Nevada Mentorship Program
Are you interested in receiving some personalized assistance with your work-in-progress from one of our published mentors? Our affordable mentorship program runs every year and is completely online. Mentorships are available to unpublished writers, illustrators, and writer/illustrators working in any kidlit genre.
Ready to Apply? Pay Application Fee Here:
If you are selected for a mentorship you will need to pay the $500 fee to join the program.
The application fee of $15 is non-refundable.
Meet our 2025 Mentors!
Meet NV Mentor: Jenny MacKay
Jenny MacKay will be mentoring one Young Adult writer and one Chapter Book writer. She is especially interested in fiction, nonfiction, and stories with a bit of crossover appeal (narrative nonfiction, or fiction with some realistic elements). She is drawn to anything with a spooky, mysterious, or unsettling edge!
Meet NV Mentor: Linda Kay Hardie
Linda Kay Hardie will be mentoring one picture book writer and one middle grade writer. She loves working with humor, SFF, mystery/crime, horror, and historical subjects. She has a lot of experience with nonfiction and is open to all subject matters, although prefers cats, animals, nature, space, science, and biography.
2025 Mentorship Timeline:
- September 1, 2024: Mentor applications open.
- September 15, 2024: Mentor applications close.
- September 29, 2024: Mentee applications open to NV members only.
- October 13, 2024: Mentee application process opens to all SCBWI members or Nevada non-members. (Only if there are spots available.)
- October 27, 2024: Window closes for all mentee applications.
- November 3, 2024: Appropriate applications are distributed to mentors.
- December 15, 2024: Deadline for mentors to choose their mentees.
- January 5, 2025: Announce mentorship pairings.
- January 12, 2025: Mandatory kick-off event on zoom. Presentation about "Best Practices."
- SIX MONTHS of working together. Mentors must check in with their mentees at least once a month. We will send out an email update each month telling all in the program where everyone is with their project goals.
- July 14, 2025: End of mentorship program. Mandatory zoom meeting to talk about the experience and share wins and challenges. Presentation about "Next Steps."
- July 15, 2025: Feedback form distributed to each participant.
Fees:
Our mentorship program has a $15 non-refundable application fee.
After pairings have been made, each selected mentee will pay Nevada SCBWI: $500.
Although we will do our best to accommodate every applicant, applying to our program does not guarantee placement.