Bookgardan Fees + Application

BOOKGARDAN 2024

is

NOW ENROLLING!

We are delighted to announce that Bookgardan’s 6th Cohort, 2024-25, is open for application! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the program is filled. All applications are personally reviewed by Bookgardan literary mentor, Kate Moses. Maximum 6 participants.

BOOKGARDAN FEES:

Program Tuition: $10,900 via check or $11227 via square

Note: Beyond the non-refundable application fee, our payment preference is by check. Checks payable to Craigardan can be mailed to: 9216 NYS RT 9N, Elizabethtown, NY 12932 in advance of each deadline. While we do accept digital payments via debit or credit card, an additional 3% fee will be applied.

  • Application Fee: $50 non-refundable application fee is due at the time of submission.

  • Deposit: Applicants who are accepted and enroll will be credited $50 toward their $500 deposit due upon enrollment. Minus the $50 application fee, a deposit is due upon enrollment ($450 via check or $463.50 via square).

  • Program Balance: The balance of program fees ($10,400) will be divided between 3 payments due:

    • Payment 1 due September 1st: $5000 via check or $5150 via square

    • Payment 2 due January 1st: $2700 via check or $2781 via square 

    • Payment 3 due April 1st: $2700 via check or $2781 via square

    • Payment in full due September 1st: $10,400 via check or $10712 via square

CANCELLATIONS: If an accepted applicant needs to cancel all or part of their participation in Bookgardan for any reason, we are only able to offer up to a 90% refund prior to the September 1st deadline. After the September 1st deadline, refunds are not available for payments made at subsequent deadlines.

Tuition includes:

  • 12-months of literary mentorship with Kate Moses, including monthly 30-page manuscript submissions and individual conferences; online group curriculum including monthly craft seminars and conversations with guest writers; weekly cohort meetings and Group Writes; and a final full manuscript reading & evaluation with Kate following the ending residency in October 2024. You can expect:

    • 170+ hours of group curriculum and instruction with Kate.

    • 100+ hours of individual, focused attention on you and your work, including a minimum of 60+ hours devoted to one-on-one conferences.

    • Ongoing private community space and access to your program archives.

  • Two 7-day in-person residencies at Craigardan including:

    • Lodging in individual, private tiny cabins, designed as a very modern take on the Adirondack Lean-to with a short walk to the shared bath house.

    • Shared living spaces on the main campus

    • Access to all Craigardan programs, staff, and ongoing support.

    • Local farm food: The kitchen is stocked with farm-fresh ingredients for self-serve breakfasts and snacks, and lunch and dinner are prepared by Craigardan staff from seasonal, local ingredients whenever possible.

    • Full days of daily group seminars and individual conferencing with Kate; opportunities to hear from guest writers & speakers from the publishing industry; downtime to explore the beautiful Adirondacks; and a book bag filled with supplies for the residency and your home writing practice, including assigned books and other literary necessities.

      • Beginning Residency 1 at Craigardan:  Monday October 16, 2023 - Monday, October 23, 2023;

      • Ending Residency 2 at Craigardan:  TBD Fall 2024.

  • Following the Bookgardan year, the option of continuing individual mentorship with Kate in the Bookgardan program style, at the price of an Individual Mentorship ($5400/year), or Alum Membership only (online group curriculum, weekly cohort meetings, Group Writes) for a sliding-scale fee.

  • The option to submit your completed, polished book manuscript via Birds & Muses to our partnering Literary Agents. Note: While submission is not a guarantee of representation or publication, it is a choice opportunity to have a full manuscript reading by one or more highly regarded agents

Tuition does not include:

  • Airfare or other travel costs to in-person residencies, which must be arranged and paid separately by the participant. Craigardan is able to pick up residents for a flat-fee from the local Amtrak station (Westport), and bus stations (Keene, Keene Valley). Further guidance on travel will be included in informational materials provided to accepted applicants.

For optional pre-Bookgardan manuscript reading:

  • $5/page or 2¢/word

    (Note: a full manuscript reading & assessment at the end of the year’s program is included in the Program Tuition; a pre-Bookgardan reading fee is for participants who wish to have a full or partial work-in-progress read prior to the start of the program)

FELLOWSHIPS

Every year we award one Fellowship for enrollment in Bookgardan to a writer who is accepted into the program and could not otherwise attend due to financial constraints. The Fellowship covers 25% of program costs and a preliminary Manuscript Reading of 200 pages (if needed).

To be eligible, you must be accepted into the program; be a single mother; Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian; Disabled; or identify as LGBTQIA+. Expanded eligibility is available for 2023-2024 to include: Ukrainian women displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; or those severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bookgardan program applicants who indicate their intent to apply for a Fellowship will receive additional instructions upon acceptance.

Application Process:

To be considered for Bookgardan, a complete application must include:

Application Fee submitted in Step One.

Application Form submitted in Step Two.

Writing Sample submitted in Step Three.

  • Please submit your writing sample in MS Word format; double-spaced; 15-20 pages; 12-pt font (Times New Roman); and 1" page margins. Please include your name and the genre of the writing sample on the first page.

Notification:

  • All notification is made via email.

  • You will receive an email confirming receipt of your complete application within a few days. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

  • Within two weeks of your application, a call with Kate will be scheduled so that she may get more acquainted with you and your work.

  • Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis and the program fills up quickly. Upon enrollment a $500 deposit (minus the $50 application fee) is due to secure your spot.

  • Accepted applicants will then receive guidance from Craigardan on next steps in preparing for your participation in the program.

Please contact us if you need assistance with the application process, or with formatting documents for submission: program@craigardan.org.  

We’re here to help!

Apply now in three steps:

step 1 // pay $50 application fee online

Step 2 // submit application form

step 3 // submit Writing Sample

Please submit your writing sample in MS Word format; double-spaced; 15-20 pages; 12-pt font (Times New Roman); and 1" page margins. Please include your name and the genre of the writing sample on the first page. Please use the following nomenclature to title your writing sample: LAST NAME-SAMPLE TITLE.

Attach and send your writing sample in an email to program@craigardan.org or click the button below.