Supporting Diverse Voices
We recognize that there are myriad opportunities to support authors in the earliest stages of a book’s development, specifically the ideas-to-proposal stage. In support of our unequivocal commitment to equitable and inclusive publishing, we want to ensure this early stage support is available to the greatest diversity of prospective authors. With Supporting Diverse Voices grants, we offer historically excluded and underrepresented scholars around the globe the opportunity to develop a book proposal in group or one-on-one settings with one of our partnering book coaches, each with her own approach to the collaborative development process.
The Supporting Diverse Voices Grants cover the costs of these collaborations. Each grantee will have a sponsoring PUP editor who will work with authors and coaches throughout the process. Following coaching, grantees agree to give PUP the right to consider the resulting proposals exclusively, before they are submitted to any other publishers for consideration. For any projects PUP does not pursue, Press editors will mentor grantees on alternative possible publishing paths.
Grants will be administered twice during the calendar year, with particular disciplines and groups specified for eligibility each cycle.
Grant Cycle | Winter 2023 (closed Feb 22, 12:00 pm EDT)
We are excited to announce the fifth cycle of PUP’s Supporting Diverse Voices: Book Proposal Development Grants, in support of non-fiction works by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the social sciences.
Prospective grantees are welcome to submit projects in the social sciences in the fields of anthropology, economics, politics and international relations, and sociology. We are particularly interested in projects that aim to reach a wider audience of non-academic readers. We welcome applications from scholars around the world and the opportunity is open to previously published authors and first-time authors alike.
Applications for the fifth cycle of the Supporting Diverse Voices were accepted from February 1-February 22, 12:00 pm EDT, and decisions will be shared by the end of April. Applicants were asked to specify the area of project focus from among those listed, and to identify preferences for coaches.
Grant Cycle | Summer 2023
The Summer 2023 grant cycle will focus on underrepresented authors in the the humanities. Criteria and application dates will be updated by August of 2023.
Previous Grant Cycles
Grant Cycle | Summer 2022 (closed)
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the sciences
In this application cycle, we sought non-fiction work by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color scholars in the sciences. We welcomed a wide range of subjects and readerships for project proposals, including books intended for general readerships, scholarly monographs, and textbooks. Applications were sought for projects in the following subject areas: in physics, earth science, biology, nature, neuroscience, computer science, and the mathematical sciences. This opportunity was open to previously published and first-time authors alike.
Grant Cycle | Winter 2022 (closed)
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color scholars in humanities
In this application cycle, we sought non-fiction work by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color scholars in the humanities. We welcomed a wide range of subjects and readerships for project proposals, including books intended for general readerships, scholarly monographs, and textbooks. This opportunity was open to previously published and first-time authors alike.
Grant Cycle | Summer 2021 (closed)
BIPOC scholars in economics, sociology, politics & international relations, anthropology, and urban studies
In the summer 2021 application cycle, we sought non-fiction work by BIPOC scholars in the social sciences in the fields of economics, sociology, politics and international relations, anthropology, and urban studies.
Grant Cycle | Winter 2021 (closed)
Woman, transgender, and gender expansive authors in science and mathematics
In the inaugural application cycle in winter of 2021, we sought non-fiction work by women, transgender, and gender expansive authors in science and mathematics, including scholars and journalists.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should review the descriptions of the book coaches in the section below and select two choices of partners with whom you might like to work. The current application cycle closed February 22, 2023 12:00 PM EDT.
For questions, please contact Christie Henry
Book Coaches
Michelle Boyd, Ph.D. | Composed Writing Retreat, InkWell Academic Writing Retreats
The Composed Writing Retreat is a transformative, retreat-based training program that teaches scholars to overcome their writing fears and create a calm, confident, productive writing practice. The power of Composed lies in its unique experiential learning program. It not only trains scholars to overcome writing blocks; it goes further, providing the container, support, and guided practice they need to truly transform their relationship with writing from one of fear to one of trust. Scholars who complete Composed call it “magical,” but it’s not magic—it’s science. The program is rooted in literatures showing that each scholar has their own natural writing process, and that many of their struggles come from their inability to recognize, access or follow that process when they need it. Composed trains scholars to uncover their process, build a routine around it, and use it to work through the emotional and psychological barriers to writing. It was designed by InkWell founder, Michelle Boyd, Ph.D., a self-described “struggling writer” whose success as an award-winning writer and former tenured faculty member belied the challenges she faced throughout her career as an academic. Every scholar leaves Composed with a customized method for make meaningful, measurable progress any time they write so they can boost their productivity and reconnect with the pleasures and satisfactions of writing long after the retreat is over. Inkwell: June 4-9, 2023 (Virtual).
Twitter: @InkWellRetreats
Instagram: @inkwellretreats
Jane Joann Jones, Ph.D. | Up In Consulting
For first-time book authors, the book proposal is a brand-new genre of writing that in some ways defies that to which they’ve become accustomed, such as dissertations and scholarly journal articles. As such, it’s imperative to learn how to effectively communicate the “so what” of your project—and believe you’re capable of doing so. This is especially important for underrepresented authors who may lack mentorship or knowledge of academic publishing conventions. Jane Jones, founder of Up In Consulting, works with writers in a 6-step process where she walks you through a brainstorming session and multiple drafts of the proposal. First, you will meet with Jane for an initial 1-hour coaching session to discuss the book project and your goals. Upon completion of the coaching session, Jane will send you a memo outlining suggestions for the direction of your proposal. Together, you will determine the delivery date for the submission of the proposal first draft. Jane will review the proposal and offer feedback—written and/or oral depending on extent and nature of revisions. You will review the feedback, can request clarification if necessary, and revise in preparation for final draft. Finally, Jane will review the final draft and copyedit the proposal for submission.
