AS OF 2020, GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE ACCEPTED

2024 Submission Guidelines

AS OF 2020, GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE ACCEPTED

2024 Submission Guidelines

If you are a publisher and are interested in submitting an entry for the 2024 Giller Prize, please review highlights from the submission package by scrolling down. You can download the complete submission requirements in PDF format by clicking the button below.

IMPORTANT NOTE

As of 2016, the system by which publishers may submit titles to the Giller Prize has changed. For submissions for the 2024 Prize, the number of books a publisher can submit will depend on that imprint’s inclusion on longlists and shortlists over the history of the Prize, as follows:

1 submission – imprints with no listings
2 submissions – imprints with longlisting(s) and/or shortlisting(s)

Submissions will not be accepted from newly created imprints of existing publishers. Any new imprints, created after the 2015/2016 prize eligibility period will be included in the publisher’s quota.

The system whereby publishers are requested to submit a complete list of eligible titles remains the same and the judges will continue to have the option to call-in any of these titles.

The rule which allows submissions of new works by an author who has previously won the Giller Prize remains unchanged and is not included in the publisher’s submission quota.

Previous winners of the Governor General’s Awards will no longer receive an automatic submission and new works by these authors will be included in the publisher’s submission quota.

View the complete list of past longlists and shortlists.

DETAILS AND RULES FOR THE 2024 PRIZE

1. THE PRIZE

  1. The Giller Prize presents $100,000 (CDN) to the winner and $10,000 (CDN) to each of the finalists. The Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation.
  2. If a translation is shortlisted, the author will receive $7,000, and the translator(s) will receive $3,000. In the event that a translation wins, $70,000 will be awarded to the author and $30,000 will be awarded to the translator(s).
  3. The Giller Prize, named for the late literary journalist Doris Giller, was founded in her honour by her husband, Jack Rabinovitch. The Prize was first awarded in 1994.
  4. The Giller Prize partnered with Scotiabank in 2005 and the purse increased from $25,000 to $50,000. In 2008, the purse grew to $70,000 and doubled to $140,000 in 2014.

2. THE JURY

  1. Each year, an appointed jury panel will be responsible for compiling a longlist of typically not less than 10 and not more than 14 titles, and a subsequent shortlist of typically not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) of the outstanding books, submitted to the Giller Prize. From the shortlist, the jury panel will be responsible for selecting one winner.
  2. The jury vows not to divulge or discuss any of the books submitted for the Prize with anyone outside of the jury panel. The jury panel agrees to discuss the books under consideration only with their fellow jurors.
  3. The jury panel will pick the best books without any consideration given to publisher, geography, gender, or ethnicity.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  1. To be eligible, a book must be a first-edition novel, graphic novel, or short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  2. Collections of previously published work are not eligible. Any story collections containing work previously published in book form will not be eligible unless the number of new stories outweighs the number of previously published ones.
  3. To be eligible, a book must be published in English, either originally or in translation. In the case of a translation, the original work must be Canadian-authored.
  4. Books must be scheduled for publication in Canada in English between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. Previous publication of a book in another language or in another country does not disqualify it. In the case of a translation, the original authored book must be published no more than five years prior to its English translation.
  5. Publishers outside of Canada may submit works from Canadian authors provided all of the eligibility requirements are met and the title is available for purchase as per rule 3.g.
  6. No entry shall be ineligible because its author has won either the Giller Prize or any other prize previously.
  7. All books/e-books must carry an ISBN number and be available for sale in retail/bookstores across Canada. Books that are available by print-on-demand only or online sales only are ineligible.
  8. No self-published books shall be eligible (that is, titles authored by any senior officer of the book’s publishing firm and/or books underwritten in part or in whole by the author).
  9. No YA (young adult) books, comic books or works of poetry shall be eligible.
  10. E-book submissions are required along with material-bound form. Please send e-books as PDF files.
  11. The decision of the judges as to whether a book is eligible shall be binding.
  12. The Giller Prize does not accept posthumous submissions.
  13. AI-generated text in part or in whole will not be accepted.

4. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

Any eligible book that is entered for the Giller Prize shall not be eligible unless its publisher agrees:

  1. If a book is shortlisted, to pay $2,000 to the Prize as a contribution towards shortlist advertising and promotion.
  2. To secure a signed commitment from the author, at the time a book is longlisted, to ensure the finalist agrees, that: if their book is shortlisted, there is an understanding, agreement, and fulfilled obligation on the part of the publisher and author that there will be a series of events highlighting and promoting the shortlisted author, in addition to the gala, that the author is committed to attending and taking part in all events. If their book is shortlisted, the publisher and author agree, in a timely fashion, and before the above-mentioned events are underway, to sign approximately 2,000 copies of their book, all of which will be purchased from the publisher by Scotiabank for internal distribution.
  3. To spend an appropriate sum on media advertising for the winning book.
  4. To prepare and encourage its nominated and/or winning author(s) to participate in all reasonable publicity associated with the Giller Prize, including interviews, readings, and appearances.
  5. To use their best efforts to sticker copies of the shortlisted and/or winning book(s) on all subsequent reprints with the Giller Prize seals (to be provided by the Prize) and, when including facsimiles of the Giller Prize seal on all reprints of the shortlisted and/or winning book(s), to secure the prior approval of the Prize with respect to artwork.
  6. All publishers will be required to sign a permissions agreement for books submitted to the Giller Prize granting the Giller Prize the right to excerpt, chapter, or short story from the works of your authors who are nominated for or named the winner of the Giller Prize for use in any Giller Prize promotional activity leading up to and following the Giller Gala.
  7. To comply with rule 5.i.
  8. That if a book is longlisted, the author will commit to participating in the Giller Book Club the following year. These virtual events will be held between January and June 2025.

5. SUBMISSIONS PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES

  1. Publishers are asked to provide e-books/ePubs or PDF files in addition to material-bound books.
  2. All titles must be scheduled for publication between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
  3. Publishers may enter novels, graphic novels or short story collections, per imprint, as follows:
    • 1 submission – imprints with no listings over the history of the Prize
    • 2 submissions – imprints with longlisting(s) and/or shortlisting(s) over the
    history of the Prize. Submissions will not be accepted from newly created
    imprints of existing publishers. Any new imprints, created after the 2015/2016
    Prize eligibility period, will be included in the publisher’s quota.
  4. In addition, publishers may submit books by authors who have previously won the Giller Prize.
  5. Entries (finished books or galleys) are to be submitted according to the following schedule:
    • Books published between October 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024, must be
    received on or before February 16, 2024.
    • Books published between March 1, 2024, and April 30, 2024, must be received
    on or before April 19, 2023.
    • Books published between May 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, must be received on
    or before June 21, 2023.
    • Books published between July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, must be
    received on or before August 16, 2023.
  6. The final deadline for submissions is August 16, 2024. Submissions received after the final deadline of August 16, 2024, will be deemed ineligible.
  7. The Giller Prize requests that publishers submit a list of all eligible fiction scheduled for publication between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The eligible fiction list must include title, imprint, author and date of publication. Please indicate on the eligible list which books will be submitted to the Prize.
  8. The Giller Prize may, at any time, call in a book, even if that book has not been submitted as an eligible title. In that event, the publisher will be required to complete an entry form, sign and submit the entry form along and comply with all other rules and regulations.
  9. Except for call-in’s, receipt of eligible submissions will be acknowledged in writing by the Prize. If a submission has not been acknowledged by the Prize, the submitted title has not been received/or is deemed ineligible.
  10. No book entered or called in will be returned to publishers.
  11. Five (5) copies of each (physical copy) entry must be submitted to:
    The Giller Prize
    Daphna Rabinovitch
    499 Douglas Avenue
    Toronto, ON M5M 1H6
    daphna@gillerprize.ca***Please authorize couriers to leave boxes with ‘no signature required’ at the front door***The Prize is not responsible for picking up boxes at postal station outlets.Each entry must be accompanied by the signed submission form, a current author biography with the author’s social media handles (if applicable), a jpeg of the author (with photo credit), and the book cover sent by e-mail that can be reproduced for use in print and online at www.gillerprize.ca.
  12. If the submission is in the form of galleys or ARCs, only three (3) copies are to be submitted. Two (2) copies of the finished book must be received by the Prize (c/o Daphna Rabinovitch) by September 15, 2024, and must be confirmed for publication on or before September 30, 2024.

6. THE FINALISTS

  1. A longlist of finalists will be announced with a press release in early September 2024. A shortlist of finalists will be announced at a news conference in late September or early October. National publicity promoting the Prize and the shortlisted authors will begin at that announcement and continue until the winner is declared.
  2. The winner of the Giller Prize will be announced at a gala ceremony in Toronto in November 2024. So that all shortlisted authors may attend that ceremony, the Prize will bear the cost of accommodation and any required air or ground travel for authors who live outside the greater Toronto area.
  3. The jury panel will select the longlist, shortlist and the winner in private deliberations immediately preceding each announcement. Publishers should be aware that they will receive no advance notice of the finalists or the winner.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries:
Daphna Rabinovitch, Submissions Manager
Phone: 416.525.3752
E-mail: daphna@gillerprize.ca

Submissions can be sent to:
The Giller Prize
c/o Daphna Rabinovitch
499 Douglas Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5M 1H6

E-materials can be sent to:
daphna@gillerprize.ca

If you are a publisher and are interested in submitting an entry for the 2024 Giller Prize, please review highlights from the submission package by scrolling down. You can download the complete submission requirements in PDF format by clicking the button below.

