The African Writers Trust Publishing Fellowship programme is open to early career publishers and creative writers intending to self-publish their manuscripts. Applicants will be selected from Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The Publishing Fellowship programme was designed to create a step-change in the book sector in Africa, by focusing on professional development of upcoming talent in African publishing over three years (2018-2021). The overall objective of the programme is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, skills, expertise, experiences and collaborative learning between more experienced publishers and early career and emerging ones.
The first stage of the programme will be a residential Mentoring and Training Workshop, held in Uganda from 8-14 March 2020. The workshop will consist of a variety of sessions including:
- What You Need to Know Before Getting into Self-publishing.
- How to Make Money out of Your Writing/Publishing?
- Understanding Legal Aspects Surrounding Writing and Publishing.
- How Do You Choose a Book Cover that Tells Your Story?
Following the workshop, all Fellows will be invited to make an application for a seed funding budget worth 4200 EUR. The specific aim of the seed funding budget is to ensure that the winning project gets the resources it requires to produce a model publication that adheres to acceptable international publishing standards – and to which other publishers can aspire to, and learn from. The winner will be expected to publish the book within a prescribed timeline.
The programme offers:
- The opportunity for mutual learning from publishing experts, as well as the opportunity to network with other emerging publishers and writers, and to engage with peers and trainers on a one-to one basis.
- Air travel expenses for the successful candidates.
- Accommodation and meal expenses provided for the duration of the workshop.
To apply, candidates must have an ongoing project in the form of a manuscript which they are developing for publication. The programme is open to early career and emerging publishers, self-publishing creative writers, and individuals working in the publishing industry. All candidates must be available for the Training and Mentoring Workshop dates from 8-14 March 2020.
