Here’s how it works.
First, choose your expert. Take a look at the Meet your mentors page (use green button at the top of the page), and select your top three choices. Send their names (in your order of preference) along with one picture book manuscript, or five pages and a synopsis of your longer work, to Michelle Jodoin, Regional Advisor.
At this point, half your payment to your mentor (see below) plus a $25 SCBWI administrative fee to canadaeast@scbwi.org will be due. Please discuss payment methods with Michelle Jodoin when you send her your choice of mentors.
Manuscripts must be double-spaced, in a readable 12-pt. font, with margins of at least one inch.
If one of your chosen experts is available, we will match the two of you up, and supply you with your mentor’s contact information. The two of you will determine your deadlines, and you will send your mentor your full manuscript (if you have not already sent a PB manuscript). If you are electing to send a second PB manuscript (see details below), you will send this now.
If you are sending a single PB manuscript, you will receive your first critique by a predetermined date that is no more than three months later. You and your mentor will decide when you will have your remote session in relation to your next two written critiques. You will make your final payment to your mentor before your fourth and final written critique is returned to you, by the date that has been agreed to.
If you are having two manuscripts critiqued, your mentor will return your critiques by a predetermined date that is no more than four months later. You will then have your remote session. (If you prefer to have your remote session between your two separate critiques, you may work this out with your mentor.)
Fees and offerings:
Novels: For a full-length manuscript, you will pay $4.00 per page to your mentor, plus a $25 SCBWI administrative fee. There is a $300 minimum charge for this category.
You will get two written critiques and one remote session (e.g., via Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, or by phone) between them. If the second pass of your manuscript is substantially longer than the first one, the price may have to be adjusted to accommodate the extra pages.
Picture Books: You will pay $225 to your mentor, plus a $25 SCBWI administrative fee. You may opt for four written critiques and one remote session (e.g., via Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, or by phone), or you may instead send a second picture-book manuscript and have two critiques per manuscript, in addition to a single remote session.
Nonfiction works: You will pay $225 to your mentor, plus a $25 SCBWI administrative fee. If your manuscript is longer than 2,000 words, you will get two written critiques and two remote sessions (e.g., via Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, or by phone).
If your manuscript is 2,000 words or less, you will get four critiques of that manuscript and two remote sessions. Or, if you prefer, you may add one additional manuscript, no longer than 2,000 words, and get two critiques per manuscript, plus two remote sessions in total.
Taxes: Please note, all admin fees are flat fees and include HST. However, HST has not been included in the mentor fees. If your mentor is an HST registrant, they will add this tax to their final bill.
If you have any questions about this program, please email Michelle Jodoin.