About the Studio
The Mercantile Library Center for Fiction provides space for writers to work in Midtown Manhattan. Fiction writers are given priority, but writers of all types are accepted. The studio is located in a beautiful, quiet, fully restored, sky lit space on our top floor. It provides the perfect setting conducive to the craft of writing.
In order to apply, please have one or more of the following: 1) Proof of a previously published work. 2) A current contract with a publisher. 3) A partially completed manuscript, or rejection slips and other correspondence with a publisher.
What We Offer
The Merc offers each writer a private desk, a personal locker, an up-to-date reference library, comfortable chairs, electrical outlets for portable and laptop computers, wireless access to the internet, and a refreshment lounge located on the premises.
All writers in residence at the Merc also receive a complimentary Library membership. A Merc Membership gives access to one of the best fiction and mystery collections in the country, all our mainstream and literary periodicals, use of the Reading Room, and advance notice and free or reduced price admission to all of our terrific programming.
Hours
The Writers Studio is open Monday thru Friday, from 9am to midnight, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm.
Fees
$100/ month- Evening & Weekend Membership
- Monday thru Friday 6pm-midnight; Saturday & Sunday 9am-6pm
$110/ month- Basic Membership
- Monday thru Friday 9am- midnight
$130/ month- Full Membership
- Monday thru Friday 9am- midnight; Saturday & Sunday 9am- 6pm
* Please note that at least a 3-month commitment is required.
There will also be a one-time $75 administrative fee at sign up.
How to Apply
To apply, just click on the link below for a form. Just print it out, fill in the information, and mail it to us along with all other materials at the following address:
The Writers’ Studio
Mercantile Library Center for Fiction
17 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
The application will be reviewed by the Merc's Selection Committee and you may be asked to come to the Merc for an interview. You will be notified within 30 days if your application has been accepted.
You can also get an application by giving us a call at 212.755.6710 or by writing to us at the above address.
Download an application:
Microsoft Word format
Writing Classes
Narrative Prose Writing Workshop: Fiction or Memoir/Personal Essay
with Peter Selgin
9 weekly sessions. Wednesdays at 6:30 to 8:30pm. Feb. 13 -April 9
This workshop is for both fiction and non-fiction writers who are either just beginning or want to sharpen their storytelling skills. Whether our narratives are inspired and informed by memory (memoirs and personal essays), or by imagination (novels and short stories), the same tools apply: dialogue, character development, description, and theme. The workshop is designed with the specific goal of helping students create work that is publishable.
Peter Selgin’s stories and essays have appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies, He is author of By Cunning & Craft: Sound Advice and Practical Wisdom for Fiction Writers to be published February 2007.His novel, Life Goes to the Movies, was a finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship, and his short story collection, nothing but water, was short-listed for the Iowa Short Fiction Award. He leads an annual workshop in Vitorchiano, Italy, and edits the journal Alimentum: The Literature of Food.
$275 for members and $300 for non-members