Mentorship

Writing mentors and coaches do similar things. Whether you hire a mentor or a coach, that person’s job is to help you reach your writing goals.

Writing coaches are there to encourage you, help you reframe negative thoughts related to your writing, and support you when you’re stuck or frustrated.

A writing mentor, on the other hand, is someone who is also a writer and is further ahead in their career than you are. As a writing mentor, my job is to use my experience to help you get to where I am.

Different mentors have different ideas about the best way to go about mentorship.

I prefer to work one-on-one with two or three writers who are highly committed to success. Some mentors offer group programs aswell.

No. My mentorship is exclusive in the sense that I only take on three clients at a time, but they’re open to anyone who needs help getting their book started (or finished!) I prefer to work with neurodiverse clients but have occasionally worked with neurodiverse authors to help them get unstuck.

I love helping writers, but taking on too many mentoring clients a time means I wouldn’t have time for my own writing! Knowing my limits and sticking to them helps me to be able to give you the attention and support you deserve without burning out or becoming miserable because I’m not doing enough writing.

I dislike the word should. But since you asked, here’s what I bring to the table as a writing mentor:

• I am a neurodiverse author who understands well the challenge of getting books finished in an industry that is set up for neurotypical authors.
• I’ve published one book and have plans for three others and have learned tips and tricks for time management, getting your book finished, and more.
• As a social worker, I was trained in how to listen and how to motivate people—skills I use to help you succeed.
• I’m passionate about helping you tell your story without imposing the story I want to tell on you.
• I especially love working with neurodiverse authors and those from historically marginalized groups.

No! If you want to write but don’t have any idea of what you want to write about, we can use our time together to figure it out.

Similarly, if you have too many ideas and don’t know where to begin, we can work together to help you choose one.

I work with fiction and memoir authors. If you have written a non-fiction book, you’ll want to work with a coach or mentor who specializes in non-fiction, as the requirements are different.

It all depends on your needs. There’s no obligation to pay for a certain amount of sessions. 

Many mentees find they take three to six months to get where they want to go, but your timeline may be different because every mentee is different!

I offer several different options to meet your needs and schedule.

You can pay monthly or weekly and schedule your sessions as you see fit. You can also schedule two 30 minute sessions per week rather than one hor-long session if that’s better for you.

However you do it, you choose a time that works for you from the times I have available. When you sign up for mentoring, you’ll get a link to my calendar and can choose the time(s) that work for you.

I charge on a sliding scale. My full price is $400/hour, but I offer up to 50% off for clients I want to work with who can’t afford the full fee.

If you cancel  the service altogether 48 hours or more before your first scheduled session (if you pay monthly), or any scheduled session (if you pay weekly) you can get your money back.

Once you’ve had a session, I don’t return the money you paid for it because I put time and effort into helping you regardless of whether you choose to continue.

I also don’t refund unused portions of monthly packages after the first session; you can either use the rest of the sessions before opting not to renew or donate unused sessions so that someone else can get a scholarship.

Normally, I require 48 hours n otice to cancel or reschedule a session. Of course, if you have a medical or other emergency, that’s an exception!

If you have to cancel because of illness or emergency, you may reschedule the session at no additional charge.

If you’ve paid for a monthly package, you have two options:

1. Reschedule the session
2. Get a credit for one session that you can deduct from the next month’s bill.
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If you are ready to get started, fill out the application below. If I think we are a good fit, I will reach out to schedule a complementary 20-minute call to discuss your needs further.