How to enter The Australian Fiction Prize
The Australian Fiction Prize, sponsored by HarperCollins, is the newest, most exciting prize on the literary calendar
Dear Writer,
Yes, I know these pages are traditionally for readers, but today I have a message for writers.
I know from the correspondence I receive that many of our readers are also writers. Some of you have been working on your manuscripts for many years, and some of you are finished – in which case you’re in luck, because it’s time for you to enter the inaugural The Australian Fiction Prize.
It’s a new prize that replaces the old The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award. It’s very special, for several reasons. Unlike the Vogel, there is no age limit. You don’t have to be a so-called emerging talent to enter. You can be a curmudgeon! Even a silly old fool.
No, to be serious for a moment, we all understand that some people – the restless, hungry, precociously talented ones – are able to shoot the lights out when they’re in their 20s. For others, it takes time. Life needs to be lived. Ideas need to percolate. A writer may need time to consider and to decompress their experiences before putting words down on the page.
The second reason the prize is special?
You don’t have to be a first-time author. You can be one of the very many people who have self-published a book, or indeed had a book published, two or 10 or even 20 years ago.
Everyone knows that the second book is tricky.
Maybe you got writer’s block, second time around. Maybe your first book didn’t sell as well as the publisher hoped and you got dropped. Maybe your publisher went out of business, or else you missed the deadline, or else it’s just taken forever to get your next book out of your head and on to the page, and everyone involved in the publication of your first book has retired to their country house (or maybe even died.)
That’s all fine with us. We don’t mind where you are in your publishing journey.
There are some terms and conditions: we’re looking for fiction, as opposed to nonfiction, which may well rule out those of you who are working on a memoir.
You’ll need to be an Australian citizen or resident.
The work has to be original, meaning: no, you can’t get Chat or any other AI bot to finish it for you.
You’ll find the other rules and regulations on the entry form.
The main thing to do is enter. Because the prize is just magnificent. There’s a cheque for $20,000 if you win, plus you’ll get an advance from HarperCollins Australia worth $15,000.
But the money is only part of the prize.
The main thing is: publication.
The winning manuscript will be lovingly buffed and polished by the wonderful team of editors at HarperCollins Australia, and it will be published as a novel. Your friends and family will see it on the shelves of local bookstores; you’ll be able to get them to order a copy online. You may find yourself invited to literary festivals, where you’ll talk about being a prize-winning writer.
Can you think of anything better?
I’m so looking forward to judging the prize. I won’t be working alone. We have recruited two serious book-lovers, who between them have probably read more Australian fiction this year than almost anyone else.
Samuel Bernard will be well-known to readers as a book critic. He produces a list of Notable Books for us, monthly. Besides being a critic, Samuel is a literary agent. He says: “This prize is an incredible opportunity to find some of the undiscovered talent that exists in Australia.
“Some writers may have tried to send their manuscript to a publisher or agent already, and maybe didn’t get anywhere, because they are all completely flooded, and it’s possible that you just didn’t get the pitch right, or they weren’t looking for what you were offering at that time.
“This prize might give you another chance to get published.”
Letitia Davy, who is the manager/buyer at Gleebooks Dulwich Hill in Sydney, also has agreed to join the panel. She says: “This is a big, beautiful prize and an enormously exciting investment in Australian books.
“This prize is ambitious in scale and shows enormous confidence in Australian writers and in the work to be awarded and published. I read a lot in a year, but so often it’s the Australian books, the Australian stories, that are lodged in my heart. Australian writers are brilliant and they deserve a prize of this scale and excitement.
“Bookshops are where the rubber hits the road in publishing. I spend my days talking books (and my nights reading) and I’d like to think I have a good feel for the sorts of stories, characters and ideas readers are drawn to.
“I hope I can bring a bookseller’s unique insight to the judging team – we want our winning book to find an audience and be embraced by readers. Ideally lots of them.
“It is a thrill and privilege to know that I am on an all-stops journey with this book prize – from reading the manuscript, to ordering the published book for our store, through to unpacking the boxes and placing the winning book in the hands of customers. I cannot wait.
“I hope that Australian writers are ignited by the potential of this prize, and I hope HarperCollins is inundated with entries.”
Catherine Milne, who is head of fiction at HarperCollins Australia, says: “I am so excited to read the entries for the prize! Like a miner for gold, there is nothing to beat the feeling of anticipation and the sense of delight when you come across a manuscript that you absolutely love and can’t wait to bring out into the world – it is every publisher’s dream.”
It’s a thrill for me, too. As The Australian’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn said when we first announced the prize: “Storytelling is in our DNA at The Australian. We have been devoted to covering the nation’s rich literary life since the very early days of the newspaper, 60 years ago.”
So, do you think you can get your manuscript to us by August 2? Yes, I know, that’s not very far away, is it? Before you rush away to start dusting off the manuscript you’ve got in the bottom drawer, some important stuff:
If you’re planning to enter, please scan the form on his page. If you can’t do that, go to the HarperCollins website, and please use the application form you’ll find there. The best address is here: https://hcau.snapforms.com.au/form/the-australian-fiction-prize-2024-entry-form.
If you have further questions, try going here: harpercollins.com.au/theaustralianfictionprize. You should also visit the FAQ page and view the terms and conditions. If you are under 18, you must complete an extra form.
Good luck, everyone! I can’t wait to see what you’ve produced.
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