Publication Grants

The Charles Redd Center gives grants of up to $3,000 to assist in the publication of scholarly studies on the Mountain West (defined as including the states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico). The grant will be given to academic publishers to help offset the costs of publishing books and to lower the book's selling price. The book should have been accepted for publication by the press and be ready for publication. The Redd Center may honor authors whose books receive a publication grant with a public lecture at Brigham Young University. The center will defray the author's travel and lodging expenses. Publishers should submit an application requesting funds to the director of the Redd Center:

Jay Buckley, Director
Charles Redd Center for Western Studies
  954 KMBL 
Provo, UT 84602
jay_buckley@byu.edu

The application should include the following:

  1. A letter explaining how the grant will help in the publication. Please be specific. For example, the grant might lower the cost of the book from $30 to $20. It might allow additional photographs that will enhance the book's thesis without increasing the list price.
  2. A production budget showing the projected use of Center funds and the impact upon price and quality.
  3. A copy of the book manuscript, preferably formatted for pre-publication. Please bear in mind that if funded, you agree to acknowledge the support of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University in a suitable place in the book. 
  4. Peer review letters that explain the book's strengths and weaknesses and its potential market. Presses often send the peer review letters that they received when they evaluated the book publication. If the reviewers asked for major changes that the author has addressed, please include a letter explaining how the manuscript was revised.
The Redd Center uses the following criteria in evaluating publication grants:
  1. Does the book deal with the Redd Center study area (the Intermountain West states include Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona) or a subset of that region? Does at least fifty percent of the book’s content deal with that study area?
  2. Does the book make a new intellectual contribution to the field of Western American Studies? Will the book provide a new or revisionist view of the topic?
  3. Is the book an autobiography, diary, collection of letters, or other primary sources? If so, does the book have substantial interpretative commentary, criticism, and explanatory notes by the editor?
  4. Is the book built upon a solid scaffolding of relevant primary and secondary sources? Does it have a clear methodology, clearly stated thesis, and a well-developed and well-supported argument with a balanced approach?
  5. Does the book have footnotes/endnotes and an index, following the standards of traditional academic books?
  6. Do proposed illustrations enhance the book and its arguments?
  7. Is the book well written (clear, concise, readable) with a clear organization, transitions, and supporting details?  
 

The Redd Center judges will review the application and determine if the Center should provide funding. Occasionally the Center may ask for additional information. The Redd Center will consider applications at any time during the year. For further information, contact Jay Buckley, Director, Charles Redd Center, jay_buckley@byu.edu or Brenden Rensink, Assistant Director, Charles Redd Center, bwrensink@byu.edu.