Applications are open for the new BLR Editorial Fellowship
Bellevue Literary Review’s Editorial Fellowship is a year-long mentorship program designed to introduce writers to editorial pathways and support literary engagement and citizenship. The Fellowship offers a hands-on education in the editorial and publication process of a literary magazine, from editing and proofreading to production, publicity, and events.
Fellowships are available in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Fellows meet monthly with editors to review submissions, discuss craft, and learn how BLR implements its intensive approach to developmental editing across genres. Fellows also have the opportunity to sit in on editorial meetings and assist with editing pieces selected for publication. Through the Fellowship, participants gain insight into all aspects of literary magazine publishing, with exposure to the production, marketing, and programming that support BLR’s work as a nationally recognized literary arts organization. Fellows also receive individual mentoring on their own writing projects, learning how to apply the editing skills they’ve learned to their own practice and participating in a Q&A with publishing professionals.
The Program
Applications are now open, and Fellows will be notified by the end of January. The Fellowship will run from February 2027 through January 2028.
- Fellows will read and evaluate a set of submissions each month, then meet with BLR editors to discuss.
- Initial meetings will focus on developing a critical “editorial eye,” with editors providing guidance on craft elements, narrative and poetic structure, and BLR’s editorial and thematic focus.
- Subsequent meetings will address the editor-author relationship: communications, revisions, and editorial decisions. Fellows will sit in on editorial meetings and may, if prepared, assist with editing a piece selected for publication.
- Fellows will learn about the production process, from editing through publication, and gain exposure to the marketing and promotion of a literary magazine with the opportunity to participate, if interested.
- Fellows will learn about the different roles that support a literary magazine and form professional connections with editors and staff.
Fellow Benefits
- An announcement publicizing their selection
- Access to BLR events
- Mentoring from BLR editors to develop editorial skills
- A publishing consultation with BLR editors, including guidance on submitting work to literary magazines and pursuing book publication
- Q&A sessions with special guests, including a publishing workshop with an acquisitions editor and literary agent
- A community of like-minded fellow participants
Submission Process
BLR welcomes applications from writers and members of the literary community with a strong interest in literature and editorial practice.
Applicants will submit a CV and a 300-to-500-word writing sample responding to a BLR story, essay, or 1-2 poems of their choice.
https://blreview.org/category/fiction/
https://blreview.org/category/nonfiction/
https://blreview.org/category/poetry/
The writing sample should demonstrate both writing ability and critical judgment. Applicants should engage thoughtfully with the work they have selected, identifying what they find effective, compelling, or challenging in a piece of literary writing and, where possible, explaining why.
Preference will be given to candidates with some teaching experience and/or published work. However, the writing sample will be the primary determinant for selection.
Applications close on December 31, 2026
Applicants will be notified by January 31, 2027.
Questions? Please contact fellowship@BLReview.org