Dear Friend,

It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to be able to give back financially to the community of book people who have given so much time, energy, and compassion to me. The McCoy Grant is a love letter to you. So, I hope you take the opportunity to submit before the upcoming deadline.

Trust me when I say that no effort is small if you have a dream. I’m a woman who believes in the power of positive multiplicity. Every word is a precious stone. One by one, they build castles, create reserves, and fortify our imaginations. If you are an unpublished, southern writer with a stack of words, don’t worry that they aren’t enough. Take a step of faith. Go to SIBA’s online application form. You never know what wonders you might unleash. I believe in you.

With great love,
Sarah McCoy

A quick reminder of The McCoy Grant qualifications:

1. Identify as a woman or nonbinary. (Whether they are cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, or bigender.)
2. Have a novel, memoir, essay collection or poetry collection in progress.
3. Are a U.S. citizen.
4. Are based in the territories of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Mississippi.
5. Are at least 18 years old.

Two grants of $1,500 each will be awarded to be used toward craft development (writing classes, retreats, conferences, travel), work-related materials (notebooks, laptops, software, research, etc.), childcare, bills, or any other financial obstacle. Click the link below to submit.

McCoy Grant Application Form