ACLA Helen Tartar First Book Subvention Program

About this program

ACLA’s Helen Tartar First Book Subvention Program, administered by the ACLA Executive Board, provides competitive publication subventions—up to $10,500 annually in total, typically through as many as three awards of $3,500 each—paid directly to presses to support ACLA-member authors publishing their first scholarly books. Eligible applicants are ACLA members who are first-time book authors; candidates with provisional contracts from established academic presses receive special consideration but need not have a contract. Complete applications (standard humanities book proposal with a short description and a manuscript summary of up to 1,000 words plus chapter summaries and market/methods statement, completed author and publisher forms, CV, and full manuscript) must be submitted online at acla.org by August 31, 2026 (11:59 pm EST); decisions are final and winners will be announced at the 2027 ACLA annual meeting.