Mentor Bethany Mangle

OVERVIEW

My journey to finding an agent was a long one. The industry seemed so complicated and confusing. Now that I have more experience, I’d like to help others avoid that confusion by guiding fellow writers.

I love all things YA Contemporary and Fantasy. I’m open to light and dark themes. One of the most important things to me is narrative voice. I enjoy reading about characters in unusual situations and new takes on old tropes.

• Contemporary
• Fantasy
• Magical Realism/Fabulism
• Urban/Contemporary Fantasy
• #ownvoices

I’m open to all sub-categories of YA Contemporary and Fantasy. I don’t have strong opinions about any tropes and would like to see an author’s personal take on common tropes.

I WILL PROVIDE:

• Edit Letter (Big Picture developmental feedback)
• Line edit (dropping notes into a Word Document)
• Skype or phone call
• Freestyle in chat

WORKING STYLE
I’m willing to work around my mentee’s preferences and style. I’m available by Zoom, phone, email, Twitter, or Telegram. I usually record my notes in an edit letter and in comment boxes in Microsoft Word, but I’m flexible on that as well. I will make suggestions, but I’m always aware that this is my mentee’s project, not mine. I want my mentee to love their project from start to finish, even after we make any revisions or changes.

As a night owl, I’m not a good fit if you prefer to have real-time conversations and your only availability is in the early morning.

IDEAL MENTEE
I hope to find a mentee who is open-minded and willing to take a very active role in the revision process. Ideally, my mentee will be able to help me understand the vision they have for their project and communicate their specific wants in our mentorship arrangement.

SEND ME:

First of all, I’m looking for diversity and stories from marginalized writers, including (among others) those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA, or disabled/neurodivergent. While it can be helpful to know which submissions are #ownvoices, please don’t feel obligated to share any personal information that you would rather not disclose.

I’m looking for all kinds of contemporary, including issue-driven, light/funny, and dark. I’m especially drawn to introspective characters and themes that highlight the pressures of growing up and fitting in with others. I’m also open to grittier stories or those that don’t feature a romance.

In fantasy, I’m interested in high and urban fantasy, magical realism, and stories with paranormal elements. I have a particular love of new and interesting systems of magic. I’m also weak for stories with forbidden romances, unlikely heroes/heroines, and underdogs.

My identities: Asian, Korean, disabled, adopted, she/her. (If you are looking for a mentor with a specific identity and you’re unsure whether I am a good fit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter DM or via my website to ask.)

DO NOT SEND ME:

• Stories featuring marginalization that aren’t written by an author who belongs to the marginalized group. (This includes writing a family member or child’s marginalization.)
• Epistolary formats or novels in verse
• Unreliable narrators
• Disability cure narratives

FAVES

Contemporary Books:
THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES (Mindy McGinnis)
SPEAK (Laurie Halse Anderson)

Fantasy Books:
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES (Sabaa Tahir)
WINTERSONG (S. Jae-Jones)

TV Shows/Movies:
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST
THE MANDALORIAN
GAME OF THRONES