International travel support for publishers and literary agents

A grant of up to A$10,000
Applications for this grant must be received six (6) weeks prior to the project commencement date
Decisions will be advised within (6) weeks of receipt of their complete application
Funded projects can start from the specified project commencement date

Booked has finished for 2011/2012. The publishing sector will be advised when the 2012/2013 round is open

About the initiative

Purpose

Booked provides travel support for Australian publishers and literary agents to:

• promote Australian literary works and authors overseas and develop international demand for Australian literary works and authors
• sell international rights to Australian titles
• consolidate existing, and build new relationships with, international markets.

Given limited resources, priority is placed on the three major international book fairs:
Frankfurt, London and Bologna Book Fairs.

Funding will primarily be for the promotion of new titles by Australian authors. If you include a backlist title in your application, please provide a clear rationale for this decision.

Supported genres of fiction and non-fiction are the novel, short story, poetry, writing for children, the graphic novel and literary non-fiction (defined as biography, essays, histories, literary criticism or analytical prose). If a title submitted is not new, please include a rationale in your project outline.

Amount available

The maximum amount available per application is up to A$10,000 to support one (1) person.

It is expected the publisher or agent will contribute to the cost of international travel and must clearly identify this contribution in the budget.

Contact

Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their application with the relevant Australia Council team member. For further information, or to discuss your proposal, please contact:

Katie Harford
Program Officer, Market Development
Tel.: (02) 9215 9041 or Toll free: 1800 226 912
Email: k.harford@australiacouncil.gov.au

International travel support for publishers and literary agents

A grant of up to A$10,000
Applications for this grant must be received six (6) weeks prior to the project commencement date
Decisions will be advised within (6) weeks of receipt of their complete application
Funded projects can start from the specified project commencement date

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet the general eligibility requirements and any specific eligibility requirements provided for this grant.

The following sections outline the requirements specific to this grant.

Australian publishers and literary agents are eligible for travel support:

• be based in Australia, be an Australian citizen, or have permanent resident status in Australia. Proof may be required
• have at least three (3) years experience and professional skills appropriate to the activities.

Restrictions

Your list may contain more titles than the supported genres listed under the purpose of this grant. You may choose to list all titles or just the titles eligible for this grant.

Ineligible categories include:

• self-published titles
• educational books
• books that are primarily interviews
• local and oral history
• military studies
• instruction manuals
• how-to books including cook books and hobby books
• university theses
• bibliographies
• dictionaries
• encyclopedias,
• reference titles
• guide books
• catalogues
• self-help
• lifestyle
• scientific
• theological
• legal and medical works.

Applicants will be ineligible if they have any outstanding contractual obligations to the Australia Council prior to submitting a new application.

Eligible expenses

Applicants are eligible to apply for international travel, in-country travel and accommodation costs based on the following details:

• international economy airfare
• economy fares of in-country and country-to-country travel for meetings with key contacts
• accommodation to a maximum contribution of AU$250 per person per night.

Ineligible expenses

Costs for booths at international book fairs, freight, marketing materials, per diems, taxis and/or business class airfares are ineligible.

Selection criteria

You will be required to make a statement of claims against each of the three (3) assessment criteria below.

1. The extent to which travel will establish or consolidate international markets for the proposed authors and titles within your market development objectives

Please outline the intended outcomes from the proposed trip (max. 2 pages) i.e. details of proposed travel, indicating the book fair(s), and planned itinerary of meetings. The itinerary should include dates, location, as well as key contacts related to any meetings. Please include details on how the visit establishes or consolidates international markets for the authors and titles within your company’s international markets development objectives.

2. The quality of works proposed, and suitability of titles for an international readership

Please include a list of the Australian titles to which you hold overseas rights that will be promoted, outlining the quality of works proposed, and suitability of titles for an international readership.

3. The cost-effectiveness of the proposal

Please include a budget itemising the main costs of the trip, including resources contributed by the applicant/organisation and/or any other source of funding.

Selection process

An external panel of independent industry representatives will assess the proposals according to the selection criteria above. The panel may also choose to discuss projects with some applicants during the assessment process. The outcomes will be published as a Grant Assessment Report.

Please note, you are not guaranteed funding even if your application meets the assessment criteria. Support ultimately rests on the merits of your proposal against the assessment criteria in competition with other applicants and available resources.

International travel support for publishers and literary agents

A grant of up to A$10,000
Applications for this grant must be received six (6) weeks prior to the project commencement date
Decisions will be advised within (6) weeks of receipt of their complete application
Funded projects can start from the specified project commencement date

How to apply

To apply for up to A$10,000 (excluding GST) you will need to complete an online application form - click on 'apply online' tab.

You will be required to submit:

• A statement of claims against each of the three (3) assessment criteria listed on the Eligibility and Selection tab.

Complete applications must be received at least six (6) weeks prior to the project start date to ensure confirmation of support prior to departure. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application at least twelve (12) weeks before the project start date to allow for alternate arrangements to be made should your application not be successful.

Applications will not be returned to the applicant. 

Applications that are incomplete or do not contain all of the required materials will not be considered. Applicants will not be contacted if applications are incomplete.

Application checklist

We encourage you to use this handy checklist to help them prepare and submit their application. You should:

1. read the Funding Guide for 2012, in particular the general eligibility requirements, the information on making an application and the information on how your application will be assessed;
2. read all of the information provided for this grant (across all the tabs above);
3. get in contact with the grant contact person to discuss your application;
4. prepare you application, being mindful that you address all of the eligibility and selection criteria for this grant; and
5. submit your application form online using the 'Apply online' button in the right-hand column.