Polaris Indie-Publishing

SCHOLARSHIP

Applications are open September 8th, 2025 - November 1st, 2025 (11:59 pm) EST

Guided by the light of the North Star, the Polaris Indie-Publishing Scholarship is a new opportunity for poets of all ages seeking to bring their manuscript to life. Founded and funded by poet and professional book designer R. Clift, this scholarship is her way of giving back to the poetry community that has shaped her journey. One selected poet will receive a full-service indie publishing contract at no cost beyond a small application fee, including book design, editing, and publishing support.

The winner of this scholarship will have their poetry manuscript professionally edited, designed, and self-published with R. Clift guiding them through the entire process. Read more about the process here.

R. Clift will review all applications, and a winner will be chosen and announced by mid-November 2025.

All applicants will be notified via email.

Includes:

• Manuscript Completion Guidance & Assistance

• Professional Editing (Provided by Freydis Lova)

• Color Cover & B&W Interior Design

• Barcode & ISBN

• Paperback Format

• 20 Complimentary Copies

• The Lifetime Launch Marketing Course (Provided by Shelby Leigh)

• All rights & royalties to your published book

Eligibility:

• Must be a resident of the USA, Canada, the UK, or Europe. This is due to the limitations of our current distribution partners.

• All ages are encouraged to apply.

• Your poetry manuscript must contain 30-100 poems.

• You must have a completed poetry manuscript ready to send to R. Clift by April 2026. She will offer guidance and assistance if needed. Your book will be published in Autumn 2026. (Dates are flexible and could differ)

• If you are under 18, a legal parent or guardian must be listed as your sponsor. They need to be involved in setting up your account with KDP and/or IngramSpark for taxes and payment purposes.

Application Fee: $25.00 USD (one-time non-refundable payment)

POLARIS SCHOLARSHIP

APPLICATION

Please pay your application fee directly AFTER submitting your application.

3% Cover the Fee

Non-refundable. One application fee is required per person. Each person can only apply to the scholarship ONCE.

*This payment is categorized as a donation, and you will receive a confirmation email as such.

FAQs

  • All applications are due by November 1st, 2025 (11:59 pm EST).

  • It costs $25.00 USD to submit an application. This application fee is non-refundable. The winner’s indie-publishing expenses are covered by R. Clift. The next time they would have an option to pay for something is buying copies of their own book at print cost from the distributor after the 20 complimentary copies.

  • We work with IngramSpark or KDP Publishing (depending on your region of residence) to publish your book. Print-on-demand means when a customer places an order on a retailer site, the book is printed and shipped automatically. Authors don’t have to stock 300 copies in their garages this way!

  • No. I am not your publisher or your publishing house. I teach you how to be your own publisher. You retain all rights to your work and recieve all royalties.

  • Application Submission is a one time non-refundable fee of $25.00 USD.
    Submission is not a guarantee of acceptance.

    Publishing is not a guarentee of sales. Books do best when authors market and advertise their title.
    Please limit your application to ONE per person.
    You must be 11 or older to apply. Anyone under the age of 18 MUST have a legal parent or guardian as their sponsor.

    That legal guardian or sponsor would be expected to sign the contract with the applicant and assist in the creation of the IngramSpark or KDP Publishing account due to taxes and royalty payments.


    At all times the poet retains copyright to their work.

    Your poetry sample and manuscript must be submitted in primarily English.

    You agree that your submission does not include fraudulent, unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, offensive, pornographic, profane, sexually explicit or indecent content.

    Entries must be the writer’s original and unpublished work.

    AI or Chat GBT use is not permitted.   

    The selected poet’s manuscript must be 30-100 poems.


    Text submitted must not infringe upon anyone’s copyright.
    Text submissions that are deemed to be works of plagiarism will not be considered.
    By submitting, you give R. Clift Poetry permission to quote excerpts of all selected text submissions (application, poetry sample, poetry manuscript) in external communications, advertising media, individual prints, and social media/email marketing.

    All personal details provided will be collected in alignment with our Privacy Policy: https://rcliftpoetry.com/privacy-policy

    20 complimentary copies will be provided.


    You may request to withdraw your submission at any time before November 3rd, 2025.

    If you are selected for the scholarship, you will be notified by email. You will be expected to sign a contract and keep up communications with R. Clift. Your manuscript will be due by April 2026. If these terms are not met, R. Clift will cancel your contract and move on to the runner-up.

More questions? Email me at rcliftpoetry@gmail.com or visit this webpage.

In applying for the Polaris Scholarship, you agree to adhere to the terms and conditions and to formally accept the award through a signed contract, should it be offered. If for any reason you are unable to participate in the process you have been funded for, you agree to inform R. Clift as soon as possible.