Looking for a writing mentor?

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When Jerry B. Jenkins announced he was shutting down the Christian Writers Guild last fall, my heart broke. I'd been a mentor for various CWG courses for nearly a decade and was on the team that rewrote two of the courses. I made many friends through the Guild and was privileged to mentor quite a number of fine budding writers.

It was a dream come true - combining my two passions, writing and teaching.

Jerry, however, has a heart for writers and wants to continue to help them hone their craft and learn about the ever-changing publishing industry. To this end, he is offering writer resources on his website. Rather than tell you what Jerry said, read "An Important Update" for yourself. Visit him at JerryJenkins.com to see what he's offering to writers. Check out his writers blog, Writing on Writing.

Right now things are in the planning stages, but I look for exciting things in the coming months. I know how Jerry feels about helping writers. I feel the same way.

That's why I decided to branch out and offer my services as a writing mentor. 

(The following information can be accessed on the mentoring page of this blog. Click here to access.)

One of my greatest joys as an author is mentoring other writers—coming alongside them and helping them take their ability to the next level and beyond, and helping them to clarify the call, bringing into sharper focus what direction to take with their writing.

Due to my schedule and because I invest significant time and energy in each of my writing students/clients, I work with a limited number of writers and am selective about whom I choose to work with.

I’d love to know more about your project. If you're looking for someone with experience in writing and publishing to come alongside you and help you with your work-in-progress, please email me the following information:

* A short synopsis of your book, including its theme, subject matter if nonfiction or storyline if fiction
* Word count of manuscript (How much of this is written?)
* What kind of help you feel you need (see list below)
* When you’d need the work completed

I’ll let you know if I’m interested and available. If I am, I can give you a quote for the entire project or charge you by the hour at my present rate of $35 an hour.

Please understand I’m more of a mentor than an editor.  What’s the difference?

An editor focuses on the manuscript to make it the best it can be. A mentor focuses on you, the writer, helping you to become the best writer you can be. 

As your mentor, I’ll do more than proofread and edit your manuscript. I’ll show you what’s wrong, why, and how to correct it. I’ll show you not only what areas need improvement, but also what your areas of strength are. You’ll do the major revisions then send them to me.

Over the decade I was a mentor for the Christian Writers Guild, I watched students blossom not only in skill but also in self-confidence.

“You’ve taught me so much,” said one of my Apprentice students. “I came to CWG with some vague ideas about wanting to write, but now—after taking these two courses and having you as my mentor—I have a very clear direction of where I want to go with my writing. The words ‘thank you’ can’t convey the gratitude that I feel for the time and energy you’ve given as my mentor.”

“Michele was an amazing mentor! I loved her encouragement and communication style.”

“Thank you for your thorough feedback. I’ve read about many of the things that you referred to—strong transitions, showing versus telling, specific verbs, and avoiding clichés—but having you apply them to my writing is exactly what I need so that I can internalize these important aspects of writing.”

If you aren’t looking for a mentor and want only an editor, I can do that for you, also. But know that, although I will work to help you make your manuscript the best it can be, my heart will always be in how I can help you become the best writer you can be.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Michele



EDITING/MENTORING SERVICES:

During a THOROUGH EDIT, I focus on the following:

* Mechanics, including typos, grammar, spelling, punctuation
* Tone
* Flow
* Dialogue
* Word choice
* Tense
* Point-of-view
* Consistency
* Sentence structure
* Clarity
* Tightening, trimming

As a MENTOR, I also look closely at your CONTENT and TECHNIQUE, pinpointing areas of weakness and suggesting ways to correct and improve them, as well as highlighting your strengths as a writer. We’ll work chapter by chapter, with you submitting your revisions to me (the fee includes one revision per chapter). Each writer had a unique style, tone, and voice. Far be it from me to mess with that (except to help you strengthen them).

Agent queries: one size does NOT fit all

    It took me two years to write my first novel, and when it was finally ready for submission, I figured the work was done. Not!
    I now faced the daunting task of finding a publisher—not an easy feat these days for a first-time novelist. Most publishers consider only manuscripts submitted by an agent or one they’ve requested after meeting the author at a writers’ conference.
    Since I can’t afford to attend more than one writers’ conference a year, it seemed imperative to secure an agent.

First: Finish It!
    Wanting to see if my idea would float (and being fairly wet behind the fiction ears), I started the marketing the book when I had only a one-page synopsis, the first chapter, and a vague idea of where I was going with it. Although the response was encouraging, I learned lesson number one: finish the novel. No agent or publisher would even consider it until then.
    “We get lots of ideas,” one agent told me, “but only a few follow through and finish.”

