For Members
Mentorships
Year-round mentorship program
Byron Writers Festival year-round mentorships are paid services available to members throughout the year who are seeking a professional mentor to assist with the development of their work.
We have compiled a list of locally-based writers of various genres and categories, (both fiction and non-fiction), as well as professional editors, who are willing to act as mentor to a developing or emerging writer.
Mentorships provide emerging writers with a chance to develop their writing and they also provide employment opportunities for writing professionals living in and beyond the area. The mentorship program is therefore designed as a fee-for-service scheme and is available only to members.
The Residential Mentorship Program is another exciting mentorship option for members who are serious about the business of writing.
Once per year, we invite our members to apply for free-of-charge mentoring through the Mentoring Scholarships Program, proudly supported by Enova Energy. This opportunity is for early stage writers working on a manuscript, who are seeking an initial appraisal of their work from an industry professional. Applications open in November each year.
Current mentoring services
There are two programs available through the paid mentorship scheme, Firsthand Feedback sessions and Block Mentorships. Details for each program, including eligibility and costs are given below.
- Firsthand Feedback
- Block Mentorships
A valuable and affordable first step for writers who would like an initial appraisal of their manuscript and up-front advice regarding its development.
Is it for me?
Suitable for writers who are at the crossroads and who are seeking:
- face-to-face discussion and advice
- inspiration and direction
- to know whether they are on track with their writing goal
- to know whether their idea has publishing possibilities, and/or
- to know where to go from here and what to do next.
Cost
The cost of the 2-hour Firsthand Feedback is $175 and the session will be conducted by someone from our stable of professional mentors. Based on a small sample of your work (5000 words), the session will include the mentor’s reading and preparation time and AT LEAST one hour of face-to-face, telephone or skype consultation.
A Firsthand Feedback mentorship may be a timely reality check that fulfils your present writing needs. Or it may be an opportunity to gauge whether you are ready to apply for the Residential Mentorship.
An opportunity for emerging writers to work closely and in-depth with a professional mentor, to develop their work and improve their publishing opportunities. Block mentorships, as distinct from manuscript assessment or editing services, provide a two-way relationship where writers are able to be nurtured and to ask questions, seek feedback, gain industry-related advice and work closely with their mentor via email, phone or personal meetings.
Is it for me?
A Block mentorship would be most beneficial to writers who:
- have a well developed manuscript and would like feedback from a professional who is working in their area of interest
- have a long term commitment to writing and the development of their craft and are ready to take advice and make changes to their work
- have already developed their work through writers’ groups, or by attending workshops or classes on writing
- have specific areas of their work that they want to address such as character development, structure, plot, writing for publication etc.
- have done their research into the genre in which they are writing and are having difficulty bringing their work to the word lengths or standards required for that genre, or
- have published already and are working on a project in a new genre.
Cost
Block mentorships are available in blocks of 5, 10 or 15 hours. This includes reading time, email correspondence and face-to-face time. Mentorship charges and approximate reading guidelines are as follows:
5 hours $395.00 (10 000 word excerpt + synopsis)
10 hours $740.00 (25 000 word excerpt + synopsis)
15 hours $1035.00 (40 000 word excerpt + synopsis)
These amounts include GST and full fees must be paid in advance to the Byron Writers Festival prior to the mentorship commencing.
How to apply
Step 1: Email [email protected] with the following information:
- details of your project
- a selection of mentors in preference order that you would be interested in working with. You can download a PDF of current mentors here.
- your proposed timeline
Step 2: We will contact the mentors to determine their availability.
For more information, please contact [email protected].