PUBLISHING NEW VOICES

At Hachette Australia we believe books have the power to change minds, create empathy, broaden understanding and make our world a better place. To this end, we have committed to seeking out brilliant writing by new and emerging voices whoever and wherever they might be, especially beyond traditional publishing networks and literary hubs.

Our writing prize partnerships reflect our commitment to publishing diversely and inclusively. If you are an aspiring author who hopes to one day be published, check out these wonderful opportunities:

The Richell Prize

In 2015 Hachette Australia, together with the Richell family, established The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers in partnership with The Guardian Australia and the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF). Launched in memory of Hachette Australia’s former CEO, Matt Richell, this generous prize is open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction.

The prize includes $10,000 prize money and a year-long mentorship with one of our publishers. To date we have been delighted to publish five books by winning and shortlisted writers with a further two books scheduled for upcoming publication.

Discover more, including how to enter The Richell Prize here.

The black&write! Writing Fellowships and Editing Internships

Since 2015, Hachette Australia has been the official publishing partner for the black&write! Writing Fellowships and Editorial Internships, providing support for First Nations writers and editors in conjunction with the State Library of Queensland.

The Writing Fellowships include prize money of $10,000, editorial development and publication opportunities with Hachette Australia, and are awarded annually to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers for unpublished works of fiction, short stories or poetry.

We have published two novels by black&write! Fellow Claire G. Coleman, and a debut novel by black&write! Fellow Nardi Simpson titled Song of the Crocodile. 

In conjunction with their Writing Fellowships, black&write! also run Editing Internships for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander editors, and we provide two interns with a one-week placement at Hachette Australia’s Sydney office to receive editorial mentoring and support while working on the winning Fellowship manuscript.

Find out more about the Fellowships and Internships here.

The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers

In partnership with Express Media, the Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers encourages new talent and fosters burgeoning writing careers. It is a developmental award open to all Australian secondary school-aged students.

Shortlisted writers have the opportunity to receive a mentorship from an established author. In 2020, the Hachette Australia Young Writers mentor is Will Kostakis.

General Submissions

For more information on getting published, see our Submissions page.