Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award
Are you over 50 years old and have not been traditionally published? If so, this is something you should consider.
The Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award is for authors over the age of fifty who have not been traditionally published in the children’s literature field.
The grant was established by Newbery Award winner and Newbery Honor Book recipient Karen Cushman and her husband, Philip Cushman, in conjunction with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Karen published her first children’s book, The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), at the age of fifty-three and has gone on to become one of the field’s most acclaimed novelists.
“This award was established to encourage and celebrate late bloomers like me, who didn’t start to write until age fifty. But then I bloomed, and I’d love to see others do so as well,” said Karen.
SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver agreed, “One of the great aspects of writing children’s books is that it’s not age-restrictive. The SCBWI hopes an individual’s creative expression can make a valuable contribution, no matter what his or her age.”
The award is open to both unpublished children’s book authors or author/illustrators over the age of fifty, and one winner will be chosen from the pool of those who have submitted material for the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants.
The winner will receive $500 in cash, and free tuition to any worldwide SCBWI conference. The first winner will be selected this year and announced along with the other Work-in-Progress Grant recipients. Because this grant was started after the applications were due we will be contacting finalists to see if they are eligible for this additional award.
Application Process You do not apply directly for this award, rather it is chosen from among the Work-in-Progress grant entrees. To enter you will indicate on your application that you are over 50 and would like to be considered for the award. http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Work-In-Progress-Grants Must be an SCBWI Member to apply.
About Karen Cushman
Karen Cushman is the author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), Catherine, Called Birdy (a Newbery Honor book), The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (winner of the John and Patricia Beatty Award), and her latest book, Will Sparrow’s Road (Clarion 2012). Karen lives and writes on Vashon Island in Washington. To learn more about Karen visit www.karencushman.com .
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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Work In Progress Grants
Underwritten by Amazon.com.
The SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants are designed to assist children’s book writers and illustrators in the completion of a specific project, and are made possible by a generous grant from Amazon.com.
Grants for first place ($2000) and runner-up ($500) are awarded in each one of seven different categories:
- General Work-In-Progress Grant
- Grant for a contemporary novel for young people
- Nonfiction research grant including Anna Cross Giblin Award
- Grant for work by an unpublished author
- Grant for work from a multi-cultural/minority perspective
- Barbara Karlin Grant for unpublished picture book writers.
- Don Freeman Grant for unpublished picture book illustrators.
In any given year, an applicant may apply for ONE Work-in-Progress Grant. The Grant for an Unpublished Author may not be applied for — it will be chosen by the judges from all the entries in the other Work-In-Progress categories. If you check “unpublished” on the application form, and your status as such is verified, you will be automatically entered for this additional grant.
Please note: All grants must now be submitted electronically. Please read the new guidelines below carefully before applying.
Submissions: The Work-in-Progress Grants are going electronic! Only PDFs will be accepted!
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on how to make and submit your PDF.
Eligibility: The grants are available all current SCBWI members. Your membership must be current through the date the award is given (September 2013). Go to your member profile and click on “Membership Renewal” to make sure your eligible. The grants are not available for projects on which there are already contracts.
Grant Amounts: Seven Grants of $2,000 will be awarded annually, one in each category. Seven Runner-Up Grants of $500 will also be awarded, one in each category. Authors of other projects cited by the judges as noteworthy will receive a Letter of Merit. In any given year, the SCBWI Grant Committee reserves the right to withhold the grant for that year.
Deadline: Completed application and accompanying materials must be received between March 1 and March 31. The recipients of the grants will be announced in August.
Frequently Asked Questions
Application materials and full guidelines: 2013 Work-in-Progress Guidelines Work-in-Progress Application.doc
2013 Barbara Karlin Guidelines Barbara Karlin Application.doc
2013 Don Freeman Guidelines Don Freeman Application.doc
Read here about the 2012 Winners!
Previous Grant Winners & Runners-Up
If you have any questions, please contact the awards coordinator Chelsea Confalone.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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I was very happy to find out yesterday that my Assistant, Laurie Wallmark was chosen as the runner-up for the SCBWI Work-In Progress Grant for a non-fiction book. The award is $500. This is the second year in a row that laurie was runner-up. Congratulations! Laurie.
At least a couple of times a week, I get an e-mail from a member where in the course of the e-mail they mention something very casually about some success they have had. Please let me know your successes, so I can help tout them for you. No one is going to think you are showing off and even small successes should be celebrated.
We put success stories in Sprouts and as you can see, I like to brag about you. Remember you are the one that has to make things happen and keeping things to yourself is the wrong strategy. Please share your successes.
Here is the information for the WIP Grant. Deadline for the next year is February 15th.
The SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants are designed to assist children’s book writers in the completion of a specific project, and are made possible by a generous grant from Amazon.com.
Grants for first place ($2000) and runner up ($500) are awarded in each one of seven different categories:
- General Work-In-Progress grant
- Grant for a contemporary novel for young people
- Nonfiction research grant
- Grant for work by an unpublished author
- Grant for work from a multi-cultural/minority perspective
- Barbara Karlin Grant for unpublished picture book writers.
- Don Freeman Grant for unpublished picture book illustrators.
In any given year, an applicant may apply for: the General Work-In-Progress Grant OR the Work-In-Progress Grant for a Contemporary Novel for Young People OR the Work-In-Progress Nonfiction Research Grant. The Grant for a Work Whose Author has Never Had a Book Published may not be applied for — it will be chosen from all the entries in the other Work-In-Progress categories.
Eligibility: The Grants are available to both full and associate members of the SCBWI. They are not available for projects on which there are already contracts. Please note: members can apply for only one SCBWI grant per calendar year.
Grant Amounts: Seven Grants of $2,000 will be awarded annually, one in each category. Seven Runner-Up Grants of $500 will also be awarded, one in each category. Authors of other projects cited by the judges as noteworthy will receive a Letter of Merit. In any given year, the SCBWI Grant Committee reserves the right to withhold the grant for that year.
Deadline: Completed application and accompanying materials must be postmarked no earlier than February 15th and must be RECEIVED BY March 15th. Receipt of your application will be acknowledged only if a stamped self-addressed post card is enclosed. The recipients of the grants will be announced in September.
Instructions for completing and submitting application materials:
A few friends were there, too
There’s hope for me yet.