Organizer Information
Kult Books is an independent publishing project specializing in photography and alternative lens-based visual arts. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, by Janne Riikonen, the imprint focuses on publishing monographs and artist books that embrace a deeply personal artistic vision and unique visual language. Publications are created in close, horizontal collaboration with the creators, ensuring that the physical form, materials, and structural layout of the book directly support the underlying concept of the artwork.
Title & Description
The 100 Book Award Open Call.
Kult Books has officially launched a global call for entries to select one or two photographic projects for publication. The foundational thesis of the award is that some books are not meant to be mass-produced in the hundreds or thousands. Working within a highly concentrated, smaller edition creates room for genuine artistic exploration, radical experimentation, and a liberating freedom from commercial economic risk. The selected projects will be fully realized, fabricated, and distributed as limited-edition artist books.
Categories
Photography / Lens-Based Media,
Eligibility
- Global Boundary: Open to contemporary artists worldwide.
- Medium Imperative: The call is open exclusively to artists working primarily with photography, and all photographic styles are welcome. Other media, such as drawing and writing, may be seamlessly incorporated into the layout, but photography must remain the absolute primary medium.
- Strict Prohibitions: AI-generated work will not be accepted under any circumstances. Large-format, 300-page hardcover book concepts are explicitly noted as unsuitable for this specific low-run framework.
- Submission Ceiling: Artists may submit as many independent projects as they want, provided each distinct project is sent in a separate, individual email to prevent cataloging errors.
- Legal Compliance: By submitting an entry, creators legally agree to the terms and confirm that their work does not violate copyright laws or infringe upon any person's right to privacy or publicity.
PROVISIONS, COMPENSATION, & ARTIST PERKS
The selected artist(s) will receive full institutional production backing without any personal financial liability:
- Professional Design Services: Free custom book design and typesetting executed directly by founder and designer Janne Riikonen.
- Limited Print Production: Complete, free printing and assembly of the work in an edition of 100 copies.
- Global Distribution Architecture: The title will be assigned a formal ISBN, integrated into the official Kult Books catalog, and actively sold globally at international book fairs, online platforms, and specialized physical bookshops.
- Laureate Asset Allocation: The selected artist receives 3 complimentary copies of the finished book.
- Alternative Income Model: In place of a traditional royalty percentage, the artist secures the right to purchase up to 20 additional copies of their book at a 60% discount off the retail price. The artist is free to sell these copies independently in any way they wish to generate direct income for themselves.
Fees
- Application & Production Fees: None (Completely free. The entire process will not cost the artist a penny).
Application Requirements
Dossiers must be compiled and transmitted directly via email to the reading desk. Submissions must include a written project description within the email and must adopt a specific header:
- Mandatory Subject Line Requirement: The email subject field must explicitly contain the phrase "open call".
Applicants may choose between two optional submission formatting paths:
- Path A (Image Sequence Link): A curated sequence of 80 to 300 low-resolution JPG images (with a recommended long-edge dimension of about 2000px) delivered via a stable download link.
- Path B (The Electronic Dummy): A cohesive, pre-arranged book dummy provided as a digital .PDF file. Note: Kult Books explicitly reserves the right to make structural changes to the existing dummy during the design phase.
How to Apply?
Assemble your 80–300 low-res JPGs or your consolidated PDF dummy, write a detailed text description of your project, format your email subject line with "open call", and transmit the assets to the editorial desk at hello@kultbooks.com.
Key Dates
- Application Submission Deadline: Sunday, June 14, 2026.
- Review & Interview Phase: Mid-June 2026 (Selected artists will be contacted around this time for a video call to discuss terms, project timelines, and technical frameworks).
- Official Public Results Announcement: June 26, 2026.
- Formal Publication Release: Spring 2027.
Location
Online / Virtual Application managed out of Stockholm, Sweden, with global distribution across international book fairs and shops.
Additional Details
The final selection process is managed internally by Janne Riikonen and the Kult Books review panel, who grade submissions based on the strength of the personal artistic vision, technical execution, and the feasibility of translating the project into a compact artist book format. Because the open call focuses on intimate, process-led collaboration, the publisher maintains the right to refine formatting layouts in tandem with the creator to maximize the material support of the book's core concept. Due to the volume of submissions, individual feedback portfolios cannot be provided for unselected projects.