Litup exists

Candidates must be diverse (as defined below) women writers who are also unagented and unpublished.

If you identify as a woman, this program is for you.

We've based our eligibility on We Need Diverse Books’ Definition of Diversity and recognize diverse experiences that include (but are not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.

Applicants must:

• Identify as a woman, whether they are cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, or bigender
• Identify as diverse, which includes LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.
• Be 18 years of age or older at time of application
• Be a U.S. citizen and reside in the 50 United States
• 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• Be unpublished as an author.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 If the applicant has a book deal for an as-yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this fellowship.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

*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.

Each applicant must submit:

• An original adult or young adult fiction manuscript featuring a woman at the center of the story that is completed and written in English. We accept genre fiction but are currently not accepting non-fiction, picture books, middle grade, plays, screenplays, or co-written manuscripts. We 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, 750-words or less synopsis of your work
• Responses to a series of short essay questions within the application

There is no application fee. We neither require nor accept letters of recommendation.

Candidates may only submit one application and one manuscript. Once submitted, applications cannot be updated. Late applications will not be accepted.

LitUp by Reese’s Book Club retains no rights to your manuscript, whether it is selected or not.

Applications are judged across manuscript and application questions on both technical and artistic merit. We are looking for compelling narratives centered on a character who identifies as a woman, 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 participate in a video interview. The decision of the judges will be final.

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

Winners will be announced by Reese’s Book Club between the end of 2021 and early 2022.

• April 27 – June 13, 2021: Application Period
• Winter 2021/2022: Fellows Announced
• Q1 2022: Retreat
• Q1/Q2 2022: 3-Month Mentorship Period
• Q2 2022: Agenting Period