General Information | Submission Guidelines | Eligibility | Submit Now
2022 Mentors | 2022 Fellows
- Applications open February 1, 2024
- Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on May 15, 2024
- Winners Notified: Mid—September
- Fellows Arrive: January 15, 2025 – January 31, 2026
- Final project manuscript and completed survey of fellowship from fellows submitted by January 31, 2026
MBF/MDC does not own any material generated during residency, it remains the intellectual property of the fellow, but we reserve the right to reproduce any small part for grant reporting purposes.
List of Application Materials Needed
- Proposal for manuscript-in-progress
- Statement of need
- Manuscript sample
- CV
- Recommendation letters (2)
Submission Guidelines
- Applicant may apply only once per submission cycle, regardless of genre.
- Only online submissions are accepted through our submission manager, Submittable. Applicants may verify the receipt of their manuscripts by logging into Submittable.
- Miami Book Fair assumes no responsibility for manuscripts not received due to user error. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application early.
- There is no fee to apply.
- Aside from the Submittable Cover Page, there should be no identifying information in any of the submitted materials.
- Academic Nonfiction, Translations, Graphic Narratives, Children’s Literature and Young People’s Literature (including Middle Grade and Young Adult), and Film or Play Scripts are not eligible.
Formatting Guidelines
The following materials must be submitted (acceptable files are PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF). There should be no identifying information in any of these materials. Any applications that do not comply with this strict formatting will be immediately disqualified. Application file must include:
- Proposal to complete a manuscript-in-progress that can be feasibly completed within the year-long fellowship (not to exceed one single-spaced page). Must include synopsis of project. Name the document [PROPOSAL_GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE]. (example: Proposal_Fiction_Beloved) Within the body of the document there should be no identifying information (this includes your name).
- Statement of need: Tell us why it is important that you receive this fellowship now. Name the document [STATEMENT_GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE]. (example: Statement_Fiction_Beloved)
- Sample of manuscript-in-progress (paginated, include title of manuscript in header):
- Prose: 50-70 pages in Times New Roman, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
- Poetry: 20-30 pages in Times New Roman, single-spaced (unless style requires special formatting)
- Name the document [GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE].doc (example: Fiction_Beloved.doc)
- CV (education, professional experience, full publication list, honors and awards, etc.). Name the document [LASTNAME]_[FIRSTNAME]_CV.doc (example: Smith_Jane_CV.doc) Within the body of the document there should be no identifying information (this includes your name).
Applicant must also request that two (2) recommendation letters be submitted online or emailed to Ismery Pavon at Ipavon@mdc.edu within seven (7) calendar days after the application deadline.
- Letters of recommendations should include information relevant to writing, dedication, any relevant strengths, and skills regarding the applicant’s writing, work ethic, and ability to engage with community.
- Letters of recommendations can include college professors, mentors, and anyone who can speak for the applicant’s writing, work ethic, skills, and community involvement.
- Applicants should provide this link to recommenders so they can directly upload their recommendation letter by the deadline: https://mdc.formstack.com/forms/emerging_writer_fellowships_letter_of_recommendations
The Miami Book Fair Emerging Writer Fellowships program is supported by The Jorge M. Peréz Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, the Green Family Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture.
