FAQ
What exactly happens in this program?
This is a professional development program for career novelists. We will work with you as your writing coaches in a program that will provide industry access, guidance, accountability, and community to authors who write fiction or narrative nonfiction (memoir, biography, etc.). The coaching has no end date, so you can end the program whenever you need to or stay as long as you are learning.
You’re not purchasing edits on a one-way street when you decide to join this mentorship program. You’re joining a professionally guided group of like-minded writers who are similarly motivated, ambitious, kind, and willing to learn. You’ll join a Slack group where you can share resources, brainstorm, and get feedback from other members, as well as just have fun enjoying this career with your colleagues no matter where you live. You can participate there as much or as little as you like.
During this program, we will:
teach a monthly video class on advanced writing and industry topics, such as high-concept premises, voice, engaging the reader’s emotions, publishing contracts, queries, R&Rs, and author career planning, with occasional agent, editor, and publicist guest speakers
edit your queries, outlines, pitches, author bios, synopses, and pages in a monthly workshop so you can see what editors look for line by line, and you can ask questions as we go
provide curated professional development materials on the industry
develop an individual plan with you for your next steps as a writer
be available for extra career guidance as you draft, revise, query, publish, self-publish, attend conferences, or wherever your writing may take you
So what does it cost?
$75 and up per month through a flat, recurring monthly payment—no extra costs for anything. You can participate for whatever length of time you like—one month, three months, two years, whatever works for you. (If you are a writer from a marginalized community and the cost is prohibitive for you, please apply anyway and inquire about a sponsorship, as sponsorships are occasionally available and you can be placed on a waiting list.)
Video classes taught by agents or editors from other sources are commonly priced at $50-$100 each. Query critiques from an industry professional are typically $25-$50+ each, while edits of a synopsis run $50-$80+, and and edits from editors with experience at major houses are often thousands of dollars. Personalized advice and career planning from industry experts is typically only available at conferences, which costs hundreds to thousands of dollars to attend, and that’s for one-time access. What this program provides would cost hundreds of dollars, possibly thousands, to buy piece by piece.
Note: if you would like to sponsor a marginalized writer, you may do so through 3-month, 6-month, or year-long prepaid sponsorships, or else as an open-ended sponsorship. If you are interested providing a sponsorship, please reach out through my contact form and I will be happy to discuss this with you! We currently have a waitlist of authors who need sponsorships.
How do I know this is right for me?
I want to make sure everyone in my coaching program is a good fit for the community, and that I am a good fit as a coach for them. Plus, the community here is a significant piece of the value, and it's vital that the group be a positive, challenging, and safe place for us to grow as artists. I also want to ensure that your expectations will be met by the program and answer all of your questions. So to make sure this will be a great experience for you, after you’ve sent in your application, we’ll set up a time for a call. You can ask me any questions you may have, but mostly we’ll just get to know each other a bit and make sure we like the idea of working with each other. After the call, you may decide not to proceed if it’s not right for you. Likewise, I may decide we’re not a good fit, or else that I’m thrilled to start working with you.
The type of client I want to work with is motivated—you’ve been investing in your writing for a while now. You’re ambitious, because you have stories and words you want to send out into the world, and you want people to hear them. Whether you have a lot of time to invest per month or only a little time, you want that time to be the most effective it can be. You’re kind and generous, open to contributing to the community (within your own personal boundaries) and helping others succeed. You want to write more than one book—this will likely be a lifelong endeavor for you, either as a career or a long-term passion. You’re open-minded and willing to learn, even if it challenges your perspective or is harder than you might have expected. It will also be more fun and more inspiring and more exciting, too!
My life is already busy and I struggle to find time for writing. How much time will this require?
When I designed this program, I wanted it to fit into the life of someone who has a family or strong social circle, works a full-time job, and strives for a good balance in their lives. My estimate for hours required to make good use of the program is 3-4 hours per week, depending on whether it's a webinar/editing class week and which tier you have chosen. Those of you who have more time available can make use of extra material that's always available for anyone who wants to dedicate more time and advance more quickly.
Do you edit my book during this program?
Yes! But how much of it depends on your tier. Edits for your query, first pages, first and last lines of chapters, story premise, and other pieces are available on a volunteer basis through the live editing sessions for all tiers. You'll be able to watch us edit your materials and others', ask questions about why we make certain choices, discuss revision techniques, and see behind the curtain into what editors and agents look for in great storytelling.
For the advanced craft tier, I provide project development for your manuscript. For this I’ll follow a thorough, step-by-step process of analyzing the premise, conflict, plot arc and synopsis, major dramatic question, character arc, opening chapters, marketability, voice, and more for your manuscript to make sure that the foundational ingredients are as focused as they can be. After that process, I then also edit chapters and submission materials.
I address comprehensive edits of your entire manuscript in the masterclass tier. You can also hire me to work with you separately from this program as a freelance editor. To do so, please reach out through my contact form.