Mark Orrin: Writing Mentor, Book Doctor, Author (books, articles, corporate communications)

MARK ORRIN

Senior Editor, Writers' Mentor

Writing Mentor
Book Doctor
Author (books, articles, corporate communications)

Veteran writing mentor, senior editor, ms. "doctor," graduate school Teaching Fellow, Scholar- and Artist-in-Residence, author of 10 non-self-published books, also articles, corporate communications, poetry, songs.

Services: Mentorship; ms. critiques/evaluations; substantive edit/content development; synopsis, book proposal, query letter composition, review; ghosting; book line editing; help with "self-agenting" your own work.

Have mentored fiction, incl. sci-fi, fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, Westerns, mysteries, adolescent and children's markets, action-suspense; non-fiction including memoirs, inspirational, public issues, self-help.

30+ years mentoring writers. Best endorsements: my "kids" and "grandkids," who've published novels, non-fiction, songs, poetry (I'm a featured poet and a judge of international poetry contests at web sites like www.netpoetry.org and www.thehypertexts.com). A real mentor...

Knows how to spot and nurture talent. 1978, began mentoring J. when she was a college frosh; she's just dedicated third book to me: "for 22 years of nourishing this grateful art-beggar." Now she mentors writers, too (one mentoree just publ. poems in Atlantic Monthly).

Coaches writers through publishing games. '80, S.B. asked me, "How'd you get with Doubleday?" Told him; two months later, nailed his own contract; since publ. novels, screenplays, etc.

Knows when NOT to change your work. Read S.S.'s 18 flawless pp.; said, "Just add four words to end"; he since beefed idea into book, published 3/2001.

Knows when mentoring's done — and tