Grants for authors range from literary awards for outstanding work (like the MacArthur Fellowship grant) to grants for authors whose main income depends on writing and have financial troubles. Academic grants are offered to researchers and writers to continue their work.
Grants assist writers in life and in financial matters. Grants give extra help to authors in order for the written word, in all styles and forms, to survive in a world where visual media dominates.
The fact that private and public institutions still invest in writers shows the desire of a population to keep the written word alive and flourishing, while maintaining quality investments (picking the best authors as grant recipients, for example).
Authors do not need to be famous fiction writers or well-known to receive grants. Fellowships and institutions perform research and background checks on applicants before deciding whether the author fits the criteria for a specific type of grant (emergency funds, literary accomplishments). Authors usually apply themselves, or (for literary awards) are nominated based on their published work.
Grants give hope to new, unknown, and struggling writers, and give the chance for literature in all forms to continue growing and changing, without throwing money away on any applicant. Talented authors profit from grants by using the money to survive and keep creating new and innovative pieces.