Consultation and Mentorship

Description

ONE-HOUR CONSULTATIONS

Not sure of your next step as a writer? Wondering whether to self-publish or submit to traditional publishers? Looking for resources, courses, and advice from an experienced hand on the writing front? One-hour consultations are a judgement-free opportunity for you to talk through concerns and ambitions as a writer, then chart a course that’s right for you. With twenty-six years of publishing and experience with both traditional and self-publishing philosophies, my goal with theses sessions is to help put together focused next steps and options that are right for you. I’ll also look at a ten-page writing sample to give you tailored advice about where you’re at, what to focus on next, and which markets/genres might be right for your work.

ONGOING MENTORSHIP

If you want more in-depth advice and support, you can book ongoing mentorship in blocks of two hours, 5 hours, or 10 hours. We’ll sit down and discuss your project or business plan in a series of meetings, reviewing a sample of your work each time and giving you a series of targeted resources and exercises that will move you towards. This is not a manuscript assessment, but a hands-on focus on your goals and refining your project.

WHO AM I?

I’m a career writer who has worked in fiction, non-fiction, and roleplaying games. I’ve run two small presses — the RPG publisher Clockwork Golem Workshop (2005-2007) and genre publisher Brain Jar Press (2012 to present) — in addition to my work as a writing tutor for three different universities. I’m a former manager of the Australian Writers Marketplace, taught digital publishing for If:Book Australia, and spent several years convening the GenreCon writers’ conference, and I’ve taught writing workshops in schools, writers festivals, and writers centres around Australia.

Here’s a list of topics I have expertise and experience on, that I’d love to help you learn about in these sessions:

• Starting your career as a traditionally published or self-published author
• Choosing your business model as a writer or publisher
• Writing and marketing series fiction
• Understanding the business models of traditionally published and self-published authors, and how each might fit with your strengths as a writer
• Matching your writing and publishing ambitions to your budget and experience level
• Developing your writing skills, from line-level writing to structure
• Low-budget marketing, newsletters, and developing an author platform
• Publishing tools and services that can help level up your business
• Direct sales and self-publishing your book in paperback
• Any “this seems like a stupid question” aspects of writing and publishing you’ve always wanted to ask
• Understanding the world of writers’ festivals, conferences, and more