CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 6TH EDITION OF THE AWT MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT PROGRAMMME

Submission window: Monday 15th July – Monday 5th August, 2024.

African Writers Trust is pleased to announce the sixth edition of the Manuscript Assessment Programme (MAP). The programme offers quality assessment of book manuscripts by highly experienced editors and readers. The goal of MAP is to enable writers produce quality manuscripts of high publishable standards.

Target Group

The programme is open to African writers living on the continent and in the Diaspora.

Assessors

We work with a stellar group of assessors, who share our passion and are committed to seeing the African book sector grow and thrive. These include: Bieke van Aggelen, Lillian Akampurira Aujo, Indra Wussow, Mildred K.Barya, Emma Shercliff, Jessica A. Kaahwa, Christopher Conte, Carol Beyanga, Madhu Krishnan, Goretti Kyomuhendo, Lynn Taylor, Jeanne-Marie Jackson Awotwi, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, Leila Aboulela, Kate Wallis, Gilbert Braspenning and Susan Kiguli.

Full biographies for the assessors can be found here.

Editorial Feedback

The assessors will provide a report of up to 2,000 words on key areas such as: plot, structure, character development, and dialogue, as well as on the quality of the writing. They will also make suggestions for the future development of the manuscript.

Criteria for participating writers

• All manuscripts must be written in English.
• Manuscripts genres include: novel, short stories, poetry, plays, creative non-fiction, and memoir/autobiography/biography/Essay.

Manuscript guidelines:

Length

• Novel: minimum 200 pages and maximum 300 pages (50,000 words)
• Short story collection/anthology: minimum 150 pages and maximum 250 (30,000 words)
• Poetry: minimum 50 pages and maximum 100 pages
• Plays: Maximum: 75 pages
• Memoir/autobiography /biography: Maximum: 50,000 words
• Creative non-fiction: Maximum: 50,000 words

Others

• Please include a synopsis of your manuscript of not more than 1,000 words.
• Manuscripts should be submitted as a one-word document using black, 12 point, Times New Roman font.

Submission Fee  

Participating writers will be required to pay a fee of USD 400 per manuscript.

Please note that the submission process requires authors to submit their manuscripts and pay the submission fee concurrently.

Submission window: Monday 15th July – Monday 5th August, 2024

Benefits

• A detailed, written feedback report
• The opportunity to become an AWT Alumni Associate and benefit from on-going support to gain additional experience in writing, editing and publishing.
• Participating writers will be directed to opportunities aimed at developing their careers such as contests, prizes, publishing opportunities, trainings, conferences and others.
• The opportunity to be part of the AWT online platforms which promotes a community of writers from which they can receive practical advice and guidance about how to maintain a writing life.

How to submit your manuscript?

• Register here to participate in this programme.
• Submit your manuscript and the synopsis to christine@africanwriterstrust.org and info@africanwriterstrust.org.
• Please use the subject line: Submission to MAP 6^th Edition.

How to pay

• For East African nationals, you may pay using: Airtel Money Merchant Code 4366272 registered as Tubaze African Books, which is a subsidiary of African Writers Trust.
• For international participants, you may use Money Gram, Western Union or direct bank transfer.

For further inquiries, please contact: Christine Nakagga, on +256 752 570573 and email christine@africanwriterstrust.org/ info@africanwriterstrust.org.

Please note that we will aim to give individual feedback by September 2024.