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 2026-27 Writer-in-Residence Amanda Leduc.

• 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 and fantasy and anything in between 
  • Excluding fan-fiction 
• Non-fiction 
  • All forms, including memoir, personal essays and investigative journalism 
• Writing for Children 
  • Writing for all age groups, including picture books, middle-grade and YA 
• Poetry and Screenplays 
  • Amanda is happy to look at your poetry and/or screenplay or stage script. However, she would like to note that she does not write extensively in these genres and it is not an area of expertise.  

Length and formatting

• Fiction, non-fiction, middle grade and YA:
  • No more than 2500 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

• While Amanda is happy to review poetry, children’s literature, and screenplays and provide her overall impression of the work, she is not an expert in any of these genres and will not be able to provide in-depth editorial analysis of these projects as a result.  

Lead time

• Please note once your manuscript excerpt is submitted, Amanda 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 Amanda’s full written response, if you wish to further consult with Amanda about your work based on her feedback please contact us at cdwp@ucalgary.ca to book a follow-up online consultation appointment. Due to limited office hours, in-person appointments are reserved for UCalgary faculty, staff and students.  

Consultation details

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

Office hours

• TBD

Consultation format: Online & In-person (faculty, staff & students)

• 45-minute one-on-one consultations 
• 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.