Looking for an author mentor, could you be the one?
This is not an advertisement. It is just an attempt to seize the opportunity of the open market here and reach out to a good mentor for my writing project.
Get to know me first
I’m an African, specifically Ethiopian, who settled in Colorado, USA, since early 2017. I was an English teacher in Ethiopia with a BA in Foreign Languages and Literature and an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
I love languages. At my undergrad studies, I majored in English and added French as a minor course. Although I have not been working with the French language, I still can communicate with it. Amharic is my native language. I’m teaching Amharic at UC Berkeley. I do lots of writing and translations in English and Amharic.
Why am I looking for an author mentor?
Although I studied literature during my undergrad, it was not thorough enough and I was not mature enough at that time. Even during my grad studies, I studied only Academic English. I am not confident about my literary skills and literary language. However, I do not want to be discouraged from writing in English. I do have a lot of story to share with the world. I only need an experienced writer who can read my writings and shape and enrich them into an indulging, compelling story by enhancing the language.
How will the mentor work with me? What will they get?
Working with a new person is always a learning opportunity. The mentor will learn much about Ethiopia and my culture, and will develop an understanding about Africa. Besides, when the project is complete and my book publishes, my mentor will be included in the acknowledgement if they’re willing to be included. Thirdly, depending on the amount of help I get, we can agree on an affordable, small amount of compensation.
How soon?
I’ve already been working with another volunteer author/editor, but it’s been almost a year now since we started working together and we got not much further. He is too busy and less responsive to my emails and texts. Therefore, I really want to move faster and see my book published.
Communication?
If anybody expresses their interest in becoming my mentor and assisting me in my writing project as a comment here, I will send my email address and we can arrange a Zoom session.
What qualities am I looking for?
I would like you to have the proven experience of shaping raw stories into literary narrations. Advanced English language craft is the other major expertise I am looking for in my mentor. Thirdly, I would like you to be personally relatable and respectful of my privacy and the confidentiality of my stories.
In general, I do not have much experience in the mentor-mentee relationship, especially between writers, and any advice or recommendation is appreciated!
Thank you for reading and for your advice before hand!
(Amlaku)
