ELEVATE Mentoring Scheme

ELEVATE is a permanent, ongoing scheme for low-income writers from marginalised backgrounds. Each month, we will offer three hours of mentoring with a specialist editor to at least one writer (we will select the best-suited editor from either our Core, Market, or Industry tier).

Our ELEVATE scheme is aimed at low-income writers from marginalised backgrounds (BIPOC, queer, disabled, and other under-represented groups). Those eligible will be writers of adult or children’s fiction and non-fiction, and, as with all Cornerstones projects, we will only take on manuscripts that are beyond the creative writing stage – these may be partial drafts or completed works. If you have previously worked with Cornerstones on a manuscript, please note that this manuscript will not be eligible for ELEVATE.

Selected writers will be paired with a specialist editor who will be able to review materials, workshop techniques, and answer queries about the writing, editing, and submissions process. Editors will be able to offer as much guidance as time allows; in any case, three hours will be enough time to review a writer’s query letter, synopsis/proposal, and first chapter.

Applications are now open, and as this is an ongoing scheme, there is currently no deadline for submissions. For selected applicants, mentoring may roll over to a future month depending on editor availability. To apply, email your first ten pages, synopsis/proposal, and reasons for applying to elevate@cornerstones.co.uk, quoting ‘Elevate’ in the email subject line.