FHI Opportunity for Authors: Permission Fee Subvention

Deadline: Rolling

FHI is pleased to announce subventions for Duke authors who need to include illustrations in their forthcoming books and find the fees charged by sources such as museums, archives, and publishers prohibitive.  Other fees related to book illustrations (such as the engagement of an image editor or costs incurred for copy photography) may also be applicable.

Deadline.  Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis, though the funding available per fiscal year is limited.  The current release date of this opportunity is: August 14, 2024.

Application instructions. To apply, please submit the following in a single document to fhi@duke.edu with “Publishing Subvention Application” in the subject line:

  1. A brief description of your book.  One to three pages (the book proposal would suffice, if you have one).
  2. Statement about the necessity of illustrations.  The illustrations should be integral and necessary to the argument of the book (not merely decorative).
  3. Publisher and publication status.  The book should be under contract, complete, and in the process of being prepared for production.
  4. Itemized list of illustrations and costs.  Applicants should include information as follows.
    1. Evidence that you have requested and/or researched permissions and can specify accurately how much they will cost.
    2. A statement from your publisher indicating how many of the  illustrations in question will be included in the book if you can fund the permission fees.
    3. Informed assessments regarding public domain and fair use, based on consultations with your publisher and Duke’s Copyright Librarian, Kate Dickson.

Limitations.  This subvention is not intended to pay for cover illustrations, nor does it apply to Open Access publishing fees.  FHI will consider a subvention for printing of a color insert if (1) color is necessary to the clarity of the illustrations and the argument of the book and (2) the publisher is willing to include color and has named the specific amount needed to do so.

In some cases, FHI might provide partial funding.  FHI does not anticipate being able to fund every request. 

Eligibility.  All Duke faculty are eligible for this opportunity, though we will give preference to regular rank faculty in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.

Questions to: sylvia.miller@duke.edu

Proposals to: fhi@duke.edu