Instagram: @janejoannphd
Laura Portwood-Stacer | Manuscript Works
Authors who choose to work with Laura Portwood-Stacer will be enrolled in the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator, a six-week group program that guides scholars through the process of developing and pitching a compelling book proposal. In a series of 12 brief modules, the Accelerator breaks down what prospective authors need to know about scholarly book publishing, what they need to do in order to craft a compelling proposal, and how they can make their proposal stand out in the eyes of editors and publishers.
As participants in the Accelerator use the modules to craft each component of their proposal, they can post their drafts in the group platform for quick feedback from Laura. This allows participants to not only get responsive advice about their projects but also to benefit from seeing how other scholars approach the proposal and book development process. The Accelerator also includes five live Q&A sessions held on Friday mornings (Pacific time). Sharing work in the group platform and attending the live Q&A sessions is totally optional for all participants. Private coaching is not part of the Accelerator program—any material on which authors wish to receive feedback must be posted to the group platform within the designated six weeks of the Accelerator.
Authors do not need to have a proposal drafted yet before participating in the Accelerator, but they should come prepared with a loose project description and chapter summaries. The program will be held from January 7–February 24, 2022 and June 3–July 21, 2022.
Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD, is the author of The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors and the founder of Manuscript Works, a consultancy serving academic authors around the world. Her Book Proposal Accelerator program has helped hundreds of scholars gain clarity on the book publishing process and confidently pitch their books to competitive presses. Past participants have received offers on their books from publishers such as Princeton University Press, Oxford University Press, University of Chicago Press, the MIT Press, Duke University Press, and many others. Learn more about Laura’s approach to editing and publishing at her website and in her weekly newsletter.
Helen Sword | Stylish Writing Intensive
Helen Sword is a Professor of Humanities at the University of Auckland and an international expert on academic writing across the disciplines. As the author of research-based books including Stylish Academic Writing (Harvard UP, 2012), The Writer’s Diet (Chicago UP, 2016), Air & Light & Time and Space: How Successful Academics Write (Harvard UP, 2017), and Writing with Pleasure (forthcoming from Princeton UP in 2022), she aims to empower writers around the world to write more clearly, confidently, prolifically, and with greater pleasure. Helen’s flagship Stylish Writing Intensive is a transformational program for academics who aspire to maximize the impact and outreach of their research by publishing engaging, inspiring scholarly prose. Your personalized schedule over the three days of this immersive online (virtual) retreat (October 12-15, 2023) will include a carefully curated blend of structured writing time, advanced writing and editing workshops, asynchronous feedback, and craft-focused coaching with Helen as part of an intimate cohort. You will also receive one year of free membership in the WriteSPACE, an international community of academic, professional, and creative writers who meet online for weekly Virtual Writing Studio sessions and monthly Special Events with invited guests. To learn more about Helen and her work, check out her Resources for Writers website and sign up for her free newsletter.
Margy Thomas, Ph.D. | ScholarShape
Margy Thomas, Ph.D., founder of ScholarShape, helps you surface and articulate the unique contribution that only you can offer. ScholarShape’s signature method is Story-Argument design, a structured yet flexible approach to shaping your manuscript to function as both a compelling story and a persuasive argument. Underpinning this method is the Story-Argument model, a conceptual framework that describes the deep structure of powerful scholarship across genres and disciplines, and that integrates creativity and intuition into the process of academic knowledge formation. Margy synthesized the model through many years of interdisciplinary study and work as a developmental editor. If you choose ScholarShape as your PUP partner, you will receive (1) lifetime access to the ScholarShape Archives opening April 10 (which will contain an expanded version of the Story-Argument resources currently in the ScholarShape Incubator, to be replaced by the Archives); and (2) personalized support from Margy in the form of two Strategy Intensive sessions and a Draft Feedback service on each of your three documents — your proposal and two sample chapters — with a follow-up feedback round on your proposal document (services described here). You will also receive a variety of prompts and exercises to help you maximize your Story-Argument services within the specific context of developing a book for PUP.
Website: ScholarShape
Twitter: @ScholarShape
Instagram: @scholarshape
Leslie Wang, Ph.D. | Your Words Unleashed
Leslie Wang is a writing coach and the creator of Your Words Unleashed, a signature coaching program that helps scholars master their writing habits and publish books that matter. She helps authors from diverse disciplines draw wisdom from their own histories, overcome imposter syndrome, and make decisions grounded in their core values so they can write with joy and purpose. She empowers writers from marginalized backgrounds to transform the world with their ideas.
Your Words Unleashed helps authors develop the practical strategies and unshakable self-confidence to write their first book. Leslie works intensively with individuals through nine 1:1 coaching sessions over six months, with the goal of a completed book proposal. Her holistic process involves creating a sustainable writing schedule and realistic goal setting, managing internal blocks, identifying an ideal audience, and locating the book’s core message. Throughout, Leslie will provide feedback on your writing and ideas.
A certified life coach and former tenured professor, Leslie is also an ethnographer and the author of two scholarly books. Her coaching brings together an intimate understanding of academic writing, scholarly publishing, and the context of higher education. To learn more about Leslie and her work, check out her website or listen to her podcast.