Walter Grants for Writers and Illustrators

 
The Walter Dean Myers Grant program was established to provide grants of $2,000 each to promising diverse writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. Since 2015, we have awarded 45 grants. Current and former grantees have gone on to publish or contract over 50 books for children and teens.

SUBMISSION WINDOW

We will start accepting applications for the 2023 Walter Grants at 12:01 AM EST on June 1, 2023. Our submission window will remain open until July 10, 2023. Applications must be in by 11:59 PM EST on July 10. You may submit an application below using our application form.

In 2023, we are offering three community-specific grants in addition to our general five Walter Grants. We are offering five general Walter Grants to diverse unpublished authors and illustrators. We are also offering one Walter Grant to disabled writers, two Walter Grants to trans writers and illustrators, and two Walter Grants to Native/Indigenous/First Nations writers and illustrators. To apply for this grant, you must select that you wish to be considered in your application.

GUIDELINES

ELIGIBILITY FOR GENERAL WALTER GRANT

• Applicants must identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity.
• Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this grant. Essays, short stories, journalism, and articles do not render an applicant ineligible.
• Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Books on submission to procure an agent however will not render the applicant ineligible.
• Applicant must be working toward a career as a children’s author and/or illustrator. This includes but is not limited to: Picture Books, Early Reader Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry.
• Applicant cannot be applying for funding to self-publish their project.
• Applicant must be a U.S. resident or a refugee living in the States. (Note for refugee applicants: receiving a grant might affect your income limitations and any government assistance you may receive. You may want to reach out to appropriate officials, like an immigration attorney, for advice.)
• Applicant must be at least 18 years in age.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR DISABLED WRITERS

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND
• Applicant must be a part of the disability community/identify as disabled. The Walter Grant for disabled creators is open to all disabled writers, including but 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.
• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. You need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.
• Your creative work does NOT need to include or center a disabled character in order to qualify for this Walter Grant, so long as you identify as disabled.

• You need to be applying as a writer, not as an illustrator.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR TRANS CREATORS

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND
• Applicant must be a part of the trans community. The Walter Grant for trans creators is open to all trans writers and illustrators, including but not limited to people who are trans men, trans women, Two Spirit, third gender, nonbinary, genderqueer, bigender/pangender, genderfluid, and agender.
• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. You need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.
• Your creative work does NOT need to include or center a trans character in order to qualify for this Walter Grant, so long as you identify as trans.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR NATIVE/INDIGENOUS CREATORS

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND
• Applicant must be Native, Indigenous, and/or First Nations, including but not limited to Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and tribal citizens and members or recent descendants who are connected to their community.
• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. If you belong to more than one of these communities, you need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.
• Your creative work does NOT need to include or center a Native/Indigenous character in order to qualify for this Walter Grant, so long as you identify as Native/Indigenous.

For inquiries, email: waltergrant@diversebooks.org

Visit https://diversebooks.org/programs/walter-grant/#application-form for more details and to apply.