“The editorial feedback I received was more enthusiastic, more insightful, and kinder than any I have received... before and since. Heather’s detailed explanations of her amendments taught me a great deal, and I am a better writer because of working with her.”
Mentoring
I’m an experienced mentor and editor, having worked with dozens of emerging writers, primarily through the literary magazine Extra Teeth, for which I am the Editorial Director and one of the Fiction Editors. I have over 15 years’ experience as an editor of fiction and nonfiction, working for independent publishers and directly with writers, whether they are brand new to writing or already established. For two years I worked at the writers’ union, the Society of Authors, and so have supported writers not only editorially but with general career advice and and through a range of challenging situations. I am often invited to speak to students and emerging writers at universities and other organisations, not only about craft and process but about the realities of the publishing industry. As a mentor, I pride myself on a collaborative, compassionate, constructive process that nonetheless helps any writer take great strides in improving their work.
I am now able to take on a small number of mentees directly, via Zoom, phone call or in person within central Glasgow. I’m also able to offer one-off advice sessions for those who need some support navigating the strange world of publishing.
1-hour advice session
To speak about any aspect of your career or the publishing industry and to support you through your next stages. Content to be defined by you.
To book: please get in touch via the contact form.
£75
Mentoring:
To include detailed feedback and editorial suggestions on your work, whether that’s at a line level or with a more developmental eye. We might work on a short story in one session, or on a larger work over several sessions. You might require some support with a nonfiction proposal or want to work on essays together. These sessions can be adapted however you would like them, and I am happy to accommodate whatever your particular needs are.
To book: please get in touch via the contact form.
1 x 1-hour mentoring session:
£200
3 x 1-hour mentoring session
£500
Editorial:
If you require more formal editorial support, I am able to take on some of these projects from time to time. With almost two decades’ experience working at all editorial levels, I am happy to work on a variety of manuscripts at all stages of production and have assisted countless authors in bringing their books to fruition. To discuss these projects, please get in touch via the contact form.
Teaching and workshops:
If you would like me to run a workshop for you, I can be booked within Scotland via the Live Literature database, which supports organisations and community groups with the costs of running workshops. If you are outwith Scotland, please get in touch via the contact form.
Testimonials
“‘Heather’s mentoring was incredibly beneficial for me. I’ve gone back to my writing with a totally fresh perspective, not only feeling a lot more confident in it, but also having a much stronger sense of who I am as a writer and what my strengths and weaknesses were.’”
“Working with Heather in the editing process was genuinely joyful as I felt that we collaboratively opened up spaces and moments in my piece that I hadn’t been able to fully access on my own.”
“As I write for fun I’ve always taken an instinctual approach with it; mentorship helped me take a step back to understand the technicalities better, which I think has improved the readability of my work. I feel I have better insight into how to best approach my work with a critical, editorial eye. The mentorship helped me recognize strengths I was unaware of and areas where I need to just trust myself more.”