Grants for Writers: Where to Find them & How to Apply

Within hours of my posting the Fat Man at the End of the World anthology details yesterday, a friend's e-mail pointed out that it was non-paying...and hadn't I sworn off non-paying markets?

Mostly yes, I have. I could argue that the title alone is payment enough; but the truth is that I've already been paid. I'm lucky enought to have a year's salary from the Arts Council for writing fiction full-time. When I applied, I had no idea how liberating such an opportunity would actually be.

Thanks to funding, I can now choose what I want to write, instead of tailoring my ideas to markets that will pay me enough to help me with my car insurance or the kids' back-to-school expenses. I no longer have to force myself to write nonfiction articles either, or go searching for reprint markets.

Bliss!

So, how did I earn myself 15,000 euros (about $23,000 for American friends) just by filling out a form? And more importantly, how can you do it?


Finding Grants

• Start locally.
  Many writer's grants are based on citizenship or residency, and not all advertise. Your public library is an excellent place to start, and should have a printed directory of grantmakers, government agencies, and foundations in its Reference Section.
  
  Check also with your County Council or local representative's office: I just applied for a grant from County Cavan's Arts Office for help in making a short film.



• Search online.
  Not all grants list their details online, but you might be able to hunt some up by using your home location (county, state, or country) and keywords such as grant, fellowship, and scholarship.
  
  By Googling "Washington County" and those keywords earlier this year, for instance, I found the Jean Ritchie Fellowship which offers $1500 to Appalachian writers. I'd already missed the deadline but now it's marked in my calendar for next spring.
  
  Also try mixing those keywords with other ways to identify yourself (Armenian, Caribbean, Roman Catholic) or with your genre or theme: be flexible to find the most results.



• Ask the ones who know.
  Check with the career guidance office of your local university, or its English Department. Sign up with your local writers' group and ask if anyone knows of any grants available.
  
  If you've already spotted some interesting workshops or masterclasses, contact the organisers directly and let them know you'd love to attend but need help with costs, and would they know of any available assistance? (Yes, I have done this--and found some very helpful people) Not only are workshop directors often aware of fellowships and grants, they're sometimes able to offer one to you directly, to help you attend their course. Asking costs nothing, and may bring rewards.



• Use your contacts.
  Your workplace may have someone who specialised in grantwriting, who can lend advice. If you work for an international corporation, there may be grants available specifically for you as an employee. Your alma mater should also be able to help you.
  
  If you're a member of any organisation, check with the head office and you may be surprised. When we lived in America, I applied for a scholarship for my daughter from the LAOH, and received a much-appreciated chunk of cash to help her go to private school (she's still a straight-A student and a promising artist). Grants can be found in unlikely places.



• Read.
  Check your newspaper's classified ads, and read the announcements in national writers' magazines. Sign up for e-zines aimed at writers: Hope Clark's Funds For Writers is excellent.
  
  If your genre has a national or international association supporting it, check their website to see if they offer grants or scholarships for writers---you'll probably have to become a member to apply, but membership may well be worth the fee in itself.
  
  
• Be creative.
  You're a writer, aren't you? So you're a thinker--if you don't manage to find a grant for yourself, look into grants for community groups and organisations: there are plenty. Band together with other local writers or mention 'funding' at your next critique group meeting: you could well receive a grant collectively, to work on a project that supports your writing. My local writing group recently received funding from the Leitrim County Council's Arts Office to host several open-mike nights through the year, which offers us a bit of publicity and encouragement.
  
  Don't want a writing group? Consider yourself as a business then: drawing up a comprehensive business plan, including marketing and finances, is an excellent plan for any writers who hope to go full-time or support themselves. Visit your local office that supports small business in your area, and ask for they help in finding funding.

I've included a few links below to get you started; after that, happy hunting!
Tomorrow's post is all about the application process.








Links

the Arts Council of Ireland

the Canada Council for the Arts

Society of Authors (UK)

Disney Feature Writing Fellowship Program

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America

American Antiquarian Society's Fellowships

WC&C Scholarship Competition

(Feel free to leave others in the comments section)