Mentorship Program 2023–2024

The LGBTQ+ Editors Association mentorship program offers members the opportunity to help diversify the editorial profession at all levels.

LGBTQIA+ communities know deeply the power of sharing collective knowledge across generations and forging supportive peer networks, and here we put those skills to work building the publishing industry and wider editorial profession we want. 

Mentees get expert-level guidance, personalized feedback, and resources from LGBTQIA+ editors in their fields, which mentees can put to use as they build their careers. Mentees can learn about different editing career paths and professional networks, as well as develop new skills and find inspiring role models in other LGBTQIA+ professionals.

Mentors have the opportunity to give back to the editing profession, create a vibrant pipeline of LGBTQ+ editors and publishing professionals, and nurture new editors and one another in their career journeys. Mentorship is also a key way mentors can build a lasting legacy in a publishing industry and wider editorial landscape that has given our communities so much but also has a long way to go toward equity and inclusion. 

Folks can participate in both the group office hours and individual mentorship if they choose (as a mentor, mentee, or both), or they can pick the one that best fits their needs. Learn about our program options, frequently asked questions, and program vision below, and get introduced to our mentorship program coordinator, Cathy Hannabach. 

Establishing mentorship options for LGBTQIA+ editors was the initial motivation behind our founder, Vee White, creating the LGBTQ+ Editors Association. They envision the program as a way for peers to support one another in their career goals, foster growth, and forge connections as well as one that recognizes mentors and mentees may come from a variety of lived experiences (accessibility needs, geographic regions and socio-cultural differences, and diverse backgrounds including but not limited to race, ethnicity, and different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ umbrella).

We ask our mentors to approach each session with humility, understanding their experience and approach are not always applicable to the lived experiences of others, and often mentees are best positioned to uncover the “answer” with support and encouragement from mentors. This can take the form of mentors asking questions, actively listening, and collaborating with mentees in discussion; providing connections; or suggesting resources. 

To better ensure accessibility in the individual mentoring cycles, mentors and mentees can meet in various ways as suits their needs (video conferencing, text-based chatting in Slack, email, phone, etc.).