Line Editing Group Mentorship:
Memoir
Four Monday Zoom Sessions:
July 14, 6:30-8:30pm ET
July 28, 6:30-8:30pm ET
August 11, 6:30-8:30pm ET
August 25, 6:30-8:30pm ET
479 USD ($429 until July 4!)
Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Designed for freelance editors who want to hone their skills and get personalized feedback on their line editing from two industry professionals.
4 Mondays, July 14 to August 25, 2025
We’ll meet by Zoom four Mondays: July 14, July 28, August 11, and August 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
Price: $429 Early-bird fee!
Save 50 USD if you register by July 4! You get a 36,000-word memoir manuscript, 8 hours of small-group discussion and Q&A with your mentors (recorded for later watching), a forum where you can drop your editing questions 24/7, and individual feedback on your editing.
Practice Your Line Editing Skills with a Group Mentorship
Have you ever wished you had an experienced editor who could look over your line editing and tell you if you’re on the right track?
Do you like the sound of a small group of other line editors who care as much about voice, clarity, scene dynamics, and narrative flow as much as you do?
Do you want to gain experience with a full memoir manuscripts before hanging out your shingle as a freelance book line editor?
We designed this line editing mentorship to give you a chance to work slowly through a manuscript, ask all your questions, learn about the details you’d only encounter when working on a real book, and get feedback from two highly experienced industry professionals.
Class Information
Here’s what you get in the Line Editing Group Mentorship: Memoir…
- Students will complete a copyedit of a 36,000-word memoir.
- We’ll have four meetings by Zoom for two hours to go over the editing and answer any and all questions.
- Meetings will be recorded so you can watch the playback if you miss a class.
- The instructors will send their line edits on the manuscript so students can compare their work to the professionals’.
- There will be a forum where we can share our editing process, questions about the manuscript, pictures of cats, etc.
- We’ll meet in a small group so we’ll have plenty of time for discussion.
- You’ll get graded feedback on your editing that reveals which areas you need to work on further.
Course Instructors
Susannah Noel
Susannah Noel is a line editor, copyeditor, and proofreader of trade books with thirty years of experience. She copyedits and proofreads for Macmillan and Penguin Random House, and line edits for indie authors. Recent titles include The Co-op, by Tarah DeWitt, For She Is Wrath, by Emily Varga, and The Mother Next Door, by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber. Susannah is also an in-house production editor at St. Martin’s Publishing Group (a division of Macmillan Publishers) and the team lead of the Style Guide Committee. In addition to her editing work, Susannah is the cofounder and president of Editorial Arts Academy.
Pat Dobie
Pat Dobie edits literary and commercial fiction across genres, including speculative, historical, mystery, and romance. Her clients have gone on to get agents, achieve traditional publication, self-publish successfully, and win awards. As a fiction writer herself, Pat has been on both sides of the editorial exchange and knows that good editing can make a profound difference to a writer’s life. She has an MFA in Writing from Pacific University and has been editing professionally since 2010. She’s the author of FICTION EDITING: A Writer’s Roadmap and the novellas Pawn to Queen and The Tenants.
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FAQs
When does the mentorship start and finish?
The mentorship runs four Mondays in July and August 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30pm Eastern: July 14, July 28, August 11, and August 25.
If I can’t attend one or more of the sessions, will you give me access to the replay?
Yes! After the live sessions we’ll post a link to the recording and can watch it as many times as you like. You’ll have lifetime access.
How is the mentorship delivered?
We meet by Zoom, an online video platform. The Forum is hosted on Circle, an online platform.
How much time will I have to edit the manuscript?
We send the manuscript as a Word file ahead of the course to give students extra time to complete the editing. Each week we’ll discuss about a quarter of the manuscript.
What kind of equipment and software will I need to participate?
You’ll need a computer, tablet, or smartphone and an Internet connection. You’ll need to own Microsoft Word (or a subscription) that you use on your computer, and either be comfortable using Track Changes or willing to learn.
Who’s leading the mentorship?
Susannah Noel, MA, and Pat Dobie, MFA, are leading the course. Susannah is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader with decades of experience working for Big Five publishers and indie authors. She is currently an in-house production editor at Macmillan. She is also the cofounder and president of Editorial Arts Academy.
Pat is a professional editor of fiction and nonfiction who works with writers from all over the world. She has a gift for big-picture insight and analysis and is a skilled line editor. Her clients have gone on to obtain literary representation, self-publish successfully, and win awards.
Will there be homework/exercises?
Yes. The homework will consist only of line editing the manuscript we provide.
Will the mentorship teach me how to edit?
The mentorship will help you establish or hone your line editing skills. If you aren’t already an editor or you haven’t taken any writing or editing courses, we strongly suggest you receive initial training or engage in a program of self-study before signing up for the mentorship.
Is there a prerequisite for the mentorship?
There is no formal prerequisite; however, you will need to know how to use Microsoft Word and its features, Track Changes and Comments. The ability to write strong prose is also needed in order to line edit effectively.
Can I expect to get editing jobs as a result of taking this mentorship?
Maybe. Since we don’t know your background or skill set, we can’t guarantee that taking this mentorship will automatically lead to getting editing jobs. The mentorship provides practice with line editing and professional oversight on your line editing skills. However, it is not a course. If you do know how to edit, implementing the strategies and tactics this mentorship instills will put you in a better position to add line editing to your professional offerings and succeed in your editing career.
If I have experience as an editor, is this mentorship right for me?
Yes! If you have experience as an editor but want to do more line editing, get more practice on full manuscripts, discuss the manuscript with others in a small-group setting, and get feedback from professional editors, this mentorship is for you. Through the class discussion, forum, and feedback, you’ll have a much better sense at the end of the mentorship of whether you’re ready to take on line editing projects with indie authors or publishers.
What does the mentorship cost?
$429 until July 4. Full price after July 4: 479 USD.
Is my personal information and credit card information safe?
Absolutely. Please review our privacy policy here.
How can I sign up?
Easy! Just fill out the form below.