Individuals, groups and organisations may apply on behalf of an eligible literary journal. 

To be eligible, your publication must:  

• Be primarily dedicated to publishing original literary work of a high standard including fiction, poetry, essays and criticism. Published work can also include reviews, interviews and commentary on literature and culture. 
• Be based in Australia and primarily serve Australian audiences 
• Have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) in the applicant’s name 
• Have been operational for at least 2 years before the closing date  
• Have evidence of publishing at least 8 different Australian writers or contributors in the 12 months before the closing date 
• Demonstrate evidence of paying Australian writers and contributors 
• Outline how the proposed activity will build digital capability and/or strengthen editorial capacity  

Journals associated with schools, universities or other educational institutions may apply if they meet all eligibility requirements. Activities that primarily support teaching, curriculum delivery or academic research are not eligible. 

Recipients of Creative Australia Multi-Year Investment are eligible to apply but may not be prioritised depending on available funding. 
 

Who can’t apply 

You cannot apply for this investment if: 

• your publication is based outside of Australia 
• your publication does not pay writers and contributors 
• you are a local government authority or state or territory government agency 
• you are applying to support the individual creative practice of a writer, illustrator or contributor, rather than the activities of an eligible literary journal 
• your publication predominantly publishes academic research 
• your publication predominantly publishes content other than literary work, including news, commercial publishing, advertorial writing or personal blogging 
• you have already applied to this round 
• you have an overdue grant report to Creative Australia 
• you owe money to Creative Australia. 
   

What can be applied for 

Activities and costs may include, but are not limited to:  

• building digital infrastructure, including website upgrades and redesigns, improving user experience and accessibility 
• implementing digital analytics tools 
• developing or enhancing archiving systems 
• systems for managing subscriptions and reader engagement 
• platforms for hosting and delivering online content 
• tools for multimedia integration (audio, video, interactive content) 
• training in digital publishing and editorial technologies 
• payment for staff involved in digital upgrade planning 
• professional development for editors 
• payment for editorial staff. 

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. presentation activities using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning and audio description). 

If you are working with d/Deaf people or people with disability in your application, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs. 
 

What can’t be applied for 

You can’t apply for: 

• business-as-usual expenses that support your publication’s regular operations or publishing program, including payment of writers and contributors, rather than time-limited activities that build digital capability or strengthen editorial capacity 
• activities that have already taken place  
• travel expenses, except reasonable local travel costs incurred by journal staff directly in delivering the funded activities 
• the same activities you are applying for through other Creative Australia programs including funding provided through Multi-Year Investment or other project investment.    

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.
 

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to the Cultural Protocols and provide evidence of this in the application and support material. Read the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts. 
 

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

Assessment process 

Industry advisers with relevant experience will assess applications to this program. Writing Australia will make final decisions based on this advice.   

For more information on how we assess applications, please visit our Assessment page.    

Assessment criteria 

After we confirm eligibility, industry advisers will assess applications against the following three criteria. 

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what industry advisers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed. 

Viability 

Advisers will assess the viability of the proposed activities. They may consider: 

• the calibre and track record of the journal, its reputation and history of publishing quality work 
• how the proposed digital upgrades or editorial development meet current needs 
• realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including clear timelines, budgets, contingency plans and planning for any ongoing costs 
• appropriate payment for editors, consultants and digital specialists  
• evidence that digital platforms and content will be inclusive and accessible 
   

Impact 

Advisers will assess the expected impacts and outcomes of the proposed activities for your publication and its intended audiences. 

They may consider: 

• the impact of the investment on the journal’s long-term viability 
• benefits for the wider literary community, including published writers and contributors 
• potential to reach new readers through improved digital presence 
• the extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is accessible and inclusive 
• the capacity to build digital and editorial skills and expertise among staff and collaborators  

Alignment 

Advisers will assess the extent to which the proposed activities align with the investment’s priorities. 

They may consider: 

• evidence of creative or forward-thinking approaches to building or improving digital platforms, tools and systems 
• the relevance of the journal to contemporary Australia and how the journal reflects diverse voices 
• how the project will help the journal grow audiences, develop new sustainable business models or maintain archives  

Applications must be submitted through the Creative Australia Application Management System.  

