LGBTQ+ Editors Association Mentorship Program

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. 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 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.

We offer group mentorship office hours as well as one-on-one mentorship options. Participation is free and open to all current LGBTQ+ Editors Association members.

Mentorship program coordinator: Dr. Cathy Hannabach (channabach@proton.me)

Group Mentorship Office Hours

Office hours are one-hour themed group discussions led by a mentor on Zoom or in our private Slack workspace. Mentees can ask questions, get feedback, learn about resources, and explore issues related to professional editing careers.

Mentors come from a range of editing specializations (fiction, academia, memoir, medicine, nonprofits, government, corporate communication, etc.), and each session is limited to a small number of editors to ensure everyone has time to get feedback.

Can’t make it live to an office hours session? Pop into the #Editor-Advice channel in our private Slack workspace whenever you want for asynchronous chat, answers to your questions, and advice.

Upcoming Office Hours

Making Friends with Your P&L

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: January 21, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Money talk can feel like staring into a fog—numbers, jargon, and mystery everywhere. But your profit and loss (P&L) statement doesn’t have to be scary. It’s just a snapshot of what money is coming in, what money is going out, and what that means for the health of your editing business. In this session, we’ll unpack what a P&L actually shows (in plain English), why it’s worth befriending, and how it can help you make thoughtful choices about pricing, expenses, and sustainability. Participants will share how they currently track income and costs, compare simple ways to read their own numbers, and identify one or two small steps toward greater financial clarity—no spreadsheets sorcery required.

Building Digital Safety Nets for Your Editorial Business

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: February 18, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Hard drives die. Clouds go down. Laptops refuse to turn on. This session examines how to protect your editorial livelihood from tech disasters. We’ll compare storage options, explore automated backup systems, and look at low-tech redundancies that keep your projects and records safe. Participants will discuss their current setups and brainstorm ways they can design a simple, resilient plan for staying operational when the unexpected occurs.

Writing Contracts Without Breaking into a Cold Sweat

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: March 18, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Drafting contracts for editorial projects can feel intimidating—like you’re expected to sound like a lawyer and foresee every possible disaster. But a contract’s real job is simple: to make sure both you and your client know what’s being done, when, and for how much. In this session, we’ll explore how editors can write clear, fair contracts that protect their time, outline expectations, and build trust. We’ll look at key sections for editing agreement, how to phrase them in plain English, and where to find reliable templates. Participants will share their current approaches, compare what’s worked (and what hasn’t), and leave with practical ideas for making contracts a normal, confidence-boosting part of their business—not a nerve-wracking one.

Crafting Coherence in Multi-Author Books

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: April 22, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Edited volumes bring together many voices, which is both their greatest strength and their biggest challenge.This session looks at how editors can help a project read as one book rather than twelve unrelated essays. We’ll trade techniques for harmonizing terminology, pacing, and argumentation across chapters, all without erasing distinctive voices. Discussion will also cover practical coordination—tracking shared ideas, maintaining version control, and managing author communication—to keep the whole collection singing in key.

WTF Is Word Doing?!

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: May 20, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Every editor has cursed Microsoft Word at least once this week. This discussion takes on the program’s most notorious gremlins: vanishing comments, haunted Track Changes, formatting sludge, and corrupted files. We’ll trade repair tricks, preventive settings, and cleanup workflows that tame even the most errant document. Bring your most annoying Word problems and solutions to share.

Sources That Save the Day

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: June 10, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: What editorial reference sources keep rescuing you at 11 pm when you’re on a tight deadline? In this session, we will share the dictionaries, style guides, and specialized databases we rely on most. We’ll talk about how each source earns its keep, from clarifying a technical term to resolving an obscure citation issue. Expect to leave with a crowd-curated arsenal of trusted references you’ll actually use in your editing work.

Getting Paid through US University Vendor Systems

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: July 8, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Working with faculty clients on editing projects often means getting paid through their universities’ vendor systems—a process that can feel labyrinthine if you’ve never done it before (or even if you have). In this session, we’ll unpack how these systems work, what documentation they typically require, and how to streamline your setup so payments don’t get stuck in administrative limbo. Participants will share experiences, troubleshoot common snags, and gather practical strategies for making vendor registration and invoicing smoother. Note: This session focuses on US university systems, which differ from those used elsewhere.

Assessing Project Scope for Accurate Estimates

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: August 17, 2026. 2:00 – 3:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Good project estimates aren’t magic—they’re math. This practical session dives into how editors can scope projects accurately, track their time, and forecast workload. We’ll compare digital and analog tracking tools, then look at how to turn those numbers into confident quotes and realistic calendars. Come share your best techniques (and learn some new ones!) for gaining control over budgets, timelines, and personal bandwidth.

The Art of the Query

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: September 9, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Should you fix that odd phrasing—or ask first? This session unpacks the delicate calculus behind editorial queries. We’ll analyze real-world gray areas and practice phrasing that prompts collaboration rather than defensiveness. Discussion will focus on balancing clarity, accuracy, and diplomacy while keeping projects on schedule. By the end, participants will have sharper instincts for when to correct, when to question, and when to let it go.

Tools Editors Can Actually Use

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: November 3, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: Forget glossy software pitches—this is a grassroots tour of what’s really helping editors work better right now. Bring one or two tools you’ve been using lately—digital, analog, or hybrid—and share how they make your manuscript editing or editorial business processes easier. We’ll trade favorites, discover new hacks, and build a shared list of field-tested tools worth keeping.

Editorial Goal Setting for 2027

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: December 9, 2026. 12:00 – 1:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
About: This year-end discussion turns reflection into strategy. Together we’ll take stock of our 2026 milestones and sketch out our professional goals for the year ahead—whether that means expanding services, deepening accounting expertise, or finding better balance in our marketing strategy. Come ready to share your 2026 successes and what you’ve learned in the process to get inspiration for your 2027 goals and plans.

Past Office Hours

Sessions and mentors

Legal and Ethical Issues in Editing

Mentor: Adrienne Montgomerie
When: November 6, 2025

Theory and Practice of Developmentally Editing Queer Romance

Mentor: Shannon Scott
When: October 25 and 26, 2025

Editorial Business Planning Workshop

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: October 15, 2025

Tackling a Manuscript Revision

Mentor: Alyssa Pfingst
When: September 2, 2025

How to Support Writers Facing Creative Resistance

Mentor: Tiffany Grimes
When: August 5, 2025

Editing with Chronic Illnesses, Disabilities, and Neurodivergent Bodyminds

Mentor: D. Scott
When: July 17, 2025

Editing Indie Fiction: Starting Out and Getting Your First Client

Mentor: Sam Keir
When: June 11, 2025

Working with Underdeveloped Manuscripts

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: May 6, 2025

Getting Started Freelancing with Upwork

Mentor: Shelly Zevlever
When: March 18, 2025

Helping Indie Authors Beyond Editing

Mentor: Brenna Bailey-Davies
When: February 24, 2025

Editing Indie Fiction: Starting Out and Getting Your First Client

Mentor: Sam Keir
When: December 11, 2024

Social Media Best Practices

Mentor: Shannon Scott
When: November 3, 2024

Getting Started as a Sensitivity Reader

Mentor: Karen A. Parker
When: October 15, 2024

Coaching Writers

Mentor: Micha Rahder
When: September 24, 2024

When Your View Clashes with the Style Guide: Language Politics in Editing

Mentor: Merryl A. Sloane
When: July 11, 2024

Connecting with Target Clients

Mentor: Tanya Gold
When: May 22, 2024

Prepping Fiction Editing Projects

Mentor: Lara Zielinsky
When: March 26, 2024

Productivity Hacks for Neurospicy Editors

Mentor: Shannon Scott
When: February 10 & 11, 2024

Getting Started as a Medical Editor

Mentor: Vee White
When: January 29, 2024

Editorial Self-Assessment: Reflecting at Year’s End

Mentor: Dr. Cathy Hannabach
When: December 5&6, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be a mentor if I’m still relatively new to editing?

Yes, we all have something to teach. Tell us your areas of expertise in the application form, and we’ll let you know about any potential mentee matches.

Can I be both a mentee and a mentor?

Yes. This is a great way to share your knowledge while also learning new things. For instance, if you love helping new editors learn how to present at conferences (mentor), but you also are branching out into a new type of editing and want some advice (mentee), consider signing up for both roles.

What is the time commitment for mentors?

For a group office hours session (1 hour):

Propose an office hours session.
Host a one-hour Zoom call or Slack discussion on a topic of your choosing.
This is not a lecture/presentation, so you don’t need to prepare slides or similar materials unless you want to. During the session, you’ll answer questions, share resources, offer advice, and provide feedback.
All registration logistics and communication are handled by our mentorship coordinator Cathy Hannabach, so you just need to manage the Zoom meeting or Slack chat (we will set you up with a private Slack channel if you host the session there).

For an individual mentorship cycle (1 month):

Apply to be a mentor.
Commit to being available during your chosen month at the frequency that you and your mentee agree on—for example, you may agree to do six email exchanges across that month or meet weekly for one hour.
Communicate your availability with your mentee and decide together on a schedule for your mentorship month.

What is the time commitment for mentees?

For a group office hours session (1 hour):

Register for an office hours session.
Attend the Zoom call or Slack discussion. Bring questions, discussion topics, or things you want to learn about that pertain to the mentor and session topic. Preparing ahead of time and actively participating ensures a productive session for all.

For an individual mentorship cycle (1 month):

Apply to be a mentee.
Commit to being available during your chosen month at the frequency that you and your mentor agree on—for example, you may agree to do six email exchanges across that month or meet weekly for one hour.
Communicate your availability with your mentor and decide together on a schedule for your mentorship month.

Can I apply for multiple months of mentorship?

Yes you can apply for multiple months of mentorship—both individual and group sessions. Let us know your availability in your application, and we'll do our best to accommodate your preferences. We're committed to ensuring a fair distribution of spots for both mentees and mentors, making sure everyone has a chance to participate.

Program Vision

Establishing mentorship options for LGBTQIA+ editors was founder Vee White’s motivation for 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.

This vision recognizes that mentors and mentees 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, collaborating with mentees in discussion, providing connections, or suggesting resources.

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

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