Writers Victoria Submission Manager

Open date: Wednesday, 8 June 2022 at 10am
Close date: Monday, 13 July 2022 at 4pm
Fellowships intake period 1: 1 October – 31 December 2022
Fellowships intake period 2: 1 January – 31 March 2023

Emerging writers are invited to apply for the 2022 Glenfern Fellowships.

One of the most precious gifts to a writer is a dedicated and secluded space in which to write. Writers Victoria is pleased to offer three emerging writers the use of a Glenfern writers’ studio for a period of three months, thanks to the support of the Grace Marion Wilson Trust.

The 2022 Glenfern Fellowships will afford these authors the time and space to write, as well as the opportunity to be involved in a vibrant community of writers in the historic surroundings of the Glenfern mansion in St Kilda East.

Writers Victoria is proud to present this Fellowship again after a hiatus due to COVID restrictions from 2020 to 2021.

Applications close at 4pm on Wednesday, 13 July 2022.

Applications will include: an outline of the project you intend to work on while at Glenfern Writers’ Studios, as well as support material that may include an extract from the project, examples of your writing, or details of previous publications.

This year’s judges will be 2015 Fellow, Jessica Yu; 2019 Fellow, Mykaela Saunders; and Writers Victoria Board Chair Noè Harsel.

Terms and Conditions

1. Applicants must be 18 or over and be residents of Victoria.

2. Applicants must be financial members of Writers Victoria.

3. Joint applications will be accepted.

4. Applications will be accepted from emerging Victorian writers who have had at least three stories, essays, articles or poems published in a recognised book, magazine, journal or online (excluding personal blogs). Those writers who have had a full-length work published or professionally performed (including books, collections or plays) are not eligible to apply.

5. Preference will be given to writers who haven’t previously received a Grace Marion Wilson Fellowship.

6. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of August.

7. The Fellowship must be taken up between 1 October and 31 December 2022 or 1 January and 31 March 2023.

8. Fellowship recipients agree to abide by the terms of the Glenfern Licence Agreement and Code of Conduct.

9. The Fellowships provide access to a non-residential studio space at Glenfern seven days a week. Access hours are 7am to 11pm.

10. Fellowship recipients will be expected to use the studio for writing purposes only and to use the studio for a significant portion of the week.

11. Fellowship recipients agree to provide Writers Victoria with a Victoria Police check before Friday 22 September 2022, to be reimbursed to the Fellow.

12. Glenfern carries public liability insurance, but contents insurance will be the responsibility of each writer.

13. Upon completion of the Fellowship, recipients will be required to complete an evaluation with a deadline to be agreed between Writers Victoria and the recipient.

14. The Fellowship recipient agrees to write and provide Writers Victoria with a 600-word article pertaining to Glenfern for publication in the National Trust magazine, National Trust website, Writers Victoria website or Writers Victoria magazine.

15. Fellows must acknowledge the support of Glenfern, Writers Victoria, the National Trust (Vic) and the Grace Marion Wilson Trust in any work which is published or produced.

16. The judges’ decision will be final. No correspondence will be entered into.

17. The offer of the Fellowships is conditional on Writers Victoria’s ongoing residence at Glenfern. Should circumstances change, Writers Victoria will arrange an equivalent residency opportunity for the awarded Fellows.

18. Writers Victoria staff or board members are not eligible to apply.

Writers Victoria welcomes pitches and submissions to our in-house print magazine ‘The Victorian Writer’.

We strongly advise all who submit that they read the most recent issues of ‘The Victorian Writer’ to acquaint themselves with material the magazine has previously published, and check out our upcoming themes.

2022 Themes

September – November 2022 (Spring Edition): Tapestry. Submissions close June 6.
December 2022 – February 2023 (Summer Edition): Unravel. Submissions close September 5.

Submission Guidelines

We publish poems ($70), and articles/writing of 600 words ($100) and 1200 words ($200) in the print edition with particular interest in the craft of writing and the writing life.

If you would like to be considered for print publication, please submit either:

Your article, or a 100-word pitch with your article idea;
Your poem/s;
Your short fiction or non-fiction.

Also include a short author bio (and an example of your work if you haven’t been published with us before) by the issue’s deadline date.

All submissions are to be made via Submittable.

We particularly encourage member contributions and member pitches will be considered for both print and online publication. Extracts from member publications including fiction and memoir can also be submitted.

If you are successful in your pitch, our commissioning editor will be in touch regarding the article, licence agreements and final copy deadlines.

Please note, online article fees will be negotiated with the Writers Victoria team and there are no fees payable for book extracts or promotional material.

While we aim to publish as much as we can and support writers, we receive many more submissions than we can place, and can’t provide feedback on all pitches. But don’t be deterred! Keep submitting for following editions.

