Publishing and promotion - literature

Publishing and promotion grants support activities that foster greater awareness and appreciation of Australian creative writing.

Closing date: 15 March 2008
Decisions advised: July 2008
Projects may start: 10 August 2008

and

Closing date: 1 October 2008
Decisions advised: December 2008
Projects may start: 1 January 2009

About this category

Publishing and promotion grants are designed to improve the vitality and viability of the Australian literature sector by supporting activities, which foster greater awareness and appreciation of outstanding Australian creative writing. In previous years, this category was known as presentation and promotion.

Proposals must focus on multi-state, national or overseas literary publishing and/or promotional activities.

Applications will be accepted in the following genres only:

• Fiction
• Literary non-fiction (defined by the board as autobiography, biography, essays, histories, literary criticism or analytical prose)
• Children’s literature
• Poetry
• Writing for performance or new media.

Who is eligible to apply?

This category is open to Australian and international organisations only. To be eligible, you must meet the general eligibility requirements.

Australian applicants

From Australian organisations the literature board will accept applications requesting assistance with expenses relating to the participation of Australian writers at literary festivals and conferences and other promotional activities, excluding individual promotional author tours.

Such activities must satisfy the literature board’s definition of ‘multi-state’; that is they must include Australian creative writers from more than one state or territory and/or occur in more than one state or territory.

Australian publishers registered with the literature board are eligible to apply for assistance to publish up to seven eligible titles between 30 September 2008 and 31 December 2009. Publishing subsidies of $4000 per title are available for new works in eligible genres (except poetry and playscripts) by living Australian writers and for anthologies of Australian literature. Publishers may also apply for subsidies of $2000 per title for playscripts and $2500 per title for poetry (including selected and collected editions). Titles must have national distribution, ie, they are distributed in every state and territory.

Australian publishers are also eligible to apply for publishing subsidies of up to $4000 per title to reprint classic literary works by living or deceased Australian authors.

Publishers must print at least 1000 copies of a work of fiction or non-fiction, and 250 copies of a playscript or work of poetry. Publishers are not eligible to apply for assistance to fund publication of their own written work.

Applications from Australian book publishers will only be accepted for the 15 March 2008 closing date.

To register with the literature board, publishers must be legally constituted as an organisation, have previously published at least five titles (not necessarily literary), at least two of which must have been published in the two years prior to application. Publishers must also have works commercially available for sale with effective national promotion and distribution systems. Publishers who receive payment from writers to publish their works are not eligible for registration.

Australian publishers may apply to the Languages other than English (LOTE) publishing initiative for support to translate and publish work by living Australian writers who write in languages other than English.

Australian literary magazines are eligible to apply for funding towards writers’ fees and production costs of the magazine for one year providing they publish at least two issues per year, have a minimum circulation of 500 subscribers/copies sold per issue or 10,000 copies per issue distributed free of charge or 1000 unique page views per month for online magazines, distribute nationally, and are devoted predominantly to the publication and/or critical appraisal of Australian creative writing.

Applications from magazine publishers will only be accepted for the 1 October 2008 closing date.

Australian magazines that have received funding from the literature board for at least three of the past five years under the presentation and promotion (or publishing and promotion) category are eligible to apply to the program grants category.

New Australian literary magazines with no more than two issues published at the time of application may apply for foundation grants. These magazines must be devoted predominantly to the publication and/or critical appraisal of Australian creative writing. Foundation grants are for one to two years or for a specified number of issues.

Overseas applicants

For international activities, the literature board will accept applications from overseas organisations requesting assistance with expenses relating to the participation of Australian writers in literary festivals and conferences and other promotional activities. The board encourages applications involving a program of promotional activities by Australian writers rather than a single event. The Board does not assist with the costs of writers travelling overseas to attend academic conferences.

Overseas book and magazine publishers may apply for assistance to publish overseas editions of the work of living Australian writers in eligible genres; works of cultural significance which are substantially by or about living Australian writers; or issues of magazines devoted to Australian creative writing. Publishers in languages other than English may apply for up to $10,000 per title towards writers’ and translators’ fees and/or publication costs.

Publishers in English may apply for up to $4000 per title towards writers’ fees and/or publication costs. The Board encourages applications from overseas publishers who are establishing an Australian list. More than one title may be included within the same application. Please note that monetary amounts are in Australian dollars.

Applications from overseas applicants will be accepted for the 15 March and 1 October closing dates.

What are the selection criteria?

Applications must demonstrate:

• Literary merit, including the writers and translators involved, and the potential to expand the readership of Australian literature nationally and/or internationally
• Evidence of the organisation’s thorough planning and ability to carry out the proposal to a high standard.

What should you submit?

You must submit the required support material in addition to the application form.

Important information

Australian book publishers may only apply to the 15 March 2008 closing date. Australian magazine publishers may only apply to the 1 October 2008 closing date. Overseas applicants may apply to both dates.