Not sure about something? We may have answered your question here.
If we haven’t, please get in touch with us at info@stella.org.au
Prior to entering
Who is judging the entries to the 2022 Stella Prize?
A panel of five key professionals from the Australian literary community will judge the 2022 Stella Prize. They are selected for their varied experience as writers, readers, critics, booksellers, editors, and/or literary programmers. The 2022 Stella Prize Judging Panel comprises Melissa Lucashenko (Chair), Declan Fry, Cate Kennedy, Sisonke Msimang, and Oliver Reeson.
What criteria do the Judging Panel use to determine the winner?
The Judging Panel will select the entry they believe to be the most original, excellent, and engaging as the winner.
Is a book still eligible if it was published in late 2020?
No. To be eligible for entry in the 2022 Stella Prize, books must have first been published commercially in English anywhere in the world between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021.
Entering
Will the details provided in my entry form be kept private?
Yes. All details submitted in the entry form will remain strictly confidential. Contact details will only be used to notify authors, publishers and agents in the event that a book is longlisted for the Stella Prize.
Do you accept entries from Australian citizens or residents who are based overseas at the time of entry?
Yes. Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia at the time of entry are eligible for the Prize.
Do you require proof of an author’s gender at the time of entry?
No. The Stella Prize is open to authors who identify with Stella’s mission to celebrate Australian women’s writing in ways that reconcile with their understanding of their own gender identity. This includes trans women, non-binary and cis women writers. We do not require any statement beyond an author’s self identification and interpret entry to the prize as confirmation of that identification.
Can Stella refuse my entry?
Yes. Stella welcomes all entries submitted in good faith and reserves the right to refuse entries submitted with malice or with the intent to mislead or deceive others, or which otherwise may harm the reputation of The Stella Prize Inc. All decisions of Stella and the Judging Panel are final. Stella and the Judging Panel will not enter into any discussions or correspondence regarding its decisions.
What if I do not have access to a valid ePub file at the time of entry?
If you do not have access to a valid ePub file at the time of entry you can alternatively attach a media release/information sheet about the title within your entry form and email the valid ePub file once it’s available to info@stella.org.au. Please note, ePub files must be received no later than Thursday 21 October in order to be considered a valid entry. PDFs will only be considered a valid entry under special circumstances.
Are books published by independent publishers eligible for entry?
Books published by independent publishers (and not self-published) are valid for entry on the provision that they:
- are published by a registered business, whereby said company/business publishes more than one author;
- are distributed through more than one sales channel;
- and have a valid ISBN number.
I have self-published a book (i.e. published independently at my own expense) – is my book eligible for the Stella Prize?
No. Self-published books and books published only in ebook form are not eligible for entry.
What if my book has been published overseas in a previous calendar year, and has now been published in Australia?
Books are only eligible for entry once. You may choose to enter a book in the year it is first published overseas or first published in Australia.
Are entries in languages other than English eligible?
Entries must be in English. Bilingual editions are eligible, as are books first published in another language and then translated into English, and first published in English during the eligibility period.
Are co-authored books eligible for the Stella Prize?
Yes. Books can be co-authored, but edited collections are not eligible for entry. Books cannot be entered in the name of an editor or a committee. In the case of a book with multiple authors, all authors must meet eligibility criteria number 1.
Have poetry collections been eligible for the Stella Prize in the past?
No. The 2022 Stella Prize will be the first year poetry collections are eligible for entry.
Can some of the essays or poems within a book have been previously published elsewhere?
Yes. Books are eligible as long as a significant proportion of the work has not previously been published in book form.
Am I able to submit multiple entries within the same form?
No. You’ll need to enter each book individually.
As a publisher/agent, do I need all of my author’s contact information prior to entering their book into the Stella Prize?
Yes. Please do not provide publisher or agent contact information as an alternative for an author’s contact information.
Are previous winners of the Stella Prize eligible to enter again?
Yes. Individual books are judged on their own merit by a new Judging Panel each year.
After entering
Will I receive a notification that you’ve received my entry?
Yes. You’ll receive an automatic notification email confirming your entry has been received.
Will I be contacted if I have not been longlisted for the Stella Prize?
No. Only those longlisted for the prize will be notified individually.