Literary Award Judging

The following rates and recommendations are intended for judges of literary awards for published books only. 

The time and work involved in judging literary awards is extensive, and the scope for each individual literary award can vary greatly. The high level of professionalism and experience of the judges needs to be acknowledged through their fee. In determining appropriate payment, the following factors need to be considered:

  • Word length of the books entered, for example children’s vs. adult fiction, and the reading time involved
  • Length of judging period – a tight or relaxed deadline
  • Role of the judge being engaged – panel member or Chair of the panel
  • Number of meetings the judge is required to attend, or the extent of collaboration and communication with the other panel members
  • Commentary and media commitments required of the judge at the conclusion of judging – comments on the shortlist and/or winner, video recordings, interviews, etc. 
  • Attendance and speaking requirements at events associated with the award
  • Size, prestige, and profile of the award
  • Budget of the organisation administering the award, and whether they are able to offer an honorarium or a fee


As a benchmark for literary awards for books written for adults, the ASA recommends judges are paid on a sliding scale according to the below table. These rates are based on the number of books the judge is asked to assess, not the number submitted to the award.

Rate/categoryDecember 2024 Launch RatesFY 2025/26
(WPI 3.4%)
50 – 99*$2,250 – $3,250$2326-$3360
100 – 149$3,250 – $4,250$3360-$4394
150+$4,250 +$4394+
*books to judge  

 

If there are under 50 books to be judged, use discretion to set the fee accordingly. A per-application rate may be applicable, with a minimum flat fee offered if under 10 books are required to be assessed.

If the books entered into the award are shorter (e.g. poetry and children’s) and the reading time is reduced, or the workload of an individual judge is reduced by the number of members on the judging panel, adjust accordingly. 

These rates are applicable to published works for literary awards. For unpublished manuscript prizes, grants, competitions or other programs requiring assessing, we recommend developing a per-application rate, determined by an hourly set rate. For examples of hourly rates, please see NAVA’s judging and assessing rates.

Literary Award Judging rates were introduced in December 2024. The next review and update will be published in December 2026.

As per all rates of pay, a WPI increase of 3.4% was applied in July 2025. We appreciate it may take organisations a budget cycle to update their own rates.