Scholarships for Writers of Color

Publish a Book Scholarship

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“The big talent is persistence.” — Octavia E. Butler

The Gotham Publish a Book Scholarship is open to people of color who have completed a book manuscript (or nonfiction book proposal) and are ready to go to market with their book. Three scholarships will be offered every year.

Each scholarship includes:

Acceptance is open to all people of color (age 18 and up) and based solely on the merit of your book project. At least one spot will be rewarded to a Black writer.

Once accepted, Gotham will do a consultation to determine the timing and arrangement of your scholarship.

This scholarship does not guarantee that winners will get a book published, but it does help them get the best possible shot.

Applications will be accepted June 1 – August 15.

Winners will be announced by mid September. All applicants will be notified.


 

2023 Winners 

Jasper Joyner
Lindsey Lunsford
Bernadette Roca
Katarina Wong



2020 Winners 

Josephine Queen
Sufiya Abdur-Rahman
Makiko Hirata
Janine Kovac

 

2021 Winners 

Monami Chakrabarti
Priya Jain
Sarah Matsui
Morgan Ross


2022 Winners 

Clary Ahn
Laide Akaso
Jacob Lopez
Niki Singh


The scholarship is currently closed.
Josephine Queen

“I’m so grateful for the Gotham Publish a Book Scholarship. It gave me access to invaluable opportunities: an online class on how to get published helped me refine my query letter; critique on my full manuscript by a literary agent helped bring out the story I needed to tell; a seat at a pitching roundtable at the Gotham Writers Conference directly led to me signing with an agent.”  

Josephine Queen
Publish a Book Scholarship Winner

“The scholarship gave me access to top-tier writers and agents. Everyone has been so generous in sharing their expertise and insights with me. The creative synergy and mutual support in this community is encouraging and inspiring. I know that my book is now a better book because of this scholarship.”

Makiko Hirata
Publish a Book Scholarship Winner

Makiko Hirata
Sufiya Abdur-Rahman

“Thank you so much for hooking me up with JL Stermer for my agent evaluation! Her feedback was so eye-opening and her conversation so helpful and encouraging that I am brimming over with gratitude. You guys truly have an invaluable service with the Agent/Editor Evaluation; I hope that all writers who use it get as much out of it as I did. Thanks again!”

Sufiya Abdur-Rahman
Publish a Book Scholarship Winner