Do Your Homework, Part 1: Use the Market Guide
    Two years later, completed manuscript in hand, I learned lesson number two: A one-size-fits-all query would not suffice. One agent wanted a one-page synopsis, another a six-page synopsis. One wanted the first 50 pages, another the first three chapters, still another only the first chapter. Two wanted the entire manuscript, but one wanted it submitted electronically, while the other wanted hard copy sent via USPS.
    When I realized that my baby wasn’t going to snatched up by the first agent I contacted (or the second or third or fourth . . . ), the real work began.
    Poring through the “Christian Literary Agents” section of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide, I highlighted those I thought might be a good match for both me and my manuscript. In particular, I noted the following:

•  Length of time in business: when the agency was established and how many clients it represented
•  Open to first-time novelists and new clients: if it was open to newbies and if a referral was required
•  Genres it preferred
•  Commission they received
•  Expenses, such as copying and postage, for which the author would be responsible
•  Contact: How the agency preferred to be contacted: via email or USPS; and what they wanted to see: query, synopsis, sample chapters, or any or all of the above
•  “Tips” for “insider information”

Do Your Homework, Part 2: Research Online
    List of potential agents in hand, I first went to the Predators and Editors website, where most of the agencies were listed. I crossed off those that weren’t recommended, starred those that were, and noted whether the agency had verified sales to a royalty-paying publisher on record. (Note: Sally Stuart gives additional resources to research potential agents in the Christian Writers’ Market Guide. Also read carefully the information on the Predators and Editors website prior to the alphabetical listing.)
    My list trimmed, I then visited each agency’s website. I crossed one off when I noted misspellings. I spent hours on each site, reading every page carefully, and taking note of the following:

•  Tone and appearance: Did the agency’s web presence appear professional, yet friendly?
•  Information about the agency: history; agent bios and genres each agent handled; clients; recent sales; submission guidelines; and contact information
•  Information for authors: some sites gave excellent resource information, such as how to write a query, how to make a pitch—workshop-quality stuff.
•  Submission guidelines: Exactly what they wanted (query, synopsis, sample chapters, number of pages, book proposal, entire manuscript), how they wanted it (electronic via email or hard copy via USPS), and if a simultaneous submission was OK. Here is where I learned I had to tailor the query letter to the agency.

Develop a Spreadsheet
    To keep track of submissions, I developed a spreadsheet in Excel, making columns for the following:

•  Date sent
•  To whom
•  Agent or publisher (A or P)
•  Material submitted
•  Manner of submission: electronic or USPS
•  Response time
•  The date I could begin looking for a response
•  The date I received the response
•  Response (yes or no)
•  Comments the agent made about the manuscript

I also included on the spreadsheet the publishers and editors I’d contacted on my own. This gave me a complete submission history at a glance. I stapled the spreadsheet to the inside of a file folder, which I tucked inside a pocket folder that included my notes and any correspondence pertaining to the manuscript.

Prepare the Submission
    Each submission took at least an entire workday to prepare, following the agency’s requirements exactly.
    If I wasn’t sure about something, I emailed the agency. They were glad to know I was taking their guidelines seriously. And it’s always good to verify that it’s OK to send an attachment (plus they’d be expecting it).
    Make sure you send the file in a format they can open. I inadvertently sent a file as a Word Perfect document, instead of WORD. The file can be saved as RTF (rich text format), which most operating systems can open. Some agencies prefer submissions copied and pasted in the email message box.
    If you’re submitting hard copy, keep the following in mind:

•  Use good quality paper; I prefer 24-pound, with a brightness of 96 or above.
•  Keep the pages loose; do NOT use paper clips or staple the pages together. A blank sheet of paper, folded in half, may be used as a mini-file folder, separating the synopsis from the sample chapters.
•  Put your name, the title of the manuscript, and the page number in the header and, if you want, a copyright notice in the footer. (The Header and Footer feature in WORD will automatically put this information on each page.)
•  Always include an SASE for the agency’s response.
•  Don’t forget contact information: your name, address, phone numbers, email address.

Don’t Send It Yet
    Not until another writer or freelance editor reads it over. Fresh eyes (and fresh brains) will find what your overworked ones miss. Reading the page backwards doesn’t always work.

Forget It!
    Once you’ve sent your baby off into the world, let it go. Move on to your next project—until you get that phone call letting you know all your hard work has paid off.

(This article appeared in the November-December 2009 issue of Advanced Christian Writer)