FAQ
● How will my mentor be selected?
Once you review our website, please select your top three mentors in your application. We will endeavor to match you with the best mentor based on your application and the mentor’s availability.
● Is this just for book publishing?
We also offer mentorships for TV writing. Please see the mentors in the TV writing category.
● What types of books will Onward mentors work on?
Fiction (literary and genre), non-fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, essays, Young Adult. The individual mentors will list their specialties in their bios, as many of our mentors work and publish in multiple genres.
● What do I do if I don’t feel like the mentoring relationship is working out? Do I get my money back?
This is the benefit of coming to Onward. We will work with you to wrinkle out any issues with the mentoring relationship, and if necessary, move to a new mentor. Unfortunately, we can’t refund the money, but we can work with you to find a different person that might better fit your needs.
● Will my mentor help me find an agent?
Connecting with an agent is not part of this program; however, we do offer The Slush Pile, a service aimed at helping you prepare for submission.
● If I don’t match with a mentor (or my first choice mentor) the first time, can I reapply?
Absolutely.
● Can I have multiple mentorships?
Yes, you can go through the program as many times as you like. Each mentor will offer something unique, so you can complete different programs with different authors.
● Do my submissions need to be new each time or can they be revisions of previously submitted work in the same mentorship?
You can use the time with your mentor to submit either new writing or revisions of work following a discussion with your mentor. This is your time with your mentor to use however best might suit your needs.
● Once I finish my mentorship, I’d like someone to read the full manuscript. Do you offer manuscript consultations?
Once you complete a mentorship program (or in lieu of one), you may request a full developmental edit with your mentor or another mentor on the panel. This is an additional service and only some of our mentors do full developmental edits. Please contact us for pricing.
● Do you have a sliding scale or any scholarships?
We will be offering two need-based scholarships each year, both with founder Elizabeth L Silver for (1) a Single Consult, and (2) a Gabriel Garcia Marquez package. Information on these opportunities will be announced later in the year.
● I love the social justice component. Can I choose the organization for donation?
The mentors choose the donation recipient, but they will list their preferred organizations in their bios, so when you choose your mentor, you are essentially also choosing the organization for the donation.