Mentoring
The Aspiring Writer:
A Personalized Program to Help You Write and Publish
*****
Have you ever wanted to be a published author?
Do you have an idea for a book, or bits and pieces of notes, perhaps even chapters, but you don’t know where to start?
Do you suffer from feelings of doubt, frustration, and imposter syndrome because you WANT to put something together but just don’t know HOW to do it?
I can help you. Believe it.
In the past 28 years, I’ve helped thousands of college students with writing projects; recently, I’ve worked as a mentor for Polygence, an online research academy for high school students. I’ve helped many people develop their ideas, improve their writing skills, and become published authors. But in all of these cases, the writers were enrolled in tuition-driven programs, and they were full-time students, most with student loans.
This got me thinking: there MUST be people out there who want to put a book together and become published, but if they aren’t enrolled in a college, university, or academy, how will they know how to proceed? Who is going to help them? Shouldn’t people be able to get professional help without being enrolled in a tuition-driven program? Shouldn’t there be a less expensive but still highly professional model? And that’s when the idea for The Aspiring Writer was born!
Who is an Aspiring Writer?
Someone who has an idea for a fiction or non-fiction work.
Someone whose writing may not be organized, perhaps a “serial starter” with no finished projects.
Someone who has the desire to be published, but doesn’t know how to begin, suffers from doubt, needs to improve writing skills, and needs someone to help them stay motivated.
Someone who needs advice and guidance from a seasoned writer and editor with experience in all stages of the process.
Someone whose bucket list includes: “become a published author.”
What is the Aspiring Writer Program Like?
It is entirely individualized based on the writer, what they want to publish, and how much needs to be completed to reach that goal, but with that said, there will be some commonalities for all writers who participate, such as…
Zoom Meetings: I recommend once a week or at most, every other week, to keep momentum. (1-hour long)
Homework: I recommend regular “homework” or “assignments” in between meetings to keep up skills and momentum. Perhaps one will answer several writing prompts, or write one or two chapters, outline a project, or do some outside research or reading. Assignments are by arrangement: at the end of each meeting, the writer and I will make a decision on an appropriate size and focus of the assignment for the next meeting.
Email communication: the writer will send their assignment to me at least 24 hours ahead of the meeting to give me enough time to read it and annotate it. I use google docs and the “suggesting” function for this. I usually spend about 1-2 hours reading your work several times and editing, making my work with the writer cover roughly 2-3 hours in total of my time and expertise, once per week or every two weeks by arrangement. Writers are also encouraged to send emails any time if they have questions.
What Does the Program Cost?
Well, it depends! Every writer has different needs. But I can give a couple of hard and fast numbers:
The monthly cost is $250. Sounds like a lot, right? But break it down: this covers 4 hours of zoom meetings between us during which I assist you with any help you need and provide feedback. It also covers my work ahead of time, when I read and make notes and suggestions on the writing you submit. It also includes any email communication between us outside of that. I never cut that hour short, and sometimes I even end up running a little over, which I do not charge more for. This is a fantastic value considering my level of professional expertise, my attention to detail, and my reputation as a mentor and editor.
Ok, but then, how many weeks is it going to take me to get this thing finished? Again, it depends on the writer and what they have already worked on (or not worked on). The only requirement is that if I take you on as a protégé, you will need to commit to ONE MONTH (payable all at once or in 2 installments of $125 each, one before we get started and the other after we are halfway through). Because you need at least a month of us working together to see a decent amount of progress. If we meet just one time, even 2, we are really only scratching the surface. 4 weeks of meetings spread over a month or two will deliver to you measurable progress, and progress is needed to keep up momentum.
What kinds of progress have you been able to make with other writers in this time frame? It varies, but I can give you some examples. With 2 of my current writers, we’ve covered 4 chapters of their books (including the opening chapter, which is typically the toughest to get “right”) as well as the book’s organization and structure. We’ve also been able to isolate common writing problems that occur with frequency for the writer (content or grammar-related) and I’ve taught them how to improve in those areas. One of my former writers spent a few months in the program and each week, she wrote a different style story or essay and we covered a lot of different genres; eventually, she asked for some mini-lectures on literary topics on which I’ve done research, and I gave her some private lectures and slide shows. A recent writer and I worked together one month by arrangement and he was able to knock out about 20k words of his memoir as well as to get a structure and plan down and editing throughout. It really varies, but it’s a considerable amount of progress.
