This year (2022), I applied for round 9 of Author Mentor Match. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t selected to be a mentee. Still, I found the application super helpful to my writing journey, so I wanted to take a moment to gush about it!

What is Author Mentor Match? 

Author Mentor Match (AMM) pairs up aspiring, un-agented authors with agented and published writers. AMM happens annually and usually runs during January-February. To apply, you must submit a query letter, a synopsis, and the first 50 pages of your manuscript. Mentors will read your submission package and choose which full manuscripts they’d like to read. By announcement day (usually beginning of February), all mentors will have picked one mentee to help edit their WIP. 

For more info, check out the Author Mentor Match website!

Momentum & Motivation

Confession time: I didn’t know about AMM until three weeks before the submission deadline. I was waiting for replies from my beta readers, and I’d sworn NOT to touch my manuscript until I’d received their feedback. But when I heard about AMM, I decided to let go of my plans and shoot my shot. Aim for the moon, and all that good stuff… 

Like a crazy person, I lurked in my writing cave for days and days, hustling to complete another round of revisions (I may or may not have pretended to be a career author on a deadline, because: manifestation…). 

By the time my last beta reader handed in their feedback, I had a shiny new version of my manuscript. Great writing times – though perhaps a little insane. My brain was as tired and mushy as it had ever been, and my nerves were a little frayed, but I’d managed to improve ALL THE THINGS. 

The B-plot beats and secondary character arcs still needed improvement, but I knew I’d done all I could on my own and my next step had to include professional help (of the writerly kind). Also, the heart of the story was strong and ready for AMM submission. 

Submission Package

Once I’d completed my manuscript revisions, it was time to write the dreaded query letter and – perhaps even more dreaded – synopsis. I’d been postponing both for a long time, even though many authors recommend starting them at the beginning of your WIP because it helps nail down your story, your pitch, and your place in the market. 

AMM forced me to get a move on: no more procrastinating. So, I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials and read a lot of successful query letters. I also ate a lot of chocolate because the despair was REAL y’all. Still, I discovered so many things about my story and how to pitch it, and that’s all thanks to AMM!

Sidenote: I also learned that comp titles are ridiculously HARD and there’s no avoiding overthinking those. In the end, I went full-on Elsa and let that sh*t go: I went with my gut and crossed my fingers, hoping the titles I’d chosen would resonate with my prospective mentors.

Anyway, for my next WIP, I’ll DEFINITELY write my query letter and synopsis earlier in the process, then edit and adjust as I write and revise the story. 

Query Process “Light”

For the AMM application process, you need to identify four possible mentors by reading their bio’s, wishlists, and the descriptions of the types of mentees they’d like to work with – similar to what you’d do if you started querying agents. Add to this your submission package, which is like the submission packages requested by agents, and you’ll have a pretty neat idea of what it’d be like to query “IRL”. 

After submission comes to the waiting period. Luckily, the AMM waiting period is about a month – much shorter than the average waiting period for agents (which can take six months, maybe longer). Waiting sucks, of course (especially when mentors start requesting fulls and your mailbox remains empty). But, that’s the name of the game!

Luckily, your fellow AMM hopefuls are in similar positions and share their experiences on Twitter, Instagram, or in a dedicated Discord group (check out #ammwaiting and #ammteasers). Connecting with like-minded people going through the same thing is wonderful and instant comfort. 

A great way to take your mind off the waiting and not-knowing: start working on your next project! I jumped into brainstorming a WIP that had been on my wishlist for a long time. It was a real mood boost!

The Thing About Rejection

As I said: I wasn’t selected for AMM. Even though I told myself not to get my hopes up (over 1500 people applied), it still wasn’t fun to end up in the “rejected” pile. 

However, rejection doesn’t mean your manuscript isn’t good. Mentors confirm that AMM has a highly subjective selection process: it’s not just about your ability as a writer, but also about mentors “vibing” with a project and knowing how to help. 

A mentor must have a clear vision on how they can support their mentee, so if your manuscript is already very polished or needs care in an area that doesn’t fit a mentor’s strengths, it may be a reason for them to reject. 

Some mentors may contact applicants after AMM to give feedback (usually if they’ve requested your full), but in general, you won’t know why you didn’t get chosen. This might seem harsh, but it’s no different from an agent form-rejecting your query (which happens a lot). 

So, how do you know what needs to happen next? Does your manuscript/submission package need more work, or are you simply ready for IRL querying? There’s no right answer, I think. As for me, I’ll try to fix the B-plot and secondary characters as best I can. I’ll do another line edit, and then I’ll start querying. The plan is to send my query in small batches and adjust my submission package along the way.

Win Win Win

I hope this post encourages you to participate in AMM, next year! Even though I wasn’t selected to be a mentee, I’ve gained: 

• Tons of momentum to finish my manuscript and my submission package.
• Understanding about the marketability of my story and what I want from my writing career.
• Experience: what it would be like to query agents IRL. 
• Resilience: I know I’ve got what it takes to work on deadline, to be rejected, and to move on. I can play this game!
• New connections and friends in the writing community!
• A super nice and encouraging message from one of the mentors, saying they loved my WIP!