Mentorship Contest 2026: Writers (Any Genre)
PRIZE
Six-month mentorship with author-educator Rebecca Langston-George. The mentorship will include six months of interaction. This will likely consist of twice monthly emails and monthly Zoom meetings, though Rebecca is open for input to ensure the communication method works for the participant.
ABOUT THE MENTORSHIP
The contest is open to authors in the earlier stage of their career. Rebecca is equally comfortable with fiction or nonfiction writers and happy to help with picture books, middle grade, or young adult. While Rebecca is open to most genres, she is not the best fit for rhyme (internal rhyme is okay), romance, or high fantasy. In fiction, she’s happy to help with plot, dialogue, page turns, foreshadowing, imagery, revision, and effective language. In nonfiction she’d focus on format, research, clarity, reader engagement, flow, and innovation. She’d also want her participant to vocalize his or her needs so she can assist effectively. Also, Rebecca is always a big proponent of selecting and using an effective mentor text, which she’s happy to help discuss.
The precise focus of the mentorship will depend on the participant’s genre. For example, if the participant has a middle grade or young adult manuscript, the focus would be on one manuscript all the way through completion or revision. If the participant is a picture book writer, the focus might be on looking at a couple of picture books over the course of six months.
ELIGIBILITY
1. You must be a member in good standing of the SCBWI-L.A. or Cen Cal region.
2. Associate or Full members may apply.
3. Limited to one entry per person.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1. DO NOT contact the mentor directly.
2. Applicants not in compliance with the rules or that do not adhere to the application instructions will be disqualified.
3. To ensure fairness to all, no questions will be answered.
CONTEST
Your submission will consist of two parts:
I. For picture books, the author should send the full manuscript. For middle grade or young adult, the author should send the first two chapters and a synopsis. If the project is nonfiction, the author should also include a list of sources thus far. The format for submissions can be Word or PDF. Please double space.
II. Provide a brief bio. What do you hope to accomplish through this mentorship? What do you consider your strengths as a writer? What are some areas of writing you struggle with? What do you want the mentor to know about you, your work and how best to help you?
SUBMISSION
1. Your submission must be emailed with the subject line MENTOR CONTEST to: [email protected]
2. In the body of your email include:
– Your current SCBWI member name
– Address
– Phone numbers
– Email address
3. Provide your writing sample as described in Roman numeral I (above) as a Word or PDF attachment. Name your file: LAST NAME_SAMPLE. Example: Smith_Sample.docx
4. Provide a brief bio and answers to the questions in Roman numeral II (above) as a Word or PDF document. Name your file: LAST NAME_BIO. Example: Smith_Bio.docx
5. Entries must be received by 11:59pm on 5/27/26.
About Rebecca Langston-George
Rebecca Langston-George is the author of nineteen books for children including the internationally popular nonfiction "For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story", and "The Booth Brothers: Drama, Fame and the Death of President Lincoln" (a former Scholastic Book Club YA nonfiction title). Her most recent releases are both fiction with a historical fiction middle grade/ya crossover novel, "One Fine Voice" (January 2026) and her first fiction picture book "Rover Rolled Over" (March 2026). The California Reading Association honored her with the Armin R. Schultz Award for writing in social justice in 2016.
A graduate of California Baptist University, Rebecca holds a Master of Education degree and taught both primary and secondary school as well as served as a mentor teacher for many years. An active volunteer, she serves on the board of the California Reading Association and currently serves as the Regional Advisor for the Central-Coastal California chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI CenCal), helping other writers learn the craft. You can find out more at her website. She writes and mostly re-writes on a treadmill desk at one mile per hour.