Only, the best book club ever! Okay, we’re a little biased but hear us out. Each month, Reese, our founder (and book-lover-in-chief) chooses a book with a woman at the center of the story. There’s not a formula to the books we spotlight in our club, and we like it that way. Reese will tell you the special sauce is a story with honesty and sincerity, celebrating all the ways we are women. And along the way (buckle up) we’ll also introduce you to new voices, authors, and perspectives. We do this together, because at our core Reese’s Book Club is about the joy of reading. And joy isn’t something we keep to ourselves.

There’s no cost to join, which is definitely SOMETHING. To become a member, you simply have to subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on social. To be first to find out the monthly book club pick, register here.

LitUp recognizes that the community of women consists of a diverse array of individuals, including cisgender women, transgender women, and nonbinary women.

LitUp is open to diverse women writers, so not all nonbinary individuals are eligible for this contest. If you are nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, bigender, etc. and you are a woman or consider yourself a part of the community of women, then you are welcome to apply.

No, we welcome diverse women writers who use any pronouns, no pronouns, or multiple sets of pronouns. You do not need to use she/her pronouns to qualify.

LitUp’s definition of diversity is based on We Need Diverse Books’ Definition of Diversity and recognizes diverse experiences that include (but are not limited to) LGBTQIA people, Native people, people of color, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.

*We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization.

All applicants must be unpublished, including self-publishing (in any book category) and unrepresented by an agent.

You must be unpublished as an author. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this fellowship.

Applicants who have published essays, short stories, and articles (online or in print) are eligible.

A novel length work of fiction – minimum 40,000 words. It does not need to be fully polished, but must be complete. You may submit a collection of connected short stories (where in when read together tell a full story) ex: BLACKOUT.

This fellowship does not accept: screenplays, unconnected short story collections, essay collections, or memoirs.

Refer to ReedsyBlog’s How to Write an Incredible Synopsis in 4 Easy Steps.

Yes. Each applicant must submit their full manuscript at the time of submission. No exceptions will be made.

You may only apply with one manuscript. If multiple applications are submitted by a single applicant, all submissions will be disqualified. Please submit your strongest work.

At this time we are not accepting books that are co-written.

There is no application fee to apply for the LitUp by Reese’s Book Club.

Applicants must be a US resident and have US citizenship, permanent residency, or work visa / sponsorship.

All applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission but otherwise there is no age limit.

There are no degree or publication credits required to apply for LitUp and having such credits will not give an application a leg up in the selection process.

You will get an email confirmation when your submission has been received. Be sure to check your spam folder.

No. LitUp by Reese’s Book Club Fellowship looks to diversify the authors we see on our shelves. Only authors who meet our definition of diversity are eligible for this program.

Please apply under the name you wish to use with us. Please be advised Hello Sunshine may use this information to conduct background checks in accordance with federal and state law.

We evaluate all applications from Mid-April to late November and successful applicants will be notified in December 2022 / January 2023.

Applications are judged across the manuscript and application questions on both technical and artistic merit. We are looking for compelling narratives centered on a woman character, written with a strong, clear voice.

All judging will be under the supervision of We Need Diverse Books and Reese’s Book Club by a group of evaluators. Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will be eliminated. Applicants who advance to the final round may be asked to do a video interview. The decision of the judges will be final.

Due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to give you feedback on your application or manuscript. No entries will be returned.

Yes, you retain the rights to your novel.

LitUp by Reese’s Book Club retains no rights to your manuscript whether you are selected or not.

The logistics and frequency of communication will be mutually agreed upon by you and your mentor after the selection process. Because we have chosen an award-winning lineup of authors who are active in the industry, there will need to be flexibility on both the part of mentors and mentees, which is why the details of each mentorship will be individualized after selection. Most or all of the communication will be done through email or other mutually agreed upon forms of correspondence.

The schedule and depth of the mentorship will be mutually agreed upon by you and your mentor, but you will only get out of it what you are willing to put into it. Please don’t apply if you can’t fully commit to the opportunity or if your schedule does not allow some flexibility.

The retreat will be held in the first quarter of 2023.

The retreat will be five days where you will have the chance to take classes on craft as well as the basics of the publishing business.

The fellowship is an opportunity to gain insight into the publishing world and work with a well-established author on your craft. While there will be a first look with agents and guaranteed marketing support from Reese’s Book Club, there is no guarantee of your manuscript being published.

We can’t advise you on the taxability of your stipend, so we encourage you to consult a qualified tax preparation professional.