Award Mentorships

Thanks to a grant from the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, we are able to offer an award mentorship program for writers and illustrators, to help you develop your work to a publishable standard.

A team of experts will assess all submissions and award the following free mentorship packages to 12 winners in 2023:

• 20 hours of mentoring with an ASA mentor
• Participation in a Paths to Publishing program designed to help you establish yourself as a small business and acquire sufficient industry knowledge to navigate your way through the submission and contract process
• Free ASA membership for 12 months (or an extension of membership if you are already a member)
• Free ticket to Literary Speed Dating

One highly commended applicant will receive:

• 6 hours mentoring with an ASA mentor based on the first ten pages of your manuscript or portfolio
• Participation in the Paths to Publishing Program

Entries will be accepted in the following genres for writers: fiction (both literary and genre), narrative non-fiction (including autobiography/memoir, essays and histories), journalism, poetry, illustrated and lifestyle non-fiction, young adult literature and children’s writing for all ages.

Illustrator entries will be accepted for children’s picture books and graphic novels.

All writers and illustrators are welcome to apply. In recognition of barriers to access and to encourage diversity in publishing, we are encouraging submissions from:

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander writers and illustrators
• Writers from marginalised communities (culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse creators, creators from LBGTQIA + communities, and creators with disabilities.)
• Writers/illustrators from regional and remote areas

Successful applicants will work closely with a mentor selected from the ASA Mentors’ Register for 20 hours over one year.

Browse the mentor register

• Entries open 7 December 2022
• Entries close 31 January 2023, 5pm AEDT
• Winners announced 22 March 2023

Free for members of the ASA. Not a member? Why not join today!

Non-members may enter but must pay an administration fee of $65 (inc GST) per entry.

1. No paper or email applications will be accepted.

2. Entries must be submitted via the online entry form with the two files attached:

• A 300-word statement
• Your completed draft manuscript

3. Both files must be submitted in Word Document format, in Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced with page numbers, the writer's name and the working title of the work on every page.

4. Entries must comply with the Terms and Conditions.

1. A 300-word statement. The statement needs to include:

• A brief synopsis of the work including its current stage of progress.
• The genre and audience for the writing project, the approximate word count, or in the case of poetry/short story collections, the number of stories or poems.
• What you would like to achieve through the mentorship program.
• A brief literary CV.

2. A completed draft manuscript. The first ten pages of your manuscript will be read by assessors, however the full manuscript is required for eligibility purposes and, if successful in your application, will be provided to your mentor as per the terms and conditions. Please see see the terms and conditions for word length limitations.

Poets and short story writers should include the full manuscript of collected works (intended for publication).

Illustrators and graphic novelists should submit a story manuscript, a competed flat plan (roughs are acceptable) and at least three 2-page spreads to demonstrate the work in progress.

Read the terms and conditions, pay the application fee (if applicable) and submit your entry via the online submission form below.

Entries closed at 5pm AEDT on Tuesday 31 January 2023.

The 2023 Award Mentorship Program for Writers and Illustrators is supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Information about the previous programs winners and assessors' report is available below.

2022 Winners and Assessors' Report

2021 WINNERS AND ASSESSORS' REPORT

2020 WINNERS AND ASSESSORS' REPORT

2019 Winners and Assessors' Report

2018 Winners and Assessors' Report

2017 Winners and Assessors' Report