No matter what career path you’re following, one thing rings true of them all: having a mentor can make all the difference in where you end up.
Whether we’re authors or not (hello to all you non-writing readers out there!), everyone needs support to pursue a passion and career fraught with challenges—and writing is definitely THAT.
One of those challenges is loneliness. We authors spend a lot of time with our rears in the seat talking to characters who talk back—but only in our heads. And while craft books are helpful and online courses can be great, nothing quite takes the place of real-life people who will walk the sometimes-perilous writing road with us.
Sometimes those people are walking alongside you—your critique partners, for example. Other times, you need fellow authors who are willing to take you by the hand and lead you.
Merriam-Webster defines mentor as “a trusted counselor or guide,” so I can’t think of anyone better to help us navigate a path that we haven’t walked before.
I’ve been super blessed to have a handful of mentors who have helped me get to where I am in my publishing journey, and who continue to guide me even after I’ve achieved publication—because though it may sometimes feel like it, being published is not the be-all-end-all. A mentor can help you navigate the way no matter where you are in your journey.
The Benefits of Mentorship
In my opinion, the main benefits of having a mentor in my life have been:
- The opportunity to see things in a different light: I can get so focused on my own knowledge and way of thinking that I forget other perspectives exist. A trusted mentor can expose me to thinking that’s more advanced and just plain different.
- Guidance in strengthening my weaknesses: Most of the time, it’s hard to see ourselves—and our writing—objectively. A mentor can help us to find areas of weakness in our craft and suggest edits or ways to improve.
- Help navigating my career path: Not only have my mentors been pivotal in making me a better writer, but they’ve given advice that has helped to shape the decisions I make.
What to Look for in a Mentor
Now that we all agree having a mentor can be monumental in our writing careers, what makes a good mentor? For me, there are three main things I have sought in a mentor:
- A heart for others
- A passion for what she or he does
- Up-to-date knowledge on the latest trends and news in the industry
How to Find a Mentor
So how in the world do you go about getting connected with a mentor in the first place? There are a ton of writing groups on Facebook and other social media platforms that are great for connecting with other authors. Also, I’ve met a lot of authors simply by emailing or reaching out after I enjoyed one of their books. (Though I wouldn’t suggest reaching out in order to get something back, but more to invite someone into a friendship!)
If you’re a member of a writing organization like American Christian Fiction Writers or something similar, there are plenty of resources at your disposal. For example, ACFW has several loops where you can connect with other members across and in certain genres, etc.
 |
| Lindsay Harrel and Susan May Warren |
Another such resource is writing conferences, where you can meet authors at all stages of the game—from complete newbies to multi-published winners of writing award after writing award. Take the opportunity to get to know authors who are ahead of you in their writing journey. If you click with anyone, open a dialogue and see if that author might be open to mentorship.
The way I found one of my mentors was originally to pay for her knowledge—in other words, I took a class she was offering. There are so many good courses out there, but Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy was where I really cut my teeth as an author and learned exactly what I needed to know about how to write a novel.
One of the coolest benefits of having a mentor? For me, Susie has become much more than a mentor. She’s now a friend—and a partner too! Earlier this year, we started Sunrise Publishing, a publishing venture that combines mentorship and partnership between established authors and newer authors.
Sunrise Publishing: Taking Mentorship to the Next Level
Specifically, Sunrise is designed to help launch new or rebooting authors into the readership of an existing author, build the existing fictional world of the lead author, and offer readers a remedy to the story hole they are seeking to fill.
Here’s how it works: Every year Sunrise will choose a lead author in one particular genre. (Susie will be the lead author in year one, so we can work out the kinks!) Once we decide on the kind of stories the lead author is looking for, we put out a request for submissions. (Our first deadline is November 10! You can check out our submission process here.)
Once the lead author picks the draft authors, they will start working on stories. Over the course of the year, the lead author will mentor the draft authors (with the help of Sunrise) to create six novels.These novels will be traditionally published (print, ebook, and audio) over the course of the following year on all platforms.
Our main criteria is voice. We are not looking for someone with a platform, but instead, draft authors who are interested in learning, understand the basics of writing, and are willing to work hard. Most of all, we are looking for serious authors who want to launch their careers. (If you’re one such author, see our Writer’s Guidelines for more information.)
I know that whoever gets to work with Susie next year will be so incredibly blessed! Not only will they get a chance to work with someone who exudes all the ideal characteristics of a mentor I mentioned above, but partnering with Sunrise will help them discover their place in the market—and, hopefully, it will remind them they’re not alone in this writing thing after all.
Question for You: Do you have a mentor? If so, how did you connect with him or her? If not, what do you look for in a mentor? And do you have any questions about Sunrise Publishing? I’d love to answer anything you may be curious about!
Giveaway: Lindsay is offering one of Susan May Warren’s Deep Haven novels (reader’s choice) to a U.S. resident. Choices can be seen here: https://sunrisepublishing.com/upcoming-series/.
Lindsay Harrel is a CBA best-selling novelist and lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. With more than 13 years of editing and writing experience, Lindsay now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels for HarperCollins Christian Publishing and working as Editorial Director at Sunrise Publishing. She has a passion for not only helping authors improve their stories and find their voice, but also getting messages of hope out into the world. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com.
