Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that Byron Writers Festival takes place on the traditional lands of the Arakwal Bumberbin Peoples of the Bundjalung Nation. We pay respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge them as the original storytellers of the lands and waterways of this Country.

Academy

Year-round Mentorships

Year-round mentorship program

Byron Writers Festival year-round mentorships are paid services available to members throughout the year who are seeking a professional mentor to assist with the development of their work.

We have compiled a list of locally-based writers of various genres and categories, (both fiction and non-fiction), as well as professional editors, who are willing to act as mentor to a developing or emerging writer.

Mentorships provide emerging writers with a chance to develop their writing and they also provide employment opportunities for writing professionals living in and beyond the area. The mentorship program is therefore designed as a fee-for-service scheme and is available only to members.

Mentorships, as distinct from manuscript assessment or editing services, provide a two-way relationship where writers are able to be nurtured and to ask questions, seek feedback,  and gain industry-related advice.

Is it for me?

A mentorship would be most beneficial to writers who:

  • have a well developed manuscript and would like feedback from a professional who is working in their area of interest
  • have a long term commitment to writing and the development of their craft and are ready to take advice and make changes to their work
  • have already developed their work through writers’ groups, or by attending workshops or classes on writing
  • have specific areas of their work that they want to address such as character development, structure, plot, writing for publication etc.
  • have done their research into the genre in which they are writing and are having difficulty bringing their work to the word lengths or standards required for that genre, or
  • have published already and are working on a project in a new genre.

Mentorship Fees

Tier 1 – Firsthand Feedback

Cost: $385 (inc gst)

Includes:

  • The first 20 pages + 300 word synopsis (5000)
  • Manuscripts should be double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font
  • Equates to 3 hours work for mentor (2 hours reading / assessment / feedback preparation; 1 hour feedback meeting or written report if preferred by mentee)

Tier 2 – First 40 Pages

Cost: $605 (inc gst)

Includes:

  • The first 40 pages + 300 word synopsis (10,000)
  • Manuscripts should be double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font
  • Equates to 5 hours work for mentor (3 hours reading / assessment; 1 hour feedback preparation; 1 hour feedback meeting or written report if preferred by mentee)

Tier 3 – First 80 Pages

Cost: $1045 (inc gst)

Includes:

  • The first 80 pages + 300 word synopsis (20,000)
  • Manuscripts should be double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font
  • Equates to 9 hours work for mentor (6 hours reading / assessment; 1 hour feedback preparation; 2 hour feedback meeting or written report if preferred by mentee)

How to apply

Please contact us for more information. A member of our team will get back to you regarding your options.

Call +61 2 6685 5115 or email info@byronwritersfestival.com

Cost
General:
$
Friends (Members):
$
Free
TBC
When
TBC
Byron Writers Festival '25 tickets

Join us from 8—10 August at Bangalow Showground on Bundjalung Country

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