Publishing and Promotion - Literature (October 2010)

Closing date: 30 March 2010
Decisions advised: July 2010
Projects may start: 10 August 2010

and

Closing date: 1 October 2010
Decisions advised: December 2010
Projects may start: 1 January 2011

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

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 (theatre, radio)
• Writing for new media (defined by the board as original works of a literary nature for delivery predominantly via computer, mobile phone or similar device)
• Multiple and hybrid genre projects are accepted.

Works for new media will be accepted where projects display either a poetic aesthetic, a narrative structure, a developed fictive world or a sustained analysis of events of a non-fiction nature, in line with the board’s definition of literary non-fiction. Works may include audience participation, user-generated content, and/or game-play, but must have a clear and consistent story world.

Please note

The literature board does not assist in the creation of film and television scripts; textbooks and other works created for primary, secondary and tertiary educational purposes; newsletters; books which are primarily works of interviews; local and oral histories; military studies; instruction manuals; how-to books; academic theses or course work (including course work in creative writing); bibliographies; dictionaries; encyclopaedias; professional reference titles; guide books; catalogues; self-help, lifestyle and hobby books; or works of physical or natural sciences, theology, psychology, cooking, medicine or law.

In the case of new media applications, the literature board does not support works intended for delivery predominantly via cinema or television screen or works intended as marketing support for another work.

Funding for the production of new media works is not provided.

Australian book publishers may only apply to the 30 March 2010 closing date. Australian magazine publishers may only apply to the 1 October 2010 closing date. Overseas applicants may apply to both dates.

This category is open to Australian and international organisations only. You must meet the general eligibility requirements.

Australian book publishers

Applications from Australian book publishers will only be accepted for the 30 March 2009 closing date.

Australian publishers registered with the Literature Board are eligible to apply for assistance to publish up to seven eligible titles between 30 September 2010 and 31 December 2011.

Publishing subsidies of $5,000 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 $2,500 per title for playscripts and $3,000 per title for poetry (including selected and collected editions). Titles must have national distribution, ie, they are distributed in every state and territory.

For one of these seven eligible titles, Australian publishers can apply for a Commission grant of up to $5,000. This subsidy is to go straight to the writer (from the publisher) as an up-front fee to complement the publisher’s advance on royalties. Publishers will have to match the level of the Commission grant to be eligible to apply. Commission grants will be approved based on high literary merit and on a case-by-case basis. It will be up to the publisher to present a convincing case to the board for support. Up to  ten (10) Commission grants will be available in 2010.

Australian publishers registered with the Literature Board are also eligible to apply for publishing subsidies of up to $4,000 per title to reprint or publish new editions of classic literary works by living or deceased Australian authors.

Publishers must print at least 1,000 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.

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.

To register with the Literature Board, please contact Literature Board staff on 02 9215 9091.

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 promotional activities

Applications will be accepted for the 30 March and 1 October closing dates

From Australian organisations the Literature Board will accept applications requesting assistance with fares (economy class only), fees and 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 literary magazines

Applications from magazine publishers will only be accepted for the 1 October 2010 closing date.

Australian literary magazines who are legally constituted as an organisation are eligible to apply for funding towards writers’ fees and a small proportion of 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) and are distributed nationally i.e., they are distributed in every state and territory. These magazines must be devoted predominantly to the publication and/or critical appraisal of Australian creative writing and must include Australian creative writers from more than one state or territory.

Australian magazines that have received funding from the Literature Board for at least three of the past five years under the publishing and promotion (or presentation 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 funding. These magazines must be devoted predominantly to the publication and/or critical appraisal of Australian creative writing and must include Australian creative writers from more than one state or territory. These grants are for one to two years or for a specified number of issues.

Overseas promotional activities

Applications from overseas applicants will be accepted for the 30 March and 1 October closing dates.

For international activities, the literature board will accept applications from overseas organisations requesting assistance with fares (economy class only), fees and 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 literature board does not assist with the costs of writers travelling overseas to attend academic conferences.

Overseas book publishers

Applications from overseas applicants will be accepted for the 30 March and 1 October closing dates.

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 $5,000 per title towards writers’ and translators’ fees and/or publication costs. Publishers must demonstrate that appropriate payments will be made to writers and/or translators. At least 500 copies of each title must be printed.

Publishers in English may apply for subsidies of up to $5,000 per fiction title or literary non-fiction title, $2,500 per title for playscripts and $3,000 per title for poetry  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.

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.

You can apply online for all Australia Council grants. If you would like a hard copy application form, contact Australia Council staff on (02) 9215 9000 or 1800 226 912. Information on how support material should be supplied (either electronically or via post) is provided when you complete the online grant application.

You must provide evidence of your eligibility and all required support material by the application closing date.

Australian Book Publishers

• Australian book publishers must submit up to 10 manuscript pages of each title or an independent reader’s report on each title for which assistance is sought.
• Publishers applying as legally constituted cooperatives must submit at least two independent readers’ reports on each title for which assistance is sought.

Overseas publishers

• Overseas book and magazine publishers must submit a copy of the signed contract between the publisher and the Australian author/editor/contributor/publisher and curricula vitae of nominated authors and translators.
• Overseas book and magazine publishers may include a copy of a recent publication or a catalogue of titles available for sale (unless these have been submitted in the six months prior to the application).

Australian literary magazines

• Australian literary magazines must submit one copy of the past two issues of their magazines. Detailed circulation reports of all issues published in the 12 months prior to the application must also be provided.
• New Australian literary magazines must submit one copy of all issues published at the time of application and must provide detailed circulation figures for the last issue of the magazine published prior to the application.
• Online magazines must submit detailed information on the number of unique page visits per month for the six months prior to the application.

Promotions of Australian literature (Australian and overseas applicants)

• Applicants seeking assistance for promotional activities are not required to submit support material but are welcome to include past programs or other material that is relevant to their application. Please note that letters of support will not be accepted.

Support material before the board meeting

Some applicants may be required to submit additional support material as detailed below. This support material can be submitted after the closing date but must be submitted before the board meeting if your application is to be eligible for consideration. The date by which this support material must be received is 10 working days before the board meeting.

When proposals are submitted from organisations or individuals that involve major performing arts board (MPAB)-funded companies, a letter of agreement between the applicant and the MPAB-funded company must be provided to both the MPAB and the literature board. For further details, please contact MPAB staff directly.

In line with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts policy and its underpinning principles, the Australia Council requires that applications for projects containing representations of artistic/cultural practice or intended outcomes relating to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or communities must provide letters from relevant communities or artists. Letters must show clear evidence of support and agreement for the activities undertaken. In preparing your application, you may wish to consult the Indigenous protocol guides in song, performance, writing, new media and visual arts.

Important information

Any material supplied in addition to the required support material will not be considered in the assessment of your application. If you need assistance in determining the support material you are required to submit or when it must be submitted, please contact Australia Council staff.