The 2022 Regional Small Grants program is now open. Applications close when all grants have been allocated, or at 11:59pm on Monday 25 July 2022.
Regional writing groups, literary organisations and arts organisations in Victoria are able to apply for grants of $880 to subsidise literary activities in their area, thanks to the support of the Grace Marion Wilson Trust.
Applicants must be current regional members of Writers Victoria (in the non-profit organisation or regional writers’ group membership category), and based in one of the 48 Local Government Authorities in Regional Victoria as listed on the Creative Victoria website.
If your organisation is not a member, please renew your membership or join us prior to submitting your application.
Due to government public health directives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, funding may also be used towards delivery of an online event, such as a webinar. If you would like to use a small grant to deliver an online workshop/webinar to your writing community, please contact our Program Manager, Anna, to discuss the options: anna@writersvictoria.org.au
For general queries about the Regional Small Grants program, please email our Competitions Administrator, Caitlin: caitlin@writersvictoria.org.au

Terms and Conditions
In order to apply:

Applicants must be regional members of Writers Victoria (in the non-profit organisation or writers’ group membership category).
Only one application may be submitted per group or organisation.
All activities must take place in Victoria between August and December 2022. Activities cannot be supported retrospectively.
The grant must be used (in part or in full) for artist fees.
Proposals that clearly respond to a community need will be highly regarded.
Small grant funds can be used to complement funds/in-kind support from other sources.
To be eligible for funding, proposed activities need to comply with government public health directives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If successful, your group or organisation will be responsible for:

Contracting your author or speaker.
Using the grant to go towards costs related to the writer’s fee, travel and accommodation.
Providing a safe, accessible venue or online platform for the event.
Coordinating bookings for the event (you are encouraged to charge an entry fee to help cover your costs).
Crediting Writers Victoria and the Grace Marion Wilson Trust in all publicity for the event.
Distributing Writers Victoria evaluation forms at your event and returning them to Writers Victoria.
Completing an artistic and financial report (acquittal) by 15 January 2023.

All activities must take place in regional Victoria (within one of the 48 Local Government Authorities in Regional Victoria listed, as listed on the Creative Victoria website).
Writers Victoria will be happy to assist organisations to deliver online workshops for their local writing community with the small grants funds.

How to Apply
The number of grants is limited, and applications will be assessed as they arrive. Grants will be allocated to the first ten applications that meet the requirements. Writers Victoria is particularly keen to see applications from groups that have not received funding before, as well as from previous recipients seeking to deliver literary activities in new areas.
To apply, please complete this online application form, filling out your details in the fields below. Applications will close when the grants have been allocated or at 11:59pm 25 July 2022.
All funding allocation decisions will be final. Feedback may be provided on request.

Open date: 9am AEST, Tuesday 14 June 2022
Close date: 11:59pm AEST, Wednesday 13 July 2022

Writers Victoria is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the thirteenth Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers Competition. Short story or creative non-fiction submissions of between 2,000 and 3,000 words are being accepted from emerging Victorian writers who have had no more than three stories or articles published in a recognised book, magazine, or journal.
Winners of each category will receive a $1,000 cash prize, with second prizes of $250 awarded to one runner-up in each category. The first and second prize entries will also be published in an upcoming issue of 'The Victorian Writer' magazine.
A $500 prize and publication in an upcoming issue of 'The Victorian Writer' will also be awarded to the highest placed Writers Victoria member from regional Victoria in either category (Fiction and Non-Fiction). To be considered for the Best Regional Writer prize, you must be a member of Writers Victoria and live within Victoria, further than 50km from Melbourne's CBD. Note that the topic of your piece is not restricted to regional Victoria.
For more information, please visit writersvictoria.org.au

