How to work with a mentor
Getting feedback on your book as you write and edit
Imagine writing or editing your book with a bestselling author in the room to help. In this newsletter, we look at the joys of mentoring – what it is, how it works, and how it can be used to take your writing to that next level. We also have offers on books, editing events, and more from literary agents. Enjoy!
MENTORING: Get one-to-one online feedback as you write or edit (10% discount for members)
Did you know that you can work alongside a bestselling author on your book? Our mentors include some of the biggest names in books from around the world and will be on hand to give tailored advice, feedback and support. Book 10, 20 or 30 hours with the mentor of your choice. Previous writers have even gone on to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize!
Members Event Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the #JerichoWritersOneDay open submission with Simon & Schuster UK has had to be postponed. This means the webinar scheduled for 11th November with the Simon & Schuster editorial team is also going to be rescheduled. As soon as we have new dates for both the event and the open submission day, we will let you know.
This week at Jericho Writers:
MEMBER EVENTS: Eats, Shoots and Leaves Live with Lynne Truss (Member exclusive)
Join us on 15 November for an in-conversation event with author and journalist, Lynn Truss. Lynn quite literally wrote the book on grammar and punctuation, so come armed with your niggling questions!
NON-MEMBERS – JOIN NOW TO ATTEND
BOOKS: Countdown deal, eBooks £0.99 each
This week we’re running a deal on some of our Jericho Writers Publishing titles. Until Monday 15 Nov, get ‘How to Write a Novel’ and ‘Getting Published’, both by Harry Bingham, for £0.99/$0.99 each as eBooks, and at reduced prices as paperbacks as well. Now’s the perfect time to invest in your writing life (or in a gift for someone else’s).
VIDEO COURSES: Have you seen your new video courses? (Member exclusive)
We’ve recently added two new interactive video courses that teach you the fundamentals of writing novels, and self-publishing, combining video tutorials with downloadable worksheets and peer feedback.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Eli Keren, United Agents
This is a really useful one – “In a synopsis, spoil everything. Tell me what happens. A lot of people get confused between the synopsis and the blurb, and they write the synopsis in such a way to make me want to read the book, but that’s not what I come to a synopsis for.”
READ THE HIGHLIGHTS
MEMBERS – READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON AGENTMATCH
SUCCESS STORY: Jack Lutz
Jack Lutz first came to us as a mentee, then as a student on the Ultimate Novel Writing Course. His first novel, ‘London in Black’, is set to be published in June 2022 by Pushkin Vertigo. Read the interview for tips on how to narrow down your shortlist and land your perfect agent.
Mentoring: like time-travel (but better)
I have a very clear memory of sitting at my tiny desk in my first flat, staring at the black mould blooming on the wallpaper and wondering how on earth I was going to fix my novel.
I’d hit a wall. I knew something was wrong with my first draft and knew that it was probably something pretty big. But not only did I have no idea what this was, I also didn’t know how to even go about finding out.
Eight novels later, I know now that it was an overcomplicated plot with unlikeable characters that needed to be 40% less dark. If I could go back in time and squeeze next to me at the desk, I’d know exactly what to do to make it a more manageable task.
Although time travel hasn’t quite been mastered yet – there is thankfully a way to bring that experience to your writing desk: mentoring.
Mentoring combines one-to-one advice and feedback on your writing from a top-of-their-game expert. It’s paced around you, with you controlling how best to use the 10, 20 or 30 hours. It can involve phone calls, detailed feedback, emails in the middle of the night. It can be taken at the cusp of a new idea, or as you complete your edits. It’s there and it’s yours.
We’ve been offering mentoring at Jericho Writers for years now, and we’ve seen the difference it can make to everything from confidence to plot. Our list of experts has grown to include some of my personal all-time favourite authors, as well as commissioning editors and even self-publishing experts (if that’s the thing you’re battling with!)
If you think you’d benefit, do check it out (there’s even a 10% discount for members!) You’ll be asked to apply before you buy, so we can ensure it’s the best service for you, and you can tell us a little about your project.
In any case – you’re not in this alone. Help is out there if you need it (no time machine needed).
Sarah J
Plus, don’t miss:
Peters Fraser & Dunlop Literary Agency are running a Queer Fiction Prize in 2022 for new LGBTQIA+ writers to find emerging talent. Winners will be signed to PFD and supported until the end of writing their novels. Applications open 1 December 2021. This is free to enter – do get involved if eligible.
One-to-one sessions (10% discount available)
We still have slots left to chat to top literary agents from the UK and US. Each agent or book doctor will read your work in advance of this fifteen-minute call and is a great way to beat the slushpile. You can even choose your preferred agent and date/time.
Developmental editing (10% discount available)
If you want all the rigour offered by a Big-Five publishing house, but without the contracts and confusion, we’ve got you covered. A developmental edit offers you in-text comments throughout your manuscript offering in-depth feedback on your work, and a sixty-minute conversation with your editor to get that manuscript in perfect shape before you start submitting.
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