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)
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.
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Our individual mentorship program pairs an experienced mentor with a mentee who is newer to the industry or to a specific editing area.
Each individual mentorship cycle lasts for one month, and the mentor and mentee decide together their frequency and format of meetings, communication practices, and goals.
The time commitment can be as little or as much as the pair decides.
We aim for inclusivity and accessibility, and we are grateful for feedback when we misstep. Please email us at info@LGBTQEditors.org with any questions or feedback.
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.
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.
For a group office hours session (1 hour):
For an individual mentorship cycle (1 month):
For a group office hours session (1 hour):
For an individual mentorship cycle (1 month):
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.
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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