SA Writers Centre | Fostering, developing and promoting writers

Home
Develop
Develop

Tools to help develop your writing skills.
- News
- Competitions
- Seeking submissions
- Opportunities
- Mentoring Program
  The SA Writers Centre is excited to announce the
  
  Hachette Mentoring Program
  
  Proudly presented by Hachette Australia in partnership with SAWC.
  The South Australian Hachette Mentoring Program [SAHMP] offers a professional mentorship opportunity for one South Australian writer a year to work with Sophie Hamley, Publisher with Hachette Australia and former President of the Australian Literary Agents’ Association.
  Applications will open 9am Monday 20 April 2015 and close 5pm, Friday 22 May 2015 (South Australian time).
  This is a unique opportunity for you to work closely with a leading industry expert and major publishing house, who will provide professional feedback on your manuscript, and to work with you to bring it to publication standard. You’ll also have a chance to learn about the industry, and what’s needed to get published and build a writing career. Manuscripts must be complete and not a first draft. They can be fiction, non fiction or young adult fiction. This opportunity is for SA Writers Centre individual members only. You will need to submit:
  - a letter containing a brief 250 word description of the work, any relevant writing history, and your reasons for wanting a mentor; and
  - the first 3000 words of your manuscript.
  Your submission must be clearly labelled with your name and manuscript title, with the subject heading: HACHETTE MENTORING PROGRAM SUBMISSION.
  Email your submission to admin@sawriters.org.au
  Terms and conditions:
  1. There is no fee for submission to the SAHMP.
  2. Entries not meeting submission requirements as above will not be eligible.
  3. Writers must be individual financial members of the SA Writers Centre.
  4. Manuscripts must be submitted during the four week period. No early or late entries will be accepted.
  5. You can only submit one manuscript (or version of) during the submission period.
  6. During the submission period no individual writers may contact the SA Writers Centre, the Publisher or Hachette Australia to seek information about the progress of their submission.
  7. Manuscripts submitted for consideration in the SAHMP must be:
    1. complete
    2. not a first draft (please edit thoroughly)
    3. fiction, non fiction or young adult fiction (sorry no poetry, children’s books or other are eligible).
  8. Selection of the manuscript will be at the discretion of the Publisher and no discussion shall be entered into by the unsuccessful applicants.
  9. Selection of a manuscript for the SAHMP is not a guarantee of publication.
  10. Hachette reserves the right to consider the selected manuscript for publication within twelve weeks of delivery of a new draft of the manuscript, but gives no guarantee of publication.
  11. The work must not be previously published in any format.
  12. The work must not be under consideration by another publisher.
  13. Writers who are not selected for a mentorship are eligible to resubmit the same work in following years.
  14. All submissions must be submitted electronically.
  The form of the mentorship:
  - The Publisher will work with the selected writer.
  - The exact form of the mentorship will vary according to the needs of the writer and the manuscript, but will include structural notes provided by the Publisher and telephone or Skype calls as appropriate to a maximum of five phone calls, as well as correspondence by email.
  - The mentorship will conclude either when the writer feels that they do not need further assistance or the Publisher feels that they are unable to be of further assistance, with either party to be advised in writing of the end of the mentorship.
  - The Publisher will not be available to give advice to the selected writer after the conclusion of the mentorship, unless so agreed between the Publisher and the writer.
  - The Publisher will not discuss the content of the mentorship with anyone other than the selected writer.
  About Sophie: Sophie Hamley has worked in the print and online publishing industries as a bookseller, editor, writer, content producer, web and interactive TV producer. She was a literary agent from 2006 until late 2014, during which time she was President of the Australian Literary Agents’ Association and a member of the Book Industry Collaborative Council. She now works as a publisher with her wonderful colleagues at Hachette Australia.
- Resources
Program
Program

Workshops and events.
- Workshops
- Events
- Corporate Workshops
  Corporate and professional writing stream
  High quality communication skills are increasingly sought after in the professional world both for individuals and businesses, so the Centre has recently launched a suite of corporate professional workshops targeted at key development areas including Storytelling for Business, Business Writing for Online, Writing Your Business Book, Grammar Essentials and more! [EVENT_ESPRESSO_CATEGORY event_category_id="corporate-1471490774"]
- Members Meet Up
- Pitch Conference
  After the success of last year’s Adelaide Pitch Conference – where out of the 43 attendees, 27 people were asked by major Australian publishers to submit their manuscript (most to more than one publisher) – we will be running it again towards the end of 2016. But don’t leave it until the last minute – begin your preparation now! Below you will find workshops that will help you perfect your manuscript so it can be at its best when the time comes. If you would like to be notified of details when released, please sign up here: Pitch Conference. [EVENT_ESPRESSO_CATEGORY event_category_id="pitch-conference-prep-1459914048"]
- Community Events
- Book Launches
- Youth Program
  Workshops and events for teenagers who love to write. [EVENT_ESPRESSO_CATEGORY event_category_id="youth-program-1465367927"]
- Education
  Teachers and Educators Professional Development and Writing Programs.
  This year, SA Writers Centre has incorporated a much requested stream specifically for those working within the South Australian education sector, to help broaden and build your skills. These tailored workshop programs are especially relevant to those want to increase their professional development and give their students an optimal learning experience. We’ll be starting with three specific face to face and online workshops designed for teachers and other educators to help students reach their full potential and extend on your current knowledge and skills around narrative, creativity and storytelling. To be kept informed of our Education Sector Programs for teachers and educators and for special exclusive discounts, please sign up to our Teachers and Educators List. [EVENT_ESPRESSO_CATEGORY event_category_id="education-1466483503"]
Services

Services

Professional services for writers.
- Manuscript assessment
- First Feedback
  Are you just starting out as a writer and looking for some guidance? Our new online First Feedback service provides an opportunity for new writers to get a first reader for their work. Submit up to 1500 words of writing (poetry, fiction or non fiction) and receive in text comments and a page of basic feedback on your story and your writing, with some questions designed to develop and challenge your writing skills. You will receive your feedback within four weeks of submitting. This service is available for members only. [gravityform id="13" title="true" description="true"]
- Mentorship Program
  SA Writers Centre Mentorship Program
  The mentorship program is designed to connect our members with a suitable mentor, at any stage of their writing careers. From writing craft, editing, pre publication, to marketing and publicity mentorships – and encompassing a wide range of genres – SA Writers Centre will assist you to identify the most appropriate mentor for your needs.
  Selection of Mentor
  There are a number of mentors listed on our website. Please familiarise yourself with them and prepare a shortlist of preferred mentors. Karen Wyld Ruth Starke Rebekah Clarkson Cassandra Dean Anne Bartlett Carla Caruso Bernard Whimpress Anna Solding Scott Zarcinas Ben Stubbs Cameron Raynes Lauren Foley Jane Turner Goldsmith Tony Shillitoe Ray Tyndale
  Mentorship Application Form
  You will also need to identify at least one (maximum of three) goals for your mentorship and agree to the full terms and conditions.
  Process
  SA Writers Centre will connect you with a mentor with four weeks of application. Mentorship fees must be paid in advance in full to the Centre.
  What to expect
  Mentorship hours are billed for actual time spent, in 15 minute (minimum) increments. This includes all contact with the mentee including phone/Skype/IM conversations, emails, reading and feedback time and face to face meetings. Note this means that if you send four emails to your mentor, that will equate to one hour of mentorship time. The mentor and mentee will develop a shared timetable and plan, including identified goals, and will keep a weekly record that tracks progress towards goals and time spent by the mentor. Any questions or difficulties will be resolved by the SA Writers Centre.
  Rates
  Mentorships are offered in five hour blocks. 5 hours $550 10 hours $880 20 hours $1650 You can add additional blocks upon completion of initial blocks if you and your mentor agree that this would be beneficial for your work. [gravityform id="15" title="true" description="true"]
- Consultations
- Professional development
- Venue hire
Projects

Projects

Information about our current projects.
Members

Members

Membership information and resources.
- Membership Benefits
- Join SA Writers Centre
- Corporate Membership
  $550 per annum
  Become well resourced, upskill your staff and reward their valuable contribution.
  Corporate membership is ideal for corporate or government organisations/companies or businesses.
  Membership includes:
  
  discounted rates to attend SA Writers Centre workshops for five nominated members of your staff
  
  free Members Meetup events
  
  discounted advertising rates
  
  fortnightly enewsletter which features opportunities, competitions, events and program details
  
  invitations to our Annual General Meeting and the opportunity to get involved with the Centre’s Board
  
  access to our comprehensive library of South Australia fiction and non fiction.
  
  Coming in 2017
  
  style guide for your organisation
  
  access to member only resources online
  
  access to our referral system for copywriters/professional writers.
  
  *for five nominated members of your staff. Contact us if you would like extra to nominate additional staff members.
  
  Why join?
  As well as unique networking and professional development opportunities, corporate membership provides ongoing benefits and advantages to your business and staff, plus it’s a significant way to demonstrate your commitment to the arts and a local not for profit organisation. Being the first of its kind in Australia, SA Writers Centre celebrated their thirtieth anniversary during 2015 and now has more than1200 members and a firmly established community of writers, publishers, agents, libraries, festival organisers, literary publications, booksellers, funding bodies and philanthropists. We’re one of the nation’s leading writing organisations that continues to raise the bar particularly when offering creative and professional development options to the corporate, education and community sectors. Joining SA Writers Centre as a member is key for the growth and development of your organisation. Download the Corporate Membership and Workshop guide. Book in here. To sign your organisation up for corporate membership please email admin@sawriters.org.au. We offer discounted Corporate Membership rates for Not For Profits, with additional benefits. Please contact us for details and pricing.
  Meet our staff and board here.
- Writing groups
- Resources
- Our Authors
Interact & Community

Interact

Keep up to date with those around you.
About
About

About our organisation.
- Staff
- Board
- Sponsors
- FAQ
- Advertise
- Donate
- Volunteering
  Volunteering with the SA Writers Centre offers a chance for you to expand your skills, ready you for the workforce and provide you with an operational understanding of a professional arts organisation. Whilst we currently don’t have any vacancies for volunteers, we do encourage you to register your details with us here and we will notify you of any suitable opportunities. SA Writers Centre has a wide reaching professional development program that offers free and ticketed events for local writers – from our Quick and Dirty reading nights, Member Meetup events – through to ticketed events such as literary dinners, fundraising events and regular workshops. The majority of our volunteer opportunities require event preparation, venue set up and pack up, front of house and bar shifts for our regular onsite and offsite events and often reside out of normal office hours, such as evenings and weekends. We really value our volunteers and are committed to ensuring the experience is positive and useful and we strive to provide pathways for them. Many of our current staff began with us through our volunteer program. Occasionally, we also have volunteering vacancies in the areas of administration and workshop delivery. We’re looking for people who want to begin or boost their career in the arts, who want to support opportunities for local writers, or who just want to get involved and have some fun. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please ensure you fill out this form and you will be contact should we require your assistance or further details.
Store

Store

Buy products online.
Contact

Fostering, developing and promoting writers and writing.

Corporate and professional writing stream

Teachers and Educators Professional Development and Writing Programs.

SA Writers Centre Mentorship Program

Manuscript Assessment

Consultations

Professional Development

Upcoming Workshops

Upcoming Events

Workshops