2022 Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers Competition - Fiction - Terms and Conditions
1. Applicants must be 18 or over and be residents of Victoria.
2. Work must be between 2,000 and 3,000 words.
3. Applications must be submitted online in either Word or PDF format; hard copy submissions will not be accepted.
4. Applications will be judged anonymously. Please don’t include your name in the attachment.
5. Applicants must be emerging writers with no more than three stories or articles published in a book, magazine or journal.
6. Entries will be independently judged. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. First and second prize entries will be published in a special edition of 'The Victorian Writer', and agreement for publication is a condition of entry.
8. The Best Regional Writer prize entry will be published in a special edition of 'The Victorian Writer', and agreement for publication is a condition of entry.
9. The entries must not have been published or accepted for publication by a recognised publisher, in print or online. (Please note: this does not include community publications, local independent publications, or blogs. If your piece has been published in such a publication, you are still eligible to enter the competition. Pieces that have already been published in 'The Victorian Writer' are not eligible for entry.)
10. Winners in our previous competitions (2008–2020, both first and second prizes) are not eligible to re-enter.
11. Entry is free for financial members of Writers Victoria or $20 for non-members. Become a member here or pay the non-member entry fee here.
12. Writers Victoria is unable to accept entries or notify entrants who do not follow entry guidelines.
13. Participants may submit a maximum of one entry per category.
14. WV staff or Committee of Management members are not eligible to apply.
15. To be considered for the Best Regional Writer prize, you must be a member of Writers Victoria and live within Victoria, further than 50km from Melbourne's CBD.
16. Late entries will not be accepted. Please make sure to submit your piece through the online form (emailed submissions will also not be accepted) by 11:59 pm on Wednesday 13 July 2022.
17. The Fiction category is for Young Adult and Adult fiction. Genres not eligible for entry are Middle Grade, Children's Fiction, or Picture Books.

Close date: Wednesday 10 August, 5pm AEST.

Early-career writers of migrant background are invited to apply for the 2022 Deborah Cass Prize for Writing.

The winning writer will receive a cash prize of $3,000 plus a three-month mentorship with an established writer, and two runners-up will receive $1,000 each. The winning manuscript will be presented to Black Inc. for publishing consideration. The award package is designed to help an early-career writer finish their manuscript and get their book published.

Deborah Cass (1960-2013) made significant contributions to legal scholarship, and focused on creative writing after retiring from her academic position. The Deborah Cass Prize was established in 2015 by Deborah’s friends and family. As the granddaughter of European refugees, the family felt that Deborah would like one of her legacies to be the nurture of writing talent in people whose voices would add fresh perspectives on Australian culture.

Now in its eighth year, the prize, which is administered by Writers Victoria, has already kickstarted many successful literary careers among its winners and runners up.

The 2022 prize will be judged by Lee Kofman, Sisonke Msimang, and Paul Dalgarno.

For more information, visit the Writers Victoria website.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Overview

In order to be eligible, all applicants must provide a writing sample of fiction or creative nonfiction of not more than 3,000 words and a writer’s statement of no more than 400 words. The writing sample must not contain the name of the applicant. Applicants agree that their entry will be shared with Black Inc., the publishing partner of the Deborah Cass Prize. The winning writer will promote the prize and we cannot take anonymous entries. The winner will work with a mentor for 8 sessions paid by the Prize towards completing their work within two years, at which point it will be submitted to Black Inc.

Conditions of entry

Applicants must: (a) be early career writers with fewer than 10 publications (articles, short stories or poetry) and no full-length book published or contracted for publication; (b) have either been born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas (and certify this on the application form); and (c) not be employees or Board members of Writers Victoria at the time of entry.
The winner and runners up agree to promote the prize through announcements on the Deborah Cass Prize website, Writers Victoria website and in media coverage.
The winner will write a 200-word testimonial about winning the prize for publication on the Deborah Cass Prize website and/or media releases and a 300-word article about winning the prize for publication in The Victorian Writer magazine and/or Writers Victoria website.
The winner must acknowledge the Deborah Cass Prize in any publication resulting from work created as a result of the prize.
The winner and runners up agree that their entries may be published on the Deborah Cass Prize website and by Mascara Literary Review.
The Winner may choose to accept a mentor chosen by the Prize who will work with the winner for 8 one-hour sessions, paid by the Prize.
The winning manuscript will be presented to Black Inc. The writer agrees to show Black Inc. the full manuscript when it is completed and give them first right of acceptance (within three months of viewing the full manuscript).
All shortlisted writers agree that their entries may be shared with Black Inc.
Entries will be independently judged. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Application requirements

Please take note of the application requirements carefully as Writers Victoria is unable to accept entries from or notify entrants who do not follow all the terms and conditions correctly:

The writing sample must be no more than 3,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction (being either one continuous extract of a longer work or a complete work).
Entries must not have been published or accepted for publication by a recognised publisher, in print or online. They can have been published in community publications, local independent publications or blogs.
The writing sample will be judged by readers of English.
The writing sample must include the title of the work in the header.
The writing sample must not include the name of the applicant.
The application must be submitted online through this form (no printed or emailed applications will be accepted).
Applicants may submit a maximum of one entry.
The application must include a supporting statement of no more than 400 words. Please avoid biographical details that are likely to identify you, where possible. It is useful for the judges if you can address these issues:

Is your entry complete or an extract from a larger work? If the latter, please briefly describe your concept for the larger work.
What motivates you to write?
What are your short to medium-term writing goals (2 to 5 years)?
If you won the prize, would you have time to substantially work towards completing a larger work over the following two years?