SCBWI-MI Mentorship Program

2026 Novel Mentorship Program

A Unique Mentorship Experience

You and your mentor will have a minimum of four submissions and feedback, scheduled at your own pace. 

The Mentorship Winner

The 2026 Novel Mentorship with Sheela Chari will be here before you know it. Once selected, Ms. Chari and the mentee will work together to set up a schedule for sending materials back and forth, when they will meet, and determining the goals for the mentorship. As the mentee, you will get to be specific about what you want for feedback and your goals for the collaboration. 

The winner will receive a “golden ticket” to submit their mentorship project to an acquiring editor or agent. This respected professional will be hand-picked and approved by our executive team, so you know you will be paired with a reputable leader in the field. 

To Prepare for the Mentorship

Get your manuscript ready! You will submit the first ten pages of your manuscript to a team of anonymous judges to be chosen for the mentorship. While your manuscript does not need to be completed, you should be in range of completing it by April, 2026. While you aren't required to work on your full manuscript with your mentor, doing so will give you the most feedback before submitting to the agent or editor at the end of the mentorship process (something that comes along with your win!).

Eligibility

The Novel mentorship is open to all Premium SCBWI members (PAL, full, associate, and student) who live in Michigan and have not previously won a mentorship for novels in any category. We call this the “Won and Done” rule, and it helps us ensure that everyone has an opportunity to benefit from a mentorship. 

Exception: If you’ve won a picture book or illustration mentorship, you are still eligible to enter for novels.