If you are registering to use the system for the first time, make sure you register well before the closing date. It can take up to two business days to process your registration. 

Example application questions:  

• a brief description of the proposed activities and how they respond to your publication’s current needs 
• information about your publication’s track record, editorial structure and readership 
• a realistic timeline, budget and approach to managing resources and ongoing costs 
• the anticipated impacts and outcomes of the proposed activities for your publication, its audiences and the wider literary sector 
• support material relevant to your application, including examples of your publishing history and evidence of payment to writers and contributors 

Additional material must be submitted to support your application. We will use it to understand your publication and assess the viability, impact and alignment of the proposed activities. Do not assume assessors are familiar with your journal. 

We strongly recommend you curate your support material to be relevant, targeted and easily accessible.   

You can submit URLs, PDFs or Word documents that are relevant to your submission. 

Creative Australia will not view URLs that require a login, account creation, subscription or payment. Password-protected sites or files are accepted where you provide the password in the application form. 

You can provide up to 3 URLs and 3 file uploads.   

Across all file uploads, you can include a maximum of 10 pages of written material. This total includes the project plan, which must be no more than 4 pages. The page limit applies collectively, not separately to each upload. 

If you provide material that exceeds these limits it may not be reviewed as part of the assessment process.   

You can upload support material to your application in Word and PDF file formats. 

We do not accept support material submitted by post. Support material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Writing Australia.   

Learn more about support material through the Creative Australia support material guidance.  

1. Information about your publication, writers and contributors 

This could include background information on the journal; writers and contributors published or media clippings. You may include evidence of confirmed commissions or scheduled pieces of work.  

2. Evidence of writer and contributor payment 

Please upload evidence of payment to published writers or contributors for the 12 months before the closing date. This could take the form of financial statements, past commission rates, current commission rates or invoices. 

You may upload these documents to your application as Word or PDF files. 

Please see Creative australia Payment of Artists page for more information. 

3. Project plans 

If the application form does not provide enough space, you may include a high-level project plan of no more than four pages. It is included within the overall 10-page written-material limit and should address: 

• how the proposed activities will build digital capability and/or strengthen editorial capacity 
• how the activities respond to your publication’s current needs and can be delivered within the proposed timeline and budget 
• how the anticipated outcomes will strengthen your publication’s viability, benefit its audiences and align with the investment’s priorities. 

 
We expect that applicants will demonstrate plans to sustain activities beyond the initial investment period. 

Applications to this program are assessed by industry advisers with relevant experience. Final decisions are made by Writing Australia based on this advice.     

Outcomes of previous rounds are published at the Awarded grants page.  

For more information on how we assess applications please visit our Assessment page.   

The following advice for applicants has been based on the assessment of previous rounds: 

• Ensure your application aligns with the aims of the investment. 
• Use clear, direct language. Avoid overly broad or bureaucratic terminology. 
• Provide a detailed application with clearly articulated plans. Include a well-developed budget with detailed costs and a clear explanation of how these have been calculated. 
• Clearly describe the editorial structure of your journal, including the size of your team and how it operates. 
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of your readership, including what your audience expects and engages with. Be clear about whether your readership or circulation figures relate to print or digital formats. 
• Be realistic about the scope of your project. If you are outlining an ambitious project, ensure your funding request matches the scale of the activities. 
• Articulate a specific, creative and forward-thinking digital strategy. Move beyond maintenance activity and demonstrate an editorial vision that guides your approach. 
• Show how you will effectively use your existing digital infrastructure. Be clear about the outcomes you are hoping to achieve and which platforms will support these. 
• If engaging external consultants, identify who they are, outline their experience and demonstrate how they will help achieve your proposed outcomes. 
• Include support material that demonstrates artistic and editorial quality, alongside administrative and data-driven material. Provide examples that clearly convey your journal’s editorial vision and excellence. 
• Outline the longer-term impact of your proposed activities on your journal’s operations. Clarify whether it is a one-off project that will build lasting capability or an ongoing project. If it’s the latter, include plans for the sustainability of the project.  

Contact Writing Australia before the closing date. We strongly encourage applicants to contact us with any questions about their application before submissions close.