The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship is a $5,000 award offered annually to an author of children's or young-adult fiction. It has been developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and is designed to assist a writer at a crucial moment in his or her career to complete a book-length work-in-progress.
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from June 1, 2018 through October 1, 2018.
Who Is Eligible:
- A candidate is a writer of children's or young adult fiction in financial need.
- Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author.
- The writer's previous book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher (not self-published).
- The submitted work must be fiction and a work-in-progress (not published). Graphic novels and picture books are not accepted.
- Judges will be looking for candidates whose work has not yet attracted a broad readership.
How to Apply or Nominate:
Please note that the application process is now entirely online. Hard copy applications will no longer be accepted. Writers may nominate themselves or a fellow writer. To submit, please complete the electronic application below which will require the following materials:
1) Cover letter: A 1-2 page letter describing in some detail how the candidate meets the criteria for the Fellowship, including a list of their previously published novel(s) for children or young adults.
2) Three professional reviews: Copies of or links to at least three reviews of their novel(s) from professional publications.
3) Letter of recommendation: A 1-2 page letter of support written by an editor or fellow writer.
4) Project outline: A brief (2-4 page) outline of the current novel in progress. The writers' name should not appear anywhere on the outline in order to ensure anonymity for the judging process.
5) Manuscript sample: 50–75 pages of the work-in-progress. Graphic novels and picture books are not eligible. The writers' name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript in order to ensure anonymity for the judging process.
6) Financial statement: A brief description (roughly 1 page in length) of the candidate's recent earnings and a statement about why monetary support will make a particular difference in the applicant's writing life at this time. If the candidate is married or living with a domestic partner, please include a brief description of total family income and expense. Please note that these details will be viewed only by PEN's awards administrator. This statement will not be shared with the judges and will be kept confidential.
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers each year recognizes twelve emerging fiction writers for their debut short story published during a given calendar year in a literary magazine or cultural website and aims to support the launch of their careers as fiction writers.
Each of the twelve winning writers will receive a cash purse of $2,000 and will be honored at the annual PEN Literary Awards Ceremony in New York City. The independent book publisher Catapult will publish the twelve winning stories in an annual anthology entitled The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories.
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from June 1, 2018 through November 1, 2018.
Who is Eligible:
- PEN will only accept submissions from editors of eligible publications. Authors may not submit their own work.
- Participating publications may be cultural websites, online magazines, or print magazines distributed in the U.S.
- Editors from eligible publications may only submit an author’s debut short story. A debut story is defined as the writer's first short story publication that has undergone an editorial review process and been accepted and published by a publication that the author is not professionally associated with.
- Stories must have been published or forthcoming in 2018.
- Editors from eligible publications may submit up to four eligible stories from eligible authors in a given award year.
- Editors from eligible publications must submit short stories that are up to 12,000 words in length.
- The editor and author must agree to the award’s Declaration of Eligibility and Consent form, which outlines serial rights for Catapult’s forthcoming anthology.
- There are no restrictions on the candidate’s age or on the style of his or her work.
How to Apply:
1. Editors from eligible publications must download and complete the award’s Declaration of Eligibility and Consent form.
2. Complete the online Submittable form below.
The Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, which was established in 2000 by Barbara Kingsolver and is funded entirely by her, was created to promote fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. The $25,000 prize is awarded biennially to the author of a previously unpublished novel of high literary caliber that exemplifies the prize’s founding principles. The winner also receives a publishing contract with Algonquin Books.
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from June 1, 2018 through October 1, 2018.
Eligibility:
The PEN/Bellwether Prize is awarded to an unpublished novel manuscript by a writer who has had at least four publications (including short stories or essays), and, if the writer has published a book, the book has not sold more than 10,000 copies. The submission must be an original, previously unpublished novel, written by one person, in English, at least 80,000 words in length. Eligible authors must be U.S. citizens. The winning manuscript will be chosen by a panel of three judges: one editor representing the participating publisher, Algonquin, and two distinguished literary authors selected by PEN’s Literary Awards Committee in consultation with Barbara Kingsolver. Manuscripts are judged blind, to avoid any form of bias; the identity of the author of the winning manuscript (and all other submissions) is not known by any judge until after the decision is finalized. Only PEN awards administrators are able to view the submitter's identity.
Each applicant's application must include their resume or CV where you will be able to detail your publishing experience for PEN staff to review for eligibility.
Your submission may not be under consideration by any publisher during the judging period. You will be notified immediately if your manuscript is no longer under consideration at which time you will should feel free to submit the work elsewhere for consideration.
Application Process:
Complete the online submission form below by October 1, 2018. Please note that the application will require:
- your typed, double-spaced (11 or 12 point font), and paginated manuscript (at least 80,000 words in length) with title appearing on every page (your name should not appear anywhere on the pages)
- a one-page synopsis of the work's plot which also explains how it addresses a social issue (please do not include your name on this page)
- résumé or curriculum vitae (five pages maximum)
- A $25 entry fee
The Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, which was established in 2000 by Barbara Kingsolver and is funded entirely by her, was created to promote fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. The $25,000 prize is awarded biennially to the author of a previously unpublished novel of high literary caliber that exemplifies the prize’s founding principles. The winner also receives a publishing contract with Algonquin Books.
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from June 1, 2018 through October 1, 2018.
Eligibility:
The PEN/Bellwether Prize is awarded to an unpublished novel manuscript by a writer who has had at least four publications (including short stories or essays), and, if the writer has published a book, the book has not sold more than 10,000 copies. The submission must be an original, previously unpublished novel, written by one person, in English, at least 80,000 words in length. Eligible authors must be U.S. citizens. The winning manuscript will be chosen by a panel of three judges: one editor representing the participating publisher, Algonquin, and two distinguished literary authors selected by PEN’s Literary Awards Committee in consultation with Barbara Kingsolver. Manuscripts are judged blind, to avoid any form of bias; the identity of the author of the winning manuscript (and all other submissions) is not known by any judge until after the decision is finalized. Only PEN awards administrators are able to view the submitter's identity.
Each applicant's application must include their resume or CV where you will be able to detail your publishing experience for PEN staff to review for eligibility.
Your submission may not be under consideration by any publisher during the judging period. You will be notified immediately if your manuscript is no longer under consideration at which time you will should feel free to submit the work elsewhere for consideration.
Application Process:
Complete the online submission form below by October 1, 2018. Please note that the application will require:
- your typed, double-spaced (11 or 12 point font), and paginated manuscript (at least 80,000 words in length) with title appearing on every page (your name should not appear anywhere on the pages)
- a one-page synopsis of the work's plot which also explains how it addresses a social issue (please do not include your name on this page)
- résumé or curriculum vitae (five pages maximum)
- A $25 entry fee
