If you’re a female writer looking to get published, you know that the publishing world is full of its ups and downs. However, there might be an excellent opportunity on the horizon.
Back in 2021, Reese Witherspoon’s book club – Reese’s Book Club – decided to expand on its commitment to uplift underrepresented voices with its a new writers’ fellowship called LitUp, which looks to highlight the diversity of the female narrative. And now, until May 31, 2022, it will be accepting applications for its second class of fellows.
In order to qualify, you have to be a woman from a diverse background, and according to LitUp’s definition of diverse female, it includes anyone who “[identifies] as a woman, whether they are cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, or bigender.” And diverse refers to “diverse experiences that include (but are not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.”
The other crucial qualifier is that you are a writer who isn’t represented by an agent and has never had a book published before. However, you do need to have a completed manuscript of at least 40,000 words that also features “a woman at the center of the story.”
The reason a written manuscript is required is because the program places an emphasis on prepping their fellows’ manuscripts to go out into the publishing world. Fellows will be able to attend an all-expenses-paid, five-day writers’ retreat where they will be perfecting their craft while also learning more about the publishing industry. They’ll have a chance to get matched with a published author who will work with them as a mentor for three months.
Reese’s Book Club will even help the fellows connect with potential literary agents. And if there are any book deals made, Reese’s Book Club is also committed to providing “marketing support” once the book is released!
The application process is also quite simple, as it requires a 500-word summary of your book, plus some short essays. The program is open to U.S. residents who are at least 18-years-old. Applicants will find out if they’ve been accepted for fellowship either later this year or in early 2023.
For more information or to apply, click here.