IMPORTANT NOTE

As of 2016, the system by which publishers may submit titles to the Giller Prize has changed. For submissions for the 2024 Prize, the number of books a publisher can submit will depend on that imprint’s inclusion on longlists and shortlists over the history of the Prize, as follows:

1 submission – imprints with no listings
2 submissions – imprints with longlisting(s) and/or shortlisting(s)

Submissions will not be accepted from newly created imprints of existing publishers. Any new imprints, created after the 2015/2016 prize eligibility period will be included in the publisher’s quota.

The system whereby publishers are requested to submit a complete list of eligible titles remains the same and the judges will continue to have the option to call-in any of these titles.

The rule which allows submissions of new works by an author who has previously won the Giller Prize remains unchanged and is not included in the publisher’s submission quota.

Previous winners of the Governor General’s Awards will no longer receive an automatic submission and new works by these authors will be included in the publisher’s submission quota.

View the complete list of past longlists and shortlists.

DETAILS AND RULES FOR THE 2024 PRIZE

1. THE PRIZE

  1. The Giller Prize presents $100,000 (CDN) to the winner and $10,000 (CDN) to each of the finalists. The Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation.
  2. If a translation is shortlisted, the author will receive $7,000, and the translator(s) will receive $3,000. In the event that a translation wins, $70,000 will be awarded to the author and $30,000 will be awarded to the translator(s).
  3. The Giller Prize, named for the late literary journalist Doris Giller, was founded in her honour by her husband, Jack Rabinovitch. The Prize was first awarded in 1994.
  4. The Giller Prize partnered with Scotiabank in 2005 and the purse increased from $25,000 to $50,000. In 2008, the purse grew to $70,000 and doubled to $140,000 in 2014.

2. THE JURY

  1. Each year, an appointed jury panel will be responsible for compiling a longlist of typically not less than 10 and not more than 14 titles, and a subsequent shortlist of typically not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) of the outstanding books, submitted to the Giller Prize. From the shortlist, the jury panel will be responsible for selecting one winner.
  2. The jury vows not to divulge or discuss any of the books submitted for the Prize with anyone outside of the jury panel. The jury panel agrees to discuss the books under consideration only with their fellow jurors.
  3. The jury panel will pick the best books without any consideration given to publisher, geography, gender, or ethnicity.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  1. To be eligible, a book must be a first-edition novel, graphic novel, or short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  2. Collections of previously published work are not eligible. Any story collections containing work previously published in book form will not be eligible unless the number of new stories outweighs the number of previously published ones.
  3. To be eligible, a book must be published in English, either originally or in translation. In the case of a translation, the original work must be Canadian-authored.
  4. Books must be scheduled for publication in Canada in English between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. Previous publication of a book in another language or in another country does not disqualify it. In the case of a translation, the original authored book must be published no more than five years prior to its English translation.
  5. Publishers outside of Canada may submit works from Canadian authors provided all of the eligibility requirements are met and the title is available for purchase as per rule 3.g.
  6. No entry shall be ineligible because its author has won either the Giller Prize or any other prize previously.
  7. All books/e-books must carry an ISBN number and be available for sale in retail/bookstores across Canada. Books that are available by print-on-demand only or online sales only are ineligible.
  8. No self-published books shall be eligible (that is, titles authored by any senior officer of the book’s publishing firm and/or books underwritten in part or in whole by the author).
  9. No YA (young adult) books, comic books or works of poetry shall be eligible.
  10. E-book submissions are required along with material-bound form. Please send e-books as PDF files.
  11. The decision of the judges as to whether a book is eligible shall be binding.
  12. The Giller Prize does not accept posthumous submissions.
  13. AI-generated text in part or in whole will not be accepted.

4. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

Any eligible book that is entered for the Giller Prize shall not be eligible unless its publisher agrees:

  1. If a book is shortlisted, to pay $2,000 to the Prize as a contribution towards shortlist advertising and promotion.
  2. To secure a signed commitment from the author, at the time a book is longlisted, to ensure the finalist agrees, that: if their book is shortlisted, there is an understanding, agreement, and fulfilled obligation on the part of the publisher and author that there will be a series of events highlighting and promoting the shortlisted author, in addition to the gala, that the author is committed to attending and taking part in all events. If their book is shortlisted, the publisher and author agree, in a timely fashion, and before the above-mentioned events are underway, to sign approximately 2,000 copies of their book, all of which will be purchased from the publisher by Scotiabank for internal distribution.
  3. To spend an appropriate sum on media advertising for the winning book.
  4. To prepare and encourage its nominated and/or winning author(s) to participate in all reasonable publicity associated with the Giller Prize, including interviews, readings, and appearances.
  5. To use their best efforts to sticker copies of the shortlisted and/or winning book(s) on all subsequent reprints with the Giller Prize seals (to be provided by the Prize) and, when including facsimiles of the Giller Prize seal on all reprints of the shortlisted and/or winning book(s), to secure the prior approval of the Prize with respect to artwork.
  6. All publishers will be required to sign a permissions agreement for books submitted to the Giller Prize granting the Giller Prize the right to excerpt, chapter, or short story from the works of your authors who are nominated for or named the winner of the Giller Prize for use in any Giller Prize promotional activity leading up to and following the Giller Gala.
  7. To comply with rule 5.i.
  8. That if a book is longlisted, the author will commit to participating in the Giller Book Club the following year. These virtual events will be held between January and June 2025.

5. SUBMISSIONS PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES

  1. Publishers are asked to provide e-books/ePubs or PDF files in addition to material-bound books.
  2. All titles must be scheduled for publication between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
  3. Publishers may enter novels, graphic novels or short story collections, per imprint, as follows:
    • 1 submission – imprints with no listings over the history of the Prize
    • 2 submissions – imprints with longlisting(s) and/or shortlisting(s) over the
    history of the Prize. Submissions will not be accepted from newly created
    imprints of existing publishers. Any new imprints, created after the 2015/2016
    Prize eligibility period, will be included in the publisher’s quota.
  4. In addition, publishers may submit books by authors who have previously won the Giller Prize.
  5. Entries (finished books or galleys) are to be submitted according to the following schedule:
    • Books published between October 1, 2023, and February 28, 2024, must be
    received on or before February 16, 2024.
    • Books published between March 1, 2024, and April 30, 2024, must be received
    on or before April 19, 2023.
    • Books published between May 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, must be received on
    or before June 21, 2023.
    • Books published between July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, must be
    received on or before August 16, 2023.
  6. The final deadline for submissions is August 16, 2024. Submissions received after the final deadline of August 16, 2024, will be deemed ineligible.
  7. The Giller Prize requests that publishers submit a list of all eligible fiction scheduled for publication between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The eligible fiction list must include title, imprint, author and date of publication. Please indicate on the eligible list which books will be submitted to the Prize.
  8. The Giller Prize may, at any time, call in a book, even if that book has not been submitted as an eligible title. In that event, the publisher will be required to complete an entry form, sign and submit the entry form along and comply with all other rules and regulations.
  9. Except for call-in’s, receipt of eligible submissions will be acknowledged in writing by the Prize. If a submission has not been acknowledged by the Prize, the submitted title has not been received/or is deemed ineligible.
  10. No book entered or called in will be returned to publishers.
  11. Five (5) copies of each (physical copy) entry must be submitted to:
    The Giller Prize
    Daphna Rabinovitch
    499 Douglas Avenue
    Toronto, ON M5M 1H6
    daphna@gillerprize.ca***Please authorize couriers to leave boxes with ‘no signature required’ at the front door***The Prize is not responsible for picking up boxes at postal station outlets.Each entry must be accompanied by the signed submission form, a current author biography with the author’s social media handles (if applicable), a jpeg of the author (with photo credit), and the book cover sent by e-mail that can be reproduced for use in print and online at www.gillerprize.ca.
  12. If the submission is in the form of galleys or ARCs, only three (3) copies are to be submitted. Two (2) copies of the finished book must be received by the Prize (c/o Daphna Rabinovitch) by September 15, 2024, and must be confirmed for publication on or before September 30, 2024.

6. THE FINALISTS

  1. A longlist of finalists will be announced with a press release in early September 2024. A shortlist of finalists will be announced at a news conference in late September or early October. National publicity promoting the Prize and the shortlisted authors will begin at that announcement and continue until the winner is declared.
  2. The winner of the Giller Prize will be announced at a gala ceremony in Toronto in November 2024. So that all shortlisted authors may attend that ceremony, the Prize will bear the cost of accommodation and any required air or ground travel for authors who live outside the greater Toronto area.
  3. The jury panel will select the longlist, shortlist and the winner in private deliberations immediately preceding each announcement. Publishers should be aware that they will receive no advance notice of the finalists or the winner.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries:
Daphna Rabinovitch, Submissions Manager
Phone: 416.525.3752
E-mail: daphna@gillerprize.ca

Submissions can be sent to:
The Giller Prize
c/o Daphna Rabinovitch
499 Douglas Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5M 1H6

E-materials can be sent to:
daphna@gillerprize.ca

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