Literary Application Description

Eligibility

You have published, as of the application deadline, one book of prose for an adult readership with a nationally distributed U.S. press. Online publication and self-publication do not meet this criterion, nor do books first published in another country or in a language other than English.
You aim to publish a second book of prose in the U.S., written in English.
This second project must be substantially underway.
You reside in the United States as of the application deadline.
A “book of prose” may contain elements of poetry, visual art, or other forms but should be primarily recognized/categorized as prose.

If you have won, or been a finalist or shortlisted for, the Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award, an award from the American Academy for Arts and Letters, a PEN America Literary Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, or the Booker Prize, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.
If you have published a second book of prose, or have a second book of prose under contract, by the application deadline, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.
We do not invite or accept nominations from agents, editors, mentors, or peers.
All submitted applications for the DAG Prize are final and cannot be changed.
The deadline to apply for the 2026 DAG Prize is March 18, 2026. We are not able to extend the deadline under any circumstances.

Application Materials
On the application page, you will be asked for:

Your author bio (250 words maximum)
Information about your first book. Copies will be requested from finalists in April.
Your CV or résumé (3 pages maximum)
A description of your new project that gives an overview of its subject matter and artistic innovations, an approximate timeline for completion, and a description of how the DAG Prize would further your literary ambitions (500 words maximum)
An excerpt from your new project (25 pages maximum)
Applicants may submit only one application for consideration. Multiple applications from the same applicant will be disqualified.
We neither require nor accept letters of support. Please do not ask anyone to contact DAG on your behalf.
Questions? Email us at literature@dagfoundation.org