Tuesday, 15 April 2014
About
The
WoMentoring Project exists to offer free mentoring by professional literary
women to up and coming female writers who would otherwise find it difficult to
access similar opportunities.
The
mission of The WoMentoring Project is simply to introduce successful literary
women to other women writers at the beginning of their careers who would
benefit from some insight, knowledge and support. The hope is that we’ll see
new, talented and diverse female voices emerging as a result of time and
guidance received from our mentors.
Each
mentor selects their own mentee and it is at their discretion how little or
much time they donate. We have no budget, it’s a completely free initiative and
every aspect of the project - from the project management to the website design
to the PR support - is being volunteered by a collective of female literary
professionals. Quite simply this is about exceptional women supporting
exceptional women. Welcome to The WoMentoring Project.
Why do we
need it?
Like many
great (and not so great) ideas The WoMentoring Project came about via a
conversation on Twitter. While discussing the current lack of peer mentoring
and the prohibitive expense for many of professional mentoring we asked our
followers - largely writers, editors and agents - who would be willing to
donate a few hours of their time to another woman just starting out. The
response was overwhelming – within two hours we had over sixty volunteer
mentors.
The
WoMentoring Project is managed by novelist Kerry Hudson and all of our mentors
are all professional writers, editors or literary agents. Many of us received
unofficial or official mentoring ourselves which helped us get ahead and the
emphasis is on ‘paying forward’ some of the support we’ve been given.
In an
industry where male writers are still reviewed and paid more than their female
counterparts in the UK, we wanted to balance the playing field. Likewise, we
want to give female voices that would otherwise find it hard to be heard, a
greater opportunity of reaching their true potential.
Applications
In an
ideal world we would offer a mentor to every writer who needed and wanted one.
Of course this isn't possible so instead we've tried to ensure the application
process is accessible while also ensuring that out mentors have enough
information with which to make their selection.
Applicant
mentees will submit a 1000 word writing sample and a 500 word statement about
why they would benefit from free mentoring. All applications will be in
application to a specific mentor and mentees can only apply for one mentor at a
time.
Why our
mentors are getting involved.
The
reason I’m doing this is simple: mentoring can mean the difference between
getting published and getting lost in the crowd. It can help a good writer
become a brilliant one. But till now, opportunities for low-income writers to
be mentored were few and far between. This initiative redresses the balance;
I’m utterly delighted to be part of the project.
Shelley Harris,
author of Jubilee
I have
only achieved the success I have with the help of others, and now I am keen to
pass on that help. I particularly want to reach out to those who don't have the
privileges of wealth, status or existing contacts, but who have so much to gain
and to give.
Marie
Phillips, author Gods Behaving Badly
I’m so
pleased to be involved in the WoMentoring Project, and I can’t wait to meet my
mentee. I know from my own authors how isolating an experience writing can
often be, especially when you’re just starting out, and so I really wanted to
be involved. I hope that knowing that there is someone on your side in those
early days will give writers courage and confidence in their work.
Alison
Hennessy, Senior Editor at Harvill Secker
The WoMentoring
project is the kind of opportunity I would have relished when writing my first
novel. It's founded in the spirit of paying it forward, and I'll take real
pride in sharing whatever experience I've gained with a mentee. I've benefited
from the advice and encouragement of some truly inspirational writers, the
right voice cheering you on can make all the difference when you're in your
solitary writing bubble. The formality of the mentoring arrangement also gives
a sense of responsibility and focus - something that's invaluable when you're
lost in the sprawl of a work-in-progress - and it's beneficial to mentors too.
Amylia
Hall, author of The Book of Summers
My career
as an editor has been immeasurably enriched by working with inspiring women
writers, yet the world of publishing would have been inaccessible to me without
the time and support I was given when first starting out. The WoMentoring
Project is a wonderful, necessary thing and I’m very proud to be taking part in
it.
Francesca
Main, Editorial Director, Picador
I wanted
to get involved with this project because I'd like to help authors feel that
whoever they are, and wherever they come from, they have a right to be heard.
Jo Unwin
of the Jo Unwin Literary Agency
Why
female writers feel they need this opportunity
I'm
interested in being mentored because although I think you have to make mistakes
to learn, having someone who's been there help you work out the ones with no
value can be really useful. Most of all I'd like to have someone
The idea
of women sharing their skills and experience in a dynamic, nurturing way is a
really important one given the lower profile given to female writers. Even
though the mentoring is one to one a collective voice and resilience is still
being built up - I think it's a great idea that, for writers like me, will help
get rid of some of the layers of doubt and creative loneliness that come with
being a beginner.
Clare Archibald
I'm on my third novel; I've had good notices from Faber, HoZ etc. but
still not quite there. What I need is that final push. I especially need guidance on pacing, keeping the action pulsing
along. I feel a mentor could be hugely beneficial in this process.
Suzy Norman
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Website: www.womentoringproject.co.uk
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