QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A MENTEE

• Must identify as Latinx (does not include individuals of Spanish origin)

• Must be unagented and unpublished

• Must have an active interest in writing books and a project in mind to work on during the mentorship

• Must be located in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and be at least 18 years of age

• Must be available to dedicate at least one hour per month for a minimum of ten months

  Mentee applications for the 2024 cycle are open until November 6, 2023. Apply here

QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A MENTOR

• Must identify as Latinx (does not include individuals of Spanish origin)

• Must have traditionally published at least one book prior to February 2023

• Must be located in the U.S. during the course of the program

• Must be available to dedicate at least one hour per month for a minimum of ten months

ABOUT THE WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

• The next cycle of the program runs from January 2024 through October 2024.

• Mentees must complete an application, state which mentor they are applying to work with, and submit 5-10 pages of sample writing in the appropriate genre/category. If you are applying in the picture book author-illustrator or graphic novel categories, please include a link to illustration samples along with your writing sample.

• Your application should be tailored to the mentor you would like to work with, meaning that your writing sample should be in the genre that mentor works in. You may submit applications for up to 3 different mentors, but in that case, each application form will likely require a different writing sample.

• Participants will be notified of Latinx in Publishing’s admission decisions in December 2023, and mentors and mentees will be formally connected in January 2024.

• Mentors and mentees will connect for a minimum of one hour per month over the course of ten months.

• The program will close in October 2024. If the mentor and mentee would like to continue their mentor relationship after that point, it is entirely at their discretion.

• Please be aware that the Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program is a volunteer-run initiative. Latinx in Publishing will not be held responsible for mediating any relations between mentors and mentees once the program ends.

Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

I applied! Will you confirm receipt? How soon will I hear back?

Latinx in Publishing’s application form is an automated system. Once you have submitted your form, your application will be automatically logged in our internal database. A confirmation email will not be sent. 

Our decisions will be emailed to all mentee applicants by December 15th.

How will the mentorship work? Will mentor/mentee pairs meet in person? Will the whole mentorship class ever get together?

Mentors and mentees will connect for a minimum of one hour per month, over a period of ten months. Latinx in Publishing will provide an resource packet that includes suggested topics of discussion for each monthly meeting and links to resources for emerging writers, but ultimately, each mentor-mentee team is free to structure their own monthly meetings in the way that best suits their schedules.

The mentorship program includes participants across the US, so while mentor-mentee pairs will connect via phone and/or video call, they will likely not be in the same physical location. Likewise, given the distance between participants, Latinx in Publishing is not able to organize any in-person class events. However, we do hold a few virtual events during the program cycle, and offer the option for participants to share their contact information with the group and connect outside of official mentorship events.

How do you match mentors and mentees? Is everyone who applies accepted and matched?

Mentors and mentees are primarily matched based on their genres of interest. The program is open to applicants writing in a wide range of categories, including adult fiction, adult nonfiction, poetry, graphic novel, picture books, middle grade fiction, and young adult fiction.

Due to the large number of mentee applicants, we are not able to match every applicant, though we do encourage those who aren’t matched to reapply during our next mentorship cycle.

Do I have to live in the US?

Applicants must live within the United States (which includes Puerto Rico). As a US-based nonprofit, we are legally required to keep our activities in the US.

I’m not Latinx, but I’m writing about Latinx characters, and/or my work deals heavily with Latinx culture. Can I apply?

No, only individuals who identify as Latinx (does not include individuals of Spanish descent) may apply to the Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program.

I’m interested in being a mentee. How “finished” does my work have to be? Is it okay if I only have half a novel written, for example? What if I have a great idea but haven’t written a word yet?

Whether you have a complete manuscript or have only just started to write your newest idea, you can apply to the mentorship program. However, we do require that mentees be seriously working on a project that they intend to publish, and you must include a writing sample and 100-word summary of your project with your application.

Can I still apply if I’m a mentee in another program already? What if I’m currently enrolled in an MFA program?

In both cases, you are absolutely welcome to apply, but please be advised that Latinx in Publishing will give priority to applicants who are not currently involved with another mentorship program or enrolled in an MFA program.

I’m unpublished and unagented, but am I too old to be a mentee?

No, Latinx in Publishing does not discriminate on the basis of age. However, applicants must be at least 18 years of age when applying. 

What format should my writing sample be in? What about illustration samples for picture books or graphic novels?

Please submit a PDF or Microsoft Word document, 12 point font and double spaced. If you are an artist as well (for picture books or graphic novels), please include a link where we can view a sample of your art (Dropbox, Google Drive, a website portfolio link all work). Writing samples should be 5-10 pages--for example, no more than 3,000 words of a novel. But depending on genre, your writing sample could also be a few poems, a full picture book manuscript, or a short story or two. For matching purposes, we encourage you to showcase, within your sample, the genre of writing you wish to primarily focus on during the mentorship.

Can I apply for the picture book mentorship with just a manuscript? Or for the graphic novel mentorship with just a script?

Please note that visual artists are preferred for these mentee spots. We ask that anyone applying in an illustrated category include illustration samples as well, in an art style appropriate for the type of project you are intending to work on.

Can I submit multiple short pieces (poems, flash fiction, etc.) as my writing sample?

Yes! (See previous question.) 

Can my writing sample be bilingual or in a language other than English?

If you are applying to work with our Spanish Language mentor, your writing sample should absolutely be in Spanish! For all other mentors, please submit samples written primarily in English (though a little bit of Spanglish is always fine!). 

My application was rejected. Can you give me more details about why? Could I have some editorial feedback on my writing sample?

Due to the large number of applicants, we are not able to give detailed feedback on submission materials. Still, we encourage you to reapply during our next mentorship cycle, and also recommend that you explore the information for writers that we’ve collected at www.latinxinpublishing.com/resources.