Thus the total initial commitment is $250. You can pay all up front, or you can split into 2 payments. (Paypal also offers pay in 4, so if you take that option when you book, you’d be breaking it down further). When we get to the last week of your “term”, you can decide if you want to continue with the independent study, and if so, you’ll be booked with me for another month at the same rate. If rates increase as we go on, you are locked in to the rate you began with on this project. Guaranteed.
How is payment made? You can pay in full to book, or do 50% down, 50% due halfway through. Choose the payment tab below that fits your needs best.
***IMPORTANT*** If you are currently in the program and joined it up to Feb. 15, 2023, you may reach out to me for invoicing to make your next payment.
Common Questions
I’m paying you BEFORE I have met with you and I don’t know you well. How can I trust you to deliver when I’ve never worked with you before?
*My ethics wouldn’t allow it. I would never do anything to sabotage my business’s very strong reputation (and 5-Star Google rating). I can also provide references and testimonials from satisfied and happy clients. If anything, I’m an over-deliverer and never an under-deliverer. I want to see you publish your work!
What happens if I don’t do my homework?
*Well, my hope is that you DO, so we have something to work with. But sure, stuff comes up. So if we need to, we can reschedule your session to give you more time to finish up. Alternatively, we can keep your meeting as scheduled and we can work on another aspect of your project, or I can do a grammar lesson with you on a problem area, or really cover just about anything you need in terms of content and writing assistance. The goal is to always be moving forward and not lose momentum. Please be advised that no-shows are not refunded, though.
What If I work with you for a month and then have to stop because of finances, work, family, or life in general?
*That’s ok!! With a month complete, we’ll have made some measurable progress for you to build on. If you have to stop or pause working with me, we will make an “exit” plan for you: a list of things you can work on by yourself, an accounting of what needs to be finished to get ready to publish. If you’re far along in your project, you may be able to upload and publish on your own; if not, the skills you’ve learned will help you stay more organized and on track to work on your own. In addition, I’m always here if you just need a quick pick-me-up and some moral support—reach out by email!
We’ve worked on my project, and it’s finished! But…my grammar and spelling are kinda problematic. Now what?
*At this point, it makes sense for us to STOP our mentoring work and SWITCH to my being your editor. You can hire me as your editor/proofreader to comb the entire manuscript for any errors in grammar, usage, typos, etc. There is a different price model for that which goes by word count and is listed here: Editing Rates. If you have gone through this program with me, I will offer you a discount on those rates as my thank you for being my client.
Why should I hire you to be my editor?
*Many reasons: if you don’t trust yourself to make it perfect, hand it to an expert! I can take that task off your shoulders. You certainly do not have to hire me, though, if you trust your own abilities or have a friend with impeccable grammar skills. You will not find another professional editor with my level of expertise for less, though.
How do I actually self-publish my book?
*Amazon KDP seems to be the method of choice for most self-published authors, although there are other methods. There are countless Youtube videos and websites which break down all the steps for you. Essentially, you fill out a web form with your details on Amazon KDP and the toughest part (according to my past clients) seems to be ensuring the formatting is correct for margins, front, and back matter, so I can recommend a formatter and/or cover artist that will handle those tasks. You can do all of this yourself, though, including the cover, if you have some basic knowledge of layout, margins, and the like. Some of my past clients have used Canva and designed their entire book themselves, including illustrations, with photo uploads from their phones.
This all sounds like it could get very expensive. Why should I pay you for all of this help?
*I promise better assistance for a lower cost than any company out there which you can hire to help you publish a book. Google the vanity or independent presses: they can run anywhere from $3000 to $9000 for a “package” to turn you into a published author. You will have to sign a contract to pay in the thousands for your project. Think about it: you’re only committing to $250 with me, vs. thousands with a large company. Also, these companies operate on the assumption that you have already written the book. They will not work on developing it with you, nor will they spend time teaching you about writing techniques you can use to improve your writing.
*You will not only be producing your magnum opus but you will be learning HOW to do these things yourself. I am a veteran teacher with 28 years of experience, so I will teach you how to be a better writer as we go along. An independent or vanity press will not take the time to teach you any skills. I will. I will give you your own personal creative writing “class” or “independent study” where there are no other students. Just us!
*Because you want to be published—you want that little bit of immortality—but so far, you haven’t done it. It’s in your head, but it’s not in your hands. I can help you reach your goal!