Mentorship Program

The Writers SA mentorship program is designed to connect our members with a suitable mentor, at any stage of their writing careers. From writing craft, editing, pre publication, to marketing and publicity mentorships – and encompassing a wide range of genres – Writers SA will assist you to identify the most appropriate mentor for your needs.

Selection of Mentor

To learn more about some of the mentors we are proud to work with, please view the list below and select a shortlist of your preferred mentors. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and we will work with you to make sure you’re matched with a mentor with expertise in your genre/area.

Process

Begin by reading through our mentors below and make a shortlist of your preferred mentors. After you fill in the mentorship application form below, we will contact your nominated mentors to check availability. Writers SA will connect you with a mentor within four weeks of application. Mentorship fees must be paid in advance in full to Writers SA.

What to expect

Mentorship hours are billed for actual time spent, in 15 minute (minimum) increments. This includes all contact with the mentee including phone/Zoom/IM conversations, emails, reading and feedback time and face to face meetings.

Note this means that if you send four emails to your mentor, that will equate to one hour of mentorship time.

The mentor and mentee will develop a shared timetable and plan, including identified goals, and will keep a weekly record that tracks progress towards goals and time spent by the mentor.

Any questions or difficulties will be resolved by Writers SA.

Rates

Mentorships are offered in five hour blocks.

5 hours                      $850

10 hours                    $1600

20 hours                    $3000

You can add additional blocks upon completion of initial blocks if you and your mentor agree that this would be beneficial for your work.

How to apply

To book into the mentorship program, please fill in this form and return to [email protected]

You will need to identify at least one (maximum of three) goals for your mentorship and agree to the full terms and conditions.

Our mentors

Adam Cece

Mentorship areas: junior fiction; crime fiction; screenwriting; traditional publishing; young adult.

For more information read Adam’s bio.


Rommie Corso

Mentorship areas: self publishing; book marketing and business support; children’s books; nonfiction; book design.

For more information read Rommie’s bio.


Royce Kurmelovs

Mentorship areas: nonfiction; freelancing; journalism.

For more information read Royce’s bio.


Heather Taylor Johnson

Mentorship areas: auto/biography, essays/articles, literary fiction, poetry, women’s.

For more information read Heather’s bio.


Phillip Kavanagh

Mentorship areas: playwriting; memoir; humour; adaptation.

For more information read Phillip’s bio.


Aislinn Kearns

Mentorship areas: romance; self-publishing.

For more information read Aislinn’s bio.


Sharon Kernot

Mentorship areas: Fiction and poetry; verse novels, short stories, poetry and novels.

For more information read Sharon’s bio.


Leisl Leighton

Mentorship areas: genre fiction (romance, paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, YA); historical fiction; women’s fiction; memoir.

For more information read Leisl’s bio.


Margot McGovern

Mentorship areas: genre fiction (romance, paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, YA); historical fiction; women’s fiction; memoir.

For more information read Margot’s bio.


Jennifer Mills

Mentorship areas: literary fiction, non-fiction; contemporary; short stories.

For more information read Jennifer’s bio.


Victoria Purman

Mentorship areas: general fiction, women’s fiction, romance, historical fiction.

For more information read Victoria’s bio.


Caroline Reid

Mentorship areas: poetry, spoken word, short fiction, theatre, experimental.

For more information read Caroline’s bio.


Ben Stubbs

Mentorship areas: essays/articles, non-fiction, travel.

For more information read Ben’s bio.


Jane Turner Goldsmith

Mentorship areas: literary fiction; middle childhood; multicultural; non-fiction; poetry; travel; young adult.

For more information read Jane’s bio.


Lynette Washington

Mentorship areas: essays/articles; experimental; literary fiction; short stories; women’s.

For more information read Lynette’s bio.


Karen Wyld

Mentorship areas: literary fiction, magic realism, historical fiction, short stories, non fiction, and pathways to publishing.

For more information read Karen’s bio.


Scott Zarcinas

Mentorship areas: genre fiction; non-fiction; thriller; young adult.

For more information read Scott’s bio.


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