Mentoring
Testimonial
“Kathryn is an exceptional mentor. As a best-selling author, she knows the publishing industry first-hand. And she is highly adept at refining one’s technical skills without stifling a writer’s voice. I love the combination of rigor and nurturing she provides. Without her mentoring, I would still be stumbling in the dark along my path to publication. Kathryn’s guidance, support and knowledge are game changers. I cannot recommend her enough!”
— Lise P., Glendale, California
Narrative Nonfiction
Kathryn Aalto mentors merging to professional writers with bespoke feedback in narrative nonfiction.
Projects range from creating a professional writing practice to giving technical feedback on long-form essays, book proposals, essay collections, and public speaking for authors. A professional mentor with the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), Kathryn brings decades of teaching and writing insights to her students. Mentoring provides bespoke one-to-one feedback, customized to each writer’s aims and experience.
Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions are scheduled in increments of six sessions, meeting via Zoom to discuss problems, progress, and solutions. £1000 for six week sessions.
- Foundational
Writing an author bio: where you want to be in 12 months and 5 years - Building your portfolio as your work toward your goals
- Establishing a writing practice
- Developing an author platform
- Networking (on social media, in person, and in professional organisations)
Technical
- Deepening your understanding of the craft of narrative nonfiction
- Carving out a subject niche and making a name for yourself
- Crafting essays that can get you paid and published for bylines
- Pitching pieces for publication
- Finding your authentic personal voice
- Working on specific scenes, essays, and manuscripts
Testimonial
“Kathryn was a fabulous mentor at a time when I needed it the most. I was working on the manuscript of my first nonfiction book, and Kathryn had recently finished Writing Wild, which has a similar structure to mine. She provided wonderful advice about how to balance different chapters, how to better tell a story, and always reminded me to be specific rather than vague. Kathryn gave me courage to pursue interviews with higher profile people than I would have otherwise approached, and boosted my confidence as a writer. Our weekly call gave me goals, a schedule, and kept me accountable in my writing process. Because of Kathryn, I had a clearer sense of what makes a full-length nonfiction book work and how to get there. Working with her while I was in the final stages of my manuscript dramatically improved my final product and gave me skills that I will carry with me for my writing career.”
— McKenzie L., California, Writer to Writer
Testimonial
“The Writer-to-Writer Mentorship Program with Kathryn Aalto, sponsored by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, was a tremendous boost to my career as a creative writer. Judging the success of our relationship is easy: less than a year after we started, I have had five of the six essays she critiqued accepted for publication. Kathryn did more than just review and suggest, she recommended books and articles I should read, authors I should follow, conferences and short courses I should attend. She emphasized the importance of developing an online presence. She provided a detailed description of her career as a writer; the path she followed to becoming an internationally known, bestselling author. I still have much to learn, but Kathryn provided, encouragement, tools, and skills that will enable me to grow and chart my own course.”
— Andrew W., Maine, Writer to Writer
Testimonial
“I tend to underachieve in courses where I feel the instructor is simply reading what’s on a slide or handout, obviously not engaged with the material or the students. But you’re different. You challenge students to perform at their very best. You care. You want us to break free of our box, not adhere to some minimum standard, and I greatly appreciate that. You are a professor. It’s remarkable. I have told every student I know to enroll in any class you teach, and I stand behind those words. As long as there are teacher out there in the world such as yourself, the quality of education received is of great value, importance, and overall high quality and standards. You raise the bar, Professor Aalto.”