Mentoring

So you want to be Ernest Hemingway. Or J. K. Rowling. Or John Grisham. Or perhaps one of the great non-fiction writers of our time. Well, anything is possible and I will be pleased to help you with your aspirations to become a published author.

To be certain, one of the true blessings in my life is mentoring aspiring authors and poets. Most times I do so for free, but sometimes I charge a reasonable fee for consultation. I have never turned down anyone because of lack of funds to hire me.

Regardless, I try to provide practical information that has worked for numerous authors and poets I have worked with over the years either on a one-on-one basis or through my previous involvement as founder and creative director of Books for Life Foundation, a not-for-profit that assisted many authors and poets with being published. My experience as the published author of nearly twenty books has also led to writing five books on the writing and publishing process including Book Report, Grammar Report, Poetry Report, Self-Publishing Report, and Writer’s Report. If you would like to have one of these books and cannot afford it, I will send one to you upon request.

Through my “How To Become A Published Author or Poet: A to Z,” held at libraries, high schools, colleges, universities, and writer’s center from Paris to Taiwan and all across the United States, I meet writers of all ages and skill levels. I am always willing to give a helping hand. If you would like to work with me, please send me an email at mshawin@yahoo.com or call 970.618.2027.

Here are a few of the authors who have been published after employing my publishing strategies:

Christine Montross – Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab, Nancy Spears – Buddha: 9 to 5: The Eightfold Path to Enlightening Your Workplace and Improving Your Bottom Line , Patti Lawson – The Dog Diet: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress, and Getting a New Leash on Life, Dawn Knight – Taliaferro, Breaking Barriers from the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower , Frances Jewel Dickson – The DEW Line Years, Voices from the Coldest Cold War, Dr. Gordon Dragt – One Foot Planted in the Center, the Other Dangling off the Edge, Sam Drash – Reaching Paradise Through Intercourse: American Towns with Unique Names, Charles Pearson – The Last Expedition , Ron Lowry and Mary Walker – Chasing Lewis and Clark Across America: A 21st Century Aviation Adventure.

Regarding testimonials from those who have worked with me, here are a few samples:

• “Mark – thank you for helping me with writing my book and with creating a successful book proposal and query letter.” Beth Johnson, New York City
• “I will always be grateful for the information you provided about how to prepare a book proposal. You really know what you are talking about author to writer.” John Edwards, Seattle, Washington
• “How may I ever thank you? You really made it possible for me to learn how to complete my book and create a successful book proposal. Your patience and encouragement are most appreciated.” Lisa Mantoba, Fort Charles, Louisiana
• “Thank you, thank you. Your words of advice regarding my writing skills have really paid off.” Peter Lynch, Paris, France
• “Mark, thanks for caring about writers so much. Your advice is so practical in nature and I feel blessed to have had you in my corner.” Rex Billings, San Francisco, California