LitUp Writing Fellowship Program

Powered by The Readership, LitUp will provide five emerging writers with an all-expenses-paid retreat, a three-month mentorship with a published author, and marketing support from Reese’s Book Club. LitUp is a journey, and they’re with you every step of the way.

The LitUp Roadmap

• Hone Your Craft at their Writer’s Retreat: Selected fellows will participate in an all-expenses-paid writer’s retreat to develop their manuscript and learn about the business side of publishing.
• Get Mentored and Build a Support Network: Post retreat, fellows are matched with a published author for a three-month mentorship to get their book ready for market.
• Join the Reese’s Book Club Family: Through it all, they stand by you every step of the way, including a first-look window with top agents and a book launch marketing commitment from them and their partners.

Eligibility

Applicants must

• Identify as a woman, whether they are cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, or bigender
• Identify as diverse, which includes LGBTQIA, Native, people of colour, people with disabilities and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.
• Be 18 years of age or older at time of application
• Reside in the 50 United States and have US citizenship, permanent residency, or work visa / sponsorship
• Be unrepresented by an agent
• Be unpublished as an author. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing in the US or abroad. If the applicant has a book deal for an as-yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this fellowship. Essays, short stories and articles do not render an applicant ineligible.
• Be available to participate in all aspects of LitUp as provided by Reese’s Book Club if selected.

How to Apply

Each applicant must submit:

• An original adult or young adult fiction manuscript featuring a woman at the centre of the story that is completed and written in English. They accept genre fiction but are currently not accepting non-fiction, picture books, middle grade, plays, screenplays, or co-written manuscripts. They will not accept plagiarism or copyright infringement.
  • All manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Please number your pages.
  • Your name should not appear anywhere within the manuscript or file name.
• A brief, 500-words or less synopsis of your work
• Responses to a series of short essay questions within the application

→ Click here to apply.

For more information, visit LitUp Writing Fellowship.