As a mentor and editor, I provide in-depth feedback and encouragement on pages and in meetings that go deep and wide.
Expert guidance bridges the gap between a dream and its completion.
"Janet is a consummate teacher—deeply knowledgeable, remarkably perceptive, and unfailingly warm and encouraging. Over the past eight years, Janet has taught me not just the tools and techniques but also the soul of fiction writing, challenging me to dig deep to uncover the essential 'whys' of my first novel. Under her warm and skillful tutelage, I’ve learned to use story arc, character development, pivotal moments, sensory detail, voice, and beats to discover and convey the emotionality and meaning of my writing. She has helped me evolve from a haphazardly intuitive fiction writer to a more surefooted one, bringing me immeasurable satisfaction along the way."— Pam Nelson, novelist
“I call it The Benton Standard, and it has clearly worked for me.” — Pam Jenoff, bestselling novelist
Writers start with an idea, an image, a scene. To find the work’s form and content, we begin to carve a path on the page. At first, some choices may seem arbitrary; by the end, nothing is arbitrary. Such a story entices the reader to take its journey and to feel that journey deeply. That’s the quality of story I’ll teach you to write.
SERVICES
1. Mentoring
Writers give me pages regularly—fiction or non—at intervals of their choosing. I write comments and guidance on the pages, and we discuss them in depth. I’ll edit as closely as you wish, offering craft instruction, thought-provoking questions, and detailed comments that will deepen the work. This work will greatly increase your awareness and skills and strengthen your manuscript. It will also give you a meaningful writing journey.
It’s wise to enter the market with a well-honed manuscript that carries readers along in a sure and compelling voice, and this process can help you attain this.
2. Publication Guidance and Support
If you want to seek a literary agent, I can help. Writing a good query letter requires seeing your manuscript and yourself from the outside and knowing how to frame them so your reader will feel in their gut, “I must read more.” My novel’s query letter drew manuscript requests from nine of the twelve agents I approached. I’ll guide you in creating the query and synopsis, edit drafts, help you select agents to approach, and guide you through the process, including, if you receive offers, evaluating agents and editors.
For those whose books I’ve helped shepherd to this point, I also offer help with navigating the publishing process and doing your own outreach. Tasks can include gathering contacts, choosing how you’ll seek attention, planning events, setting up social media and an author website, getting your book to possible reviewers, writing essays for possible publication, and more. Through periodic check-ins, I offer input and support as you gather accolades, prepare for talks and book-group visits, seek publicity, post on social media, build your mailing list, and more.
