Women Who Submit

What Women Who Submit does

Women Who Submit (WWS) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit literary organization founded in July 2011 by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Alyss Dixson, and Dr. Ashaki M. Jackson in response to the VIDA count documenting gender disparity in literary publishing. The organization serves women and nonbinary writers — including a specific focus on BIPOC and gender-marginalized writers — across nearly 20 chapters in the US and abroad. Its core offerings include monthly in-person submission parties held in Los Angeles, hybrid professional development workshops, individual grants (up to $100 for submission fees and $400 for conference/residency travel for BIPOC writers), online publication opportunities through themed blog series, anthologies, open mics, remote community circles, and an annual PUBLISHED! celebration event. The organization also maintains the WWS CERTIFIED List, a curated directory of literary publications meeting diversity criteria on their mastheads and boards.

WWS operates on a freemium model with no membership fees; all core services are provided at no cost. Underlying technology is a WordPress-based website with social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram — no proprietary platforms, apps, or APIs are documented. Go-to-market is community-led: in-person events, virtual community circles, online discussion boards, and outreach to conferences, festivals, and college campuses. The organization is volunteer-staffed with a board of directors and named team members covering executive direction, chapter coordination, social media, editorial roundups, and events.

The business model is donation-and-grant funded. Disclosed funding includes a $27,000 grant from the Latino Community Foundation (August 2023) and a California Arts Council Impact Grant supporting the TRANSFORMATION anthology in partnership with Jamii Publishing. Event sponsorships (Democracy Center, Japanese American National Museum, BookSwell, Tuesday Night Project, Homework Club for PUBLISHED! 2026) supplement revenue, alongside individual donations solicited via a dedicated 'Donate to WWS' page. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; no membership, subscription, or fee-for-service pricing exists. Customer segments are exclusively individual writers (persona-based, horizontal segmentation) with no enterprise or institutional buyers.

Name

Women Who Submit

Legal name

Women Who Submit

Website

https://womenwhosubmitlit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Women Who Submit is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit literary organization founded in 2011 that provides free submission support, grants, workshops, and publication opportunities to women and nonbinary writers across nearly 20 chapters in the US and abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Community Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Book Publishers (513130), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAL), Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF)

Keywords

• Literary community services
• Writing grants
• Literary publishing support
• Writer development programs
• Nonprofit literary services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: WWS accepts donations from the public to support operations and programs. The organization maintains a 'Donate to WWS' page and is funded by the generosity of individual donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women Who Submit is a nonprofit literary organization that provides free services to women and nonbinary writers to promote gender parity in literary publishing. Core offerings include monthly in-person submission parties, professional development workshops (hybrid format), individual grants for BIPOC writers ($400 for conference/residency travel, up to $100 for submission fees), online publication opportunities through themed blog series, anthologies, an annual PUBLISHED! celebration event, open mics, readings, and remote community circles across nearly 20 chapters in the US and abroad.

Product overview

Women Who Submit is a literary nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of free services to women and nonbinary writers. The core offerings include the WWS Blog Series for online publication opportunities, curated WWS CERTIFIED List directories of inclusive literary publications, and submission grants ($100 for fees, $400 for travel). The organization publishes anthologies (GATHERING, Accolades, TRANSFORMATION), hosts monthly submission parties and professional development workshops (with hybrid options), annual PUBLISHED! celebration events, open mics, and maintains remote community circles for its nearly 20 chapters across the US and abroad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• This Makes up the Sky: Blog series titled This Makes up the Sky: A Year of Looking Upward exploring themes of sky, nature, and observation
• Intersect
• Accolades
• GATHERING
• TRANSFORMATION

Products and services

• WWS Blog Series Online publication platform accepting poetry, flash fiction, and brief essays from women and nonbinary writers, featuring themed blog series such as 'This Makes Up the Sky' and 'Intersect.'
• WWS CERTIFIED List Curated list of literary magazines, journals, and writing programs that have at least 50% women and 50% POC on their mastheads and/or Boards, helping members identify inclusive publication opportunities.
• Submission Grants Individual grants of up to $100 for submission fees to help BIPOC writers overcome financial barriers to literary publication.
• Conference/Residency Travel Grants Individual grants of $400 for BIPOC writers for conference and residency travel fees.
• WWS Anthologies Published anthologies including 'GATHERING', 'Accolades', and 'TRANSFORMATION' showcasing work from the WWS community.
• Submission Parties In-person community events held monthly where writers share, support, and submit work together, providing a structured environment for submission activities.
• Professional Development Workshops Panels and workshops with hybrid (in-person and virtual) options covering professional development for women and nonbinary writers.
• PUBLISHED! Annual Celebration Event Annual event celebrating literary publications from the previous 12 months, featuring readings, music, and community gathering.
• Open Mics and Readings Regular readings and open mics featuring WWS members, providing performance and visibility opportunities.
• Remote Community Circles Online discussion boards and virtual community spaces for members across nearly 20 chapters in the US and abroad.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jamii PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJamii Publishing, an Inland Empire independent press, is WWS's ongoing partner for publishing its third anthology, TRANSFORMATION.
• Democracy CenterminorOthersDemocracy Center is a sponsor of PUBLISHED! 2026, WWS's annual literary publication celebration event.
• Japanese American National MuseumminorOthersJapanese American National Museum is a sponsor of PUBLISHED! 2026, WWS's annual literary publication celebration event.
• BookSwellminorOthersBookSwell is a sponsor of PUBLISHED! 2026, WWS's annual literary publication celebration event.
• Tuesday Night ProjectminorOthersTuesday Night Project is a sponsor of PUBLISHED! 2026, WWS's annual literary publication celebration event.
• Homework ClubminorOthersHomework Club is a sponsor of PUBLISHED! 2026, WWS's annual literary publication celebration event.
• California Arts CouncilcoreOthersCalifornia Arts Council Impact Grant supports WWS's third anthology, TRANSFORMATION.
• WeHo Reads Road to JoyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWWS partnered with WeHo Reads Road to Joy for a virtual event in March 2022 featuring Hazel Kight Witham, Flint, Noriko Nakada, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, and Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilera.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VIDA: Women in Literary Arts: VIDA counts and advocates for gender parity in literary publishing, the same core issue that motivated WWS's founding. It is the most direct peer in mission and constituency.
• Cave Canem Foundation: Cave Canem supports Black poets through workshops, residencies, and community programming. WWS co-founders Alyss Dixson and Ashaki M. Jackson are Cave Canem alumni, indicating close alignment in mission and member base.
• Kundiman: Kundiman is dedicated to nurturing Asian American writers and literature. It is a direct peer in providing literary community, mentorship, and publication support to underrepresented writers.
• Lambda Literary: Lambda Literary champions LGBTQ literature and writers. It overlaps with WWS's mission to support nonbinary and women writers, particularly those at the intersections of gender and sexuality.
• Jamii Publishing: Jamii Publishing is an Inland Empire independent press that partners with WWS on the TRANSFORMATION anthology. It is a direct peer and publishing partner serving underrepresented writers.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP): AWP is the largest professional organization for writers and writing programs in the US, supporting writers across the spectrum. It is a broad incumbent that WWS members may also engage with for conferences and advocacy.
• Poets & Writers: Poets & Writers is a longstanding nonprofit that supports creative writers through grants, publications, and resources. It featured WWS in a 2021 article marking its ten-year anniversary, indicating active peer awareness.
• Pen America: Pen America is a broad literary and free-expression organization supporting writers and advocating for their rights. It is a broad incumbent that shares advocacy goals with WWS around marginalized writers.

Emerging players

• Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP): CLMP supports independent literary publishers and recognized WWS's 'Accolades' anthology in its 2020 year-end list. It is a peer ecosystem organization that both validates and amplifies WWS's publishing work.
• The Rumpus: The Rumpus is an online literary magazine featuring essays, interviews, and reviews. It overlaps with WWS's blog publication model and serves a similar community of independent writers and readers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WomenWhoSubmit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCC51MG-9_56-BkIytP3OKiA/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/103674156649465
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenwhosubmit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women Who Submit