Open Fund FAQs for writers: Endorsements, reviews and sales data
We assess your application to the Open Fund against criteria including the strength of your creative or artistic idea. The following advice is designed to help you make sure you give us the information we need to show that your project fits the criteria, and to help save you time where information is less useful in this context.
Are endorsements and reviews useful?
Review coverage of previously published work is useful because it helps evidence that your application meets our public benefit and artistic and creative strength criteria. We understand that review space in the press particularly is limited, however, and reviews are not essential.
Endorsements by other writers (also known in the publishing industry as ‘puff quotes’) are not useful. If you are emergent and have worked with a mentor, do tell us about that experience in your own words.
Supporting commentary from your agent (if you have one) may be useful, particularly if this contextualises the opportunity the book offers for you in terms of reaching readers and/or career sustainability.
Should I include sales data for past titles?
We do not need your sales data, but you may wish to review your past sales in setting readership projections in the form. If you have written one previous book with TCM sales recorded by Neilsen of 1,218, we are likely to query a projected readership figure of 12,000 for your next. You should be able to understand previous sales from your royalty statements.
Do these notes answer your queries about endorsements, reviews and sales? If you have other queries, please do let us know in the comments or contact us direct.
