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The 2012 ABotM (Call for entries)

The 2012 Artists’ Book of the Moment has come. Almost.

“Publishing is not a neutral act. It is implicitly political and aesthetic. The publishing is part of the aesthetic of the work, in terms of its look, its distribution, and how the audience interacts with the work, both in terms of reading it, engaging with its writers and publishers, and in how it finds its audience.” - Gary Barwin

We’ve always loved this quotation from Gary Barwin, a poet who gets it. Which reminds us, it’s time to start considering the artists’ books you will be sending our way for the 2012 installment of the AGYU Artists’ Book of the Moment, aka the ABotM (remember, the A is silent).

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 5 March 2012

All entries will appear on our website from submission date (give or take) to the announcement of the shortlist. The short-list of ABotMs will be announced online late April, and the books so deigned will be available for public browsing in our lobby/book-store. Then, in May, the finalist, the top of the ABotM 2012, will be revealed.  As with previous ABotMs, the winning entry will receive $1,500 CAD … and our undying love [until next year].

Submission guidelines:

  1. Browse the shortlist titles from previous years (look to the left side of this window)
  2. Read the full rules (look below).
  3. Complete an online ABotM submission information document (available online by clicking this link).
  4. Send the book(s) you wish considered for the AGYU ABotM competition to the Art Gallery of York University. Please include contact information with each entry. Books must be received by the AGYU by March 5th, 2012. Do not send books COD.
  5. Wait for the results of the adjudication.

ABotM Rules:

  1. Yes, there are rules.
  2. The “A” in ABotM is silent.
  3. All books submitted to the ABotM competition should already be published (e.g., no prototypes or maquettes) and exist in editions of more than 20 or as open editions. The ABotM is directed towards content-driven artists books. For the purposes of this contest, we will not consider catalogues, portfolios, or promotional material.
  4. There are no restrictions on date or location of production. There is no limit of the number of submissions you may make.
  5. There is no submission fee. No submissions will be returned, however. At the end of the competition, all works will be placed in our artists’ book resource centre or other suitable collection. Those retained by the AGYU will continue to be accessible to the public by appointment.
  6. All books deemed worthy of ABotM designation will be featured on a section of our website dedicated to artists books along with contact information on the artist(s) responsible. In addition, qualifying artists will receive proper notification and acknowledgment attesting to their designation as an ABotM.
  7. Any submission to the competition is considered tacit agreement to the terms of the competition (especially rule number 5).
  8. Follow all submission guidelines.

ABotM Submission information required for each entry includes:

  • Artist(s)
  • Title
  • Publisher
  • ISBN (if applicable)
  • trim size, page count, production details, year of issue
  • edition size
  • retail price
  • web addresses for artist and for press
  • 200 – 300 words describing the submitted title
  • 200 – 300 words describing the artist
  • 200 – 300 words describing the press
  • contact information for person submitting the book

Online submission form:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C59K3FH

Mailing address:

The Art Gallery of York University, attn: ABotM

Accolade East Building

4700 Keele St

Toronto ON M3J 1P3

Canada

ABotM@theAGYUisOutThere.org