WNBA Authentic Voices Fellowship

With a goal to create equity in the publishing world, the WNBA Authentic Voices Fellowship supports voices that have been overlooked or stifled in the publishing world.

Authentic Voices highlights diversity in publishing by bringing authentic voices to the table in an educational, immersive, and equity-building program.

Study after study has shown the lack of authors from marginalized communities in the book world. In order to build equity in publishing, we must provide people from underrepresented communities the foundation and tools needed to understand and compete in the publishing world.

The program is a collaboration with Women of Color Writers Podcast.

What is WNBA Authentic Voices?

WNBA Authentic Voices is a fellowship.

We will select a maximum of seven applicants to be mentored through a four-month process of writing, editing, marketing, querying, and publishing.

It is free to apply.

It is also free for those who are selected. In fact, we will provide a stipend and publish the writers’ works after the program has been completed.

Submission to WNBA Authentic Voices is open to all people residing within the United States who are 18 years older or older, but priority will be given to writers who are part of marginalized communities in the publishing world.

Submissions will be reviewed by the WNBA Authentic Voices Committee.

You do not need to be a WNBA member to apply.

WNBA Authentic Voices Chair Natalie Obando Shares about the Fellowship

Natalie Obando, WNBA Authentic Voices founder/chair and WNBA’s national president, appeared as a guest on the Nasonia’s podcast. Her two episodes explain the program and why it is important to Natalie, WNBA, and the publishing world.

Support WNBA Authentic Voices

The WNBA Authentic Voices Fellowship has been funded by WNBA and the Women of Color Writers Podcast.

We encourage you to make a donation today that will help fund the stipends for the fellows, the payment for instructors, the publication of the annual anthology, and administrative and marketing costs. With your gift, you can help create change in the publishing world.

Individual Donations

To donate through PayPal, you can click the “donate” button below or this Paypal link.

Buy Our Authentic Voices Tee

Please help us raise funds for this important diversity, equity, and inclusion building program by purchasing a tee to show your pride in authentic storytelling. YOUR STORY MATTERS! Showcase it with one of our tees or sweatshirts. 100% of the proceeds go to fund the Authentic Voices Program.

2020–2021 WNBA Authentic Voices Fellows were published in the anthology The Roots That Help Us Grow — Now Available to Buy!

We hope you’ll support Authentic Voices and our fellows by purchasing the inaugural WNBA Authentic Voices Anthology!

Important Dates

We are open for submissions!

Submissions opened September 15, 2022 at 12:00 am ET.

The fellowship begins in 2023 and lasts four months.

Those selected to participate in the program will be notified before March 1, 2023. Specific details will be sent to the selected fellows. 

Due to limited staff and the fact that all Authentic Voices chairs and administrators are volunteers, we are not able to send applicants who are NOT selected an email informing them of their status.  

Fellowship Compensation

Once the program has been completed, fellows will receive a stipend and be published in an anthology.

Program Overview

Phase One: The Writing Process

In this phase, a creative writing instructor will take fellows through an impacted creative writing class. This class will hone in on assessing each writer’s authentic voice and completing a short story.

Phase Two: The Editing Process

Editing is an essential part of the writing process. Self-editing is a learned skill that gives writers an advantage over those who don’t. This will teach our writers how to take a look at their work objectively. Fellows will be paired with an editor mentor to discuss their work.

Phase Three: The Querying and Platform-building Process

Querying and marketing oneself is perhaps one of the most challenging parts of the publishing process that most writers face. In this phase, our instructors will show writers how to sell themselves, their work, craft their bios, create a website that grabs the attention of publishers and agents and so forth. Fellows will walk away with a solid website ready to stand out in the book world.

Writers will also meet with an agent and end up with a strong query letter for their work and a solid foundation of what agents, editors, and publishers are looking for when it comes to writing submissions and author platforms.

Phase Four: The Publishing Professional Phase

A publishing representative will speak to writers about the publishing industry, the publishing process, and how to sell their books using their platform. Timelines and expectations are discussed from a publisher to author perspective, demystifying the whole publishing process.

Submission Materials

To apply for the WNBA Authentic Voices program, please provide the following:

• Bio (500 words or less)
  • It should describe you, your background, what community (city, town, etc.) you are from, and why you are interested in the program.

• Writing Sample
  • It doesn’t have to be perfect! We want to get a feel for your voice.
  • The sample can be something that you want to work on while participating in the program.
  • Please make sure the submission is no longer than 2,500 words.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit an application below.

You must scroll down within the form and click “submit” in order to finish your application.

If you have any questions, please contact Natalie Obando, WNBA Authentic Voices Chair and WNBA National President, at president@wnba-books.org.

Previous Authentic Voices Fellows

2021–2022 WNBA Authentic Voices Fellows

Our second class of fellows was comprised of seven talented women writers:

• Shipra Agarwal 
• Akanksha Aurora 
• Jae Carey 
• Jenna Mayzouni 
• Jenise Miller 
• Shaina A. Nez 
• Leah Nicole Whitcomb 

2020–2021 WNBA Authentic Voices

In 2020, we launched the Authentic Voices Fellowship. Our first year, six fellows completed the program:

• Alaa Al-Barkawi
• Arao Ameny
• Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
• Cecilia Caballero
• Valerie Davis
• L. Iyengar

Learn about the 2020 WNBA Authentic Voices Fellows.

We hope you’ll support Authentic Voices and our fellows by purchasing the inaugural WNBA Authentic Voices Anthology!