My #WriteMentor 2022 Wish list
2022 Wish List
Hello, I’m Samantha Cook. I’m a YA fantasy author of dark and twisty adventures. My books always contain a slice of magic and a questionable serving of humour, so bear that in mind before taking a bite.
Oh, and I’m mentoring in this year’s #WriteMentor scheme! Last year, I took on the fantastic Valerie Norton who is now represented by Bethany Fulk at Holloway Literary - I’m taking that as a win! She’s also a mentor this year so check her out.
I can’t wait to partner up with another fantastic writer. I was a mentee in 2019, so I know how it feels to be on both sides of these things.
Who am I?
This year is a little different for me as I’m on maternity leave, but usually I work in editorial for the medicine list at Taylor & Francis. By night, I write and edit fantasy manuscripts of all types, as well as review book on blogspot and YouTube. Don't worry, you don’t need to subscribe. I read and review purely for pleasure, but if you like YA fantasy, you might find my critiques interesting.
The Clearing is my first published book of many to come! It centres around an isolated village ruled by Seers, with a fiery romance and an ending that turns the story back on its head.
I wrote The Clearing in university and never gave up on it. After I honed my craft through several more manuscripts, I went back to it with a fresh mindset…and barely changed it, to be honest. After tweaking the opening, it instantly got snapped up by Evernight Teen and published last year. It goes to show that sometimes a little reshuffle of an overworked opening is all it takes to get a book noticed around here!
Wish list
I’ll keep it simple: send me YA fantasy only. Contemporary, epic, or in-between—I’ll take it all. If you’re looking for a leg up, here’s a list of things I’d love to see:
Quirky, unusual, witty, or dark humour. If you had fun writing it, I'll have fun editing it.
Diverse characters where the diversity isn't the plot.
Characters who save each other. I don't care who is doing the rescue. If your characters are ready to set their necks on the line for each other, I will read it over and over. Think Supernatural brothers, Charmed sisters, Six of Crow found families, and The Mummy romance. Comp these, and I’m yours - except for The Mummy as that’s what I worked on last year.
Characters who are suffering. Give me lonely, depressed, struggling with mental health or difficult decisions, and beaten down, but those who can still find their fighting spirit.
Characters that people call 'unlikable', I call complex. Send me villain POVs, antiheros, walking contradictions, and those who lash out when they feel attacked.
Friends, siblings, mentors, unlikely allies. I love romance, but I don’t need it if there are other strong relationships driving the story.
If it's based on East-Asian mythology, I'll have a hard time saying no. I also get excited about anime comps like Fullmetal Alchemist or Cardcaptor Sakura!
If you can tick at least one of these things in some capacity, then we're a GREAT fit. I’m also not looking for perfect. If your antihero is hard to root for, then that’s exactly the type of thing I can help with. Ultimately, I’m looking to find the manuscript I can help the most, and I’ll be focusing on the sample pages rather than the cover letter when making my decision. You don’t need to be query ready, and if you’re not ready to submit your book at the end of the process, that’s totally okay too.
Less interested
Writing is subjective, so there are a couple of things I’m less keen on or not looking for this time:
Heavy politics.
Adult, new adult, middle grade, and non-magical books—not this time, thanks.
If you know me in some form, then it would be better to try one of the other mentors. I want to be impartial when reading your manuscript.
Erotica/pure romance. I'm better suited for a slow burn subplot, heroes pressing their heads together before battle, or unconditional unrequited love, and I need more than romance to keep me intrigued.
Books with a strong moral message above all else.
Anything that could be considered offensive or lacking diversity. Enough said.
Why Pick Me?
I'm an editor by nature. My strengths are developmental, but I also have a keen eye for errors. I’m here to strip away passive voice, filtering, and reshuffle those reduce relatives and clunky phrases. Unsure about natural dialogues? I’ve got your back. Side character falling flat? Let’s work out why.
I tend to litter a manuscript in line edits and comments, so be prepared for serious feedback. Depending on the book, I’ll also include a developmental report to cover key areas for improvements and writing crutches, as well as anything I absolutely adore about your book. Don’t forget, I’m here to root for you too!
Once you’re happy with the edits, we’ll work on your query and synopsis. If you have any questions about what comes next, I’m here for you.
At the end of the day, you will always have the final say on any changes, and I'll be there to support you a hundred percent. If you’re unsure how to improve something or feeling a bit nervous, let me know and we’ll work it out together. This scheme is about more than just editing—it’s about finding someone to cheer in your corner.
Extra facts for extra points:
I have a degree in Psychology and have personal experiences with mental health. I encourage those with mental health rep in their books to apply, but there’s no need to disclose your experiences.
As well as working on medical content for my day job, I also love This is Going to Hurt, Grey’s Anatomy, 24 hours in A&E, and medical biographies. I would love to see a medically-influenced manuscript.
I’m not looking for perfection. My ideal story is one I connect with and feel I can help, so in reality I have no idea what type of book I’ll choose.
As we all know too well, writing is super subjective. Some get lucky, but the majority of published authors are the ones who kept at it. I’ve queried six manuscripts over way too many years before finally making headway, so I know how long and lonely this journey can be. Hang in there, and best of luck!