Award info
The A. Orr Grant is a new award for middle grade and YA fantasy and science fiction authors. Sponsor Michele Orr has been a member of SCBWI for several years and when her sister Alice Orr Sprague passed from a short struggle with cancer, Michele wanted to honor her memory. Alice, under the name A. Orr, wrote two fantasy novels, The World In Amber and In the Ice King’s Palace, published by Bluejay Books in 1986 and 1987. It is Michele’s honor and joy to create this award in remembrance of her sister.
The winner of the A. Orr Grant will receive tuition to the SCBWI Summer Conference, and $600 cash.
Eligibility
You must be a current SCBWI member when your work is submitted and when the award is announced.
You may not have works published, or under contract, with a traditional publishing house. Pre-published and self-published authors are eligible.
Each member may submit only one manuscript to the A. Orr Grant each year.
Applicants should submit a completed novel for middle grade or young adult readers, in the speculative fiction genre. The speculative fiction umbrella covers high fantasy as well as sci-fi, magical realism, fabulism, folklore, horror, alternate history, and other related categories.
Picture books will not be accepted for this award.
Submission Guidelines
Please follow the below instructions completely.
Please submit your application via the awards tab on your Member Home. (You must be logged in to access your Member Home.)
Please include all info as ONE PDF ATTACHMENT. We will NOT accept a word document.
Your PDF attachment must include:
a cover page that contains your name, manuscript title, and a double-spaced synopsis, max 250 words;
the first 10 pages (US letter size) of your completed manuscript with page numbers in the bottom corner. You must have a complete draft to submit. Please include your name (First_Last) in the upper corner of your 10 pages.
Your manuscript sample must be double-spaced and cannot exceed 10 pages. We do not need a separate title page. Your cover page doubles as a title page. Please use 12-point, Times New Roman or Arial font.
Please label your PDF as First Name_Last Name (e.g., Mary_Ford). (Your submission should total 11 pages: cover page + 10 manuscript pages.)
Previously published or self-published material is not eligible; please submit a new manuscript.
