Publication Subventions

Publication subventions are granted to individuals and publishers for any topics of musicological research. The endowment supporting general musicological research was established through the generous bequests of Manfred Bukofzer, Lloyd Hibberd, Otto Kinkeldey, Dragan Plamenac, and Gustave Reese. Publication subventions were later supported by additional funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the generous contributions of many individual donors.

Now, the Publications Committee of the American Musicological Society Society grants approximately $80,000 each year to help with expenses involved in the publication of works of musical scholarship, including books, essay collections, articles, chapters in essay collections, special issues of journals, and works in non-print media.

Please note:

• Subventions are awarded only for work written by members of the AMS.
• Applications for any amount up to $2,500 will receive consideration.
• Applications that are not complete will not be considered.

Recipients of subventions are requested to forward a copy of the final product (book, article, resource) upon publication. All awards must be claimed (with submission of receipts) within thirty-six months of the granting of the subvention.

Application deadlines are mid-February and mid-August each year. Next deadline: Materials must be received by 18 February 2025. (If this date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the following business day).

Author Applications

Individual authors or editors, or their sponsoring organization, society, or department, may apply for assistance to defray costs not normally covered by publishers. Examples include costs related to illustrations, musical examples, facsimiles, accompanying audio or video examples, permissions, and in exceptional cases copy-editing. Subventions are not given to defray costs associated with indexing or translations. Author subventions required by publishers are not eligible for reimbursement.

Proposals from scholars at all stages of their careers are welcome. Projects that make use of newer technologies are also encouraged.

Required Materials:

• A short abstract (1,000 words maximum) that describes the project and its contribution to musical scholarship.
• A copy of the article or full and complete book draft. Please identify the date of the manuscript you submit. If submitting an application for a non-print project, submit the equivalent or consult the AMS office for guidance.
• A copy of a contract or letter of agreement that demonstrates final acceptance for publication and includes the clauses that stipulate the author’s assumption of the expenses for which the subvention is requested.
• A budget (itemized list of expenses) for which the subvention would be applied.
  • Optional: copies of invoices or receipts to support the proposed budget. (Consolidate multiple files into one.)
• Copies of the readers’ reports and authors’ responses with names redacted. Include the dates the reports were written. (Consolidate multiple files into one.)

Publisher Applications

Publisher subventions are intended to reduce the retail price of the book or resource and make it more accessible to readers.

Required Materials:

• The entire manuscript (in electronic form), including its date
• Copies of the readers’ reports and authors’ responses (including dates; names should be redacted)
• A detailed financial statement, indicating:
  • A breakdown of the costs of publication (include details such as projected print run, licensing expenses, and other expenses associated with the project)
  • The amount requested from the AMS as a subvention
  • The impact the subvention will have on the retail price of the book or resource