WNDB provides emergency grants to diverse authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals who are experiencing dire financial need. We aim to bolster these marginalized groups by giving grants between $500 and $1,000 each.
Guidelines
To be eligible for assistance:
- Writers and/or illustrators must be traditionally published authors with at least one published or one forthcoming book and must demonstrate a financial need due to any loss of income. The book must be published in the English language, whether published by a US-based publisher or a publisher abroad.
- Publishing professionals must have held a position that focused on literature and must demonstrate a financial need due to any loss of income. Self-employed/freelancers and interns in publishing are eligible. Freelancers and self-employed people must demonstrate that they are regularly working with traditional publishers, literary agencies, or traditionally published authors as clients. Positions include but are not limited to: editors, agents, publicists, designers, book reviewers, and sales positions.
Please note:
- All applications will be kept confidential. We will not list the recipients publicly.
- Applicants should receive a response in 14-21 days upon receipt of their application.
- Under Executive Order 13224, all 501(c)(3) organizations must confirm that grant recipients are not affiliated with federally identified terrorist groups. To comply, we must compile any of your former legal names that have been registered with the United States government. We are aware that we are asking for potentially sensitive information and we sincerely apologize for this intrusion. WNDB will keep this information in the utmost confidence and will never use any former name(s) in our correspondence with you.
- Given the volume of applications, we will not be able to respond to individual inquiries about the status of your application.
Application Form
Emergency Fund FAQ
Application guidelines are available on the Emergency Fund for Diverse Creatives in Publishing website above.
This grant is intended for individuals, not for organizations, nonprofits, or other collectives. You should apply for this grant as an individual for personal use.
Yes, freelancers and self-employed people who work regularly in publishing are eligible! You must demonstrate on your application that you regularly contract with traditional publishers and/or traditionally published authors to qualify. This includes freelance book editors, sensitivity readers, copyeditors, book designers, book illustrators, art directors, publicists, and more.
Yes, if you are currently interning at a publishing house (primarily focusing on literature in your internship, in any department), you are eligible for this grant.
We aim to respond to applicants who are awarded a grant between 14-21 days upon receipt of your application.
Yes, any information you submit will be kept strictly confidential by WNDB.
No, we will not announce the recipients publicly. If you receive a grant and wish to share the news on your own, you are welcome to do so.
Recipients of the grant will become eligible for another emergency grant if at least 6 months have passed since they received their grant. You may only receive a maximum of 3 total emergency grants.
No, applicants can only apply for themselves to receive the grant.
No, applicants must have at least one book-length title at a traditional publisher.
Your book does not need to be published by a US-based publisher but it does need to be published in the English language. It may be an English-language book published by a traditional publisher in another country.
Applicants may have at least one book currently published or at least one book forthcoming. If you have an announced book deal but your book has not yet been published, you are eligible for this grant.
Grant recipients must either be a published author, illustrator, or publishing professional recently furloughed or laid off. At this time booksellers aren’t eligible, but the Book Industry Charitable Foundation also has a fund specifically earmarked for booksellers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our definition of diversity: We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.*We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization.
Yes, previous recipients of our grants and other funding are eligible.
We can’t advise you on the taxability of your grant, so we encourage you to consult a qualified tax preparation professional.
We will send the money via check made out to the applicant or direct deposit.
Recipients may use their grant funds to cover household expenses, medical payments, debt, rent/mortgage, etc.
