Award Mentorship judges share their tips for preparing an excellent application

25.01.23

Each year the ASA awards a number of fully funded mentorships to Australian authors and illustrators to help develop their work to a publishable standard, thanks to the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund. It is difficult to understate the value of a mentorship - mentees have not only reported boosted confidence, a honing of their skills, and invaluable insights gained about the writing process, this successful program has also led to publishing opportunities for many mentees.

If you’re thinking of applying for an Award Mentorship, you may be wondering how to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward.

We asked assessors Kate Ryan (KR) and Julie Ditrich (JD) to share their tips for what makes a stellar application, and the common mistakes to watch out for.

KR: Kate Ryan - Fiction assessor

JD: Julie Ditrich - Graphic Novels assessor

KR: A unique voice. Strong, interesting characters compel me to read on, no matter what the story is about.

JD: An understanding of graphic storytelling and interesting layouts, having a good story arc, and embedding an emotional core in the story so I feel something when I view the work, I want to feel the nuances of emotion not just happiness and fear.

KR: Being too focussed on the complexities of plot rather than shaping and honing the writing itself

JD: Mixing multiple genres in one work without a proper understanding of the tropes and conventions of various genres and subgenres. This creates confusion and messes with both publisher and reader expectation on what the story is about and who it is aimed at. 

Presenting a big chunk of fully realised and finished work… it is more difficult and stressful for the writer and artist to correct mistakes or to grab storytelling opportunities if the work is complete. It means they have to go back and rework it. 

Thumbnails and script are a good starting point for a proposal, with between three to six finished pages, so the assessor / editor can see where you’re heading with the work.

KR: The statement should be simple and concise. Applicants should display a willingness to take on feedback and clear goals as to what they hope to achieve from the mentorship.

JD: Be mindful that the creative component is only one stage of the application process. I recommend writing a publishing proposal as an exercise so it keeps the story focused. Bringing a graphic novel to publication is made up of editorial, production, and marketing. Think about that journey as a whole so you become a professional proposition for your assessor and future publisher. You want your publisher to feel at ease with you and your work.

KR: Watch out for typos! Read your work aloud to ‘hear’ how it reads before submitting.

JD: Read a lot of graphic novels in your genre of choice. Read them twice… once as a viewer, and once as a technician who is analysing every panel and every scene and sequence in the greater story.

Understand that comics fall in different categories and formats within those categories; eg. Comic books (one shot, mini series, series, serials, anthologies) and graphic novels (original, collected volumes, translations, anthologies). You need to choose the appropriate vehicle for your story.

Do some practice runs on smaller pieces of work. For example, a six to eight page short comics story and then as you develop your skills, get more ambitious with larger works.

We encourage all applicants to read the terms and conditions and submission requirements carefully to ensure that you do not make any preventable mistakes in your application which could render it ineligible.

The most common mistakes we see are:

• Submitting more than one manuscript in a single application. Each new submission needs a new entry, and only one entry per category can be submitted. 
• Not formatting both documents. The formatting requirements detailed on the submission requirements, terms and conditions, and submission form apply to both the statement and manuscript.
• Submitting manuscripts that are under or over the word count limitations. Fiction, Narrative Non-Fiction and YA submissions must be between 55,000 and 120,000 words. If, for example, you submit a Fiction manuscript of 160,000 words, your application will immediately be deemed ineligible, and will not be assessed.

If you have any questions at all about your application, please contact us at programs@asauthors.org.

Find out more about the CA/ASA Award Mentorship Program here. Applications are due by 5pm AEDT on 31 January 2023.