, but would like to emphasize that she not an expert in this genre.

Length and formatting

• Fiction, non-fiction, middle grade and YA:
  • No more than 3000 words.
• Screenplay & Teleplay:
  • No more than 8 pages.
• Early reader chapter books or picture books
  • No more than 1500 words.
• Please submit your prose pages double-spaced pages in 12-point font with standard margins. Script pages should be in standard screenplay formatting in 12-point font.

Restrictions

• Tracy does not accept poetry, as she is not an expert on the genre, and does not write within it.

Lead time

• Please note once your manuscript excerpt is submitted, Tracy will read and review the manuscript and then provide a full written response.
• Please allow a minimum of two weeks, dependent on request volume.
• After you have received Tracy's full written response, if you wish to further consult with Tracy about your work based on her feedback please contact us at cdwp@ucalgary.ca to book a follow-up online consultation appointment. 

Consultation details

For those who would like to meet with Tracy following receipt of her feedback.

Office hours

• TBD

Consultation format: Online & In-person

One-on-one consultations are available via Zoom. 

• Due to high demand for consultations with our writers-in-residence, you are entitled to one individual consultation per academic year.

Accessibility

Zoom’s auto-captions are enabled. You are welcome to retain a copy of the live transcript.

Digital security and online safety

Zoom meetings will not be video recorded and will remain private. We ask that you extend the same courtesy and refrain from taking audio recordings, screen shots, or video recordings during consultations. 

Content advisory

We work to create a safe and supportive environment for all voices and do not accept submissions that contain racist, xenophobic, misogynist, and/or homophobic content.

The Calgary Distinguished Writers Program retains the right to decline a consultation request at its discretion.