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.
During Office Hours, an editing mentor hosts an online office hour on Zoom or in Slack focused on a specific theme. Association members 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 office hour is limited to a small number of editors to ensure everyone has time to get feedback.
Register for office hours as a mentee or a mentor
September 24, 2024. 3:00 – 4:00 pm US Eastern (convert to your time zone)
View examples of past Office Hours sessions below.
Want to volunteer as a mentor to lead an office hours session? Apply here.
Can’t make it live to an office hours session? Pop into the #Editor-Advice channel in our private Slack community whenever you want for asynchronous chat, answers to your questions, and advice.
Our individual mentorship option pairs an experienced mentor with a mentee who is newer to the industry or to a specific editing area. Each individual mentorship cycle last for 1 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.
Applications are due by 11:59 PM US Eastern (convert to your time zone) on the 1st of the month before each new cycle (e.g., April mentorship applications are due March 1). The first cycle will launch in February 2024, with applications due January 2, 2024.
August 20, 2024. 1:00 – 2:00 pm US Eastern
July 11, 2024. 6:00–7:00 pm US Eastern
May 22, 2024. 3:00 – 4:00 pm US Eastern
March 26, 2024. 1:00 – 2:00 pm US Eastern
older →
February 11, 2024. 3:30 – 4:30 pm US Eastern
February 10, 2024. 3:30 – 4:30 pm US Eastern
January 29, 2024. 6:00 – 7:00 pm US Eastern
December 6, 2023. 10:00 – 11:00 am US Eastern
December 5, 2023. 2:00 – 3:00 pm US Eastern
Want to volunteer as a mentor to lead an office hours session? Apply here.
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. Please let us know 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 figure out 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. Feel free to 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 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.).
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