Visiting International Publishers Program 2025

We are looking for international publishers, editors, rights managers, literary agents and scouts, who are actively acquiring titles and authors; interested in Australian writing; and prepared to offer insights into their own markets. Applications from all territories are welcome.  

Applications from candidates with a focus on First Nations writing are strongly encouraged. 

Submissions from literary agents, scouts and publishers who specialise in children’s literature are also strongly encouraged. 

Creative Australia will provide six nights of accommodation, meals at official program events, and the following support for travel:

AUD $3,000 to support attendees from Europe and North America.

AUD $2,000 to support attendees from the Asia Pacific.

Delegates will be responsible for all other costs associated with attendance, including flights, travel insurance, visa costs, ground travel, per diems and incidentals.

Further details will be provided to program participants upon invitation.

Applicants must work with titles in the areas of fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry or children’s books (i.e. creative writing).

Publishers primarily involved with educational or reference books, self-help books, cookbooks, and/or other non-literary titles will not be considered. Self-publishers, printers and distributors are not eligible for the program.  

VIPs alumni are eligible to apply again five years after their last attendance.   

Please also check the general eligibility requirements on the Creative Australia website. 

You are required to address the following in your application:

• provide your name and job title
• provide the name of your publishing house or literary agency
• provide a link to your organisation’s website which lists your titles
• list your top three genre specialities or principal areas of interest
• provide a brief biography and work history, including key writers published/ represented (max 300 words). If you are selected for the program, this will be published on the Creative Australia website Please provide your biography in the same format as previous participants in the program (see here for examples)
• outline any of your current links with the Australian market (including international rights bought/sold and Australian writers published/represented) and explain what you hope to gain from your participation in the program
• confirm you are available to travel to Sydney from 19-23 May 2025
• confirm that your attendance on those dates has been granted by your employer
• confirm that you are a confident English speaker and provide two examples of public speaking experience at industry facing events
• detail whether you have participated in VIPs previously, and in which year/s.

Letters of support from Australian agents and/or publishers in support of your participation are not mandatory. However letters that explain how your participation would benefit the program are strongly recommended.

You may include up to three letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

No other supporting material is required. Please do not attach additional supporting material to your application.

You are not required to submit a budget with your application.

The VIPs Committee, comprising representatives from the Australian publishing industry, and Creative Australia staff will consider applications against the selection criteria, and the framework below.  

We are looking for a mix of representatives across the following: 

1. publishers, rights managers, commissioning editors, literary agents and scouts  
2. markets and territories 
3. genres, including adult fiction and non-fiction, and children’s and young adult fiction and non-fiction 
4. emerging and established publishing houses  
5. smaller and larger publishing houses.

Please note that we receive many more applications than there are places available, and we cannot guarantee that your application will be successful. 

You will be informed of the outcome of your application by mid-December 2024.  

Creative Australia will announce the confirmed line-up of participants in early 2025.