AF WKLY / Fellowship

The Ann Friedman Weekly Fellowship is an annual program for nonfiction writers who are not yet established in their careers. It includes mentorship and editing; a $5,000 stipend; regular check-ins to provide structure and accountability; and space in my newsletter where fellows can publish and promote their work. It runs from roughly April to December each calendar year. This program is funded by paying members of the Ann Friedman Weekly.

THE DETAILS

For the 2026 fellowship, I will provide support and accountability to two writers, who will each write and publish a newsletter of their own. Each fellow will come up with an editorial focus (or hone an existing one), create a workflow, file drafts, and integrate feedback as they build a body of self-published work. I will, of course, welcome conversation about other writing projects and offer broader advice throughout the year. But the newsletter will be their main fellowship focus.

Who I’m looking for: Nonfiction writers who don’t have (m)any published clips, who aren’t well-connected to editors, who don’t have a substantial following yet. Additionally…

• I’m looking for people who are already putting in the work. This means you are regularly writing, even if you are not yet publishing.

• Writers in any part of the world are invited to apply, but I give priority to time zones within 3 hours of my own (PST). This is just logistical. A part of the fellowship is joining zoom calls with me and the other fellow, so we’ll need to find a time when everyone is regularly awake. I’m not limiting the applicants to a specific time zone, but I confess to feeling a bit of scheduling ease at the notion of not having any fellow be more than 3 hours ahead of or behind me in PST. And I want to be up front about this.

• I invite people from populations that are underrepresented in media to apply. (I know most job listings have a line like this, but I really and truly mean it. Please apply!) 

Compensation: A stipend of $5,000. This fellowship is not a full-time job and will not provide any health insurance benefits. Think of it more like a year-long, highly personalized workshop with steady mentorship.

Commitment: We’ll do a monthly Zoom check-in, and I expect you to publish your own work at least once a month. Your time commitment will be variable, but I think it’s safe to say a few hours per week. I expect you to engage with your fellow fellow and with me, and to meet the deadlines we set together without me having to bug you about it. I can’t stress that last point enough: I will NOT chase you to file your drafts.

Why I’m doing this: I’m eager to share what I know about the craft and profession of writing, I enjoy editing, and I love having colleagues. For more context, read this.

Why I’m focused on helping writers publish a newsletter: I used to offer more pitching/career mentorship (and we still talk about that stuff!) but self-published newsletters are a great arena for practice. They enable the writer to explore their own voice(s), and to make decisions about what they value, free from the constraints and opinions of the rest of media and publishing. I’m able to regularly link to the fellows’ writing in my own newsletter, and the fellows are able to publish on their own schedule. 

HOW TO APPLY

All applicants will answer a questionnaire about their work and goals, and submit a writing sample. I will only consider applications submitted through this form by 11:59pm PST on January 3, 2026. The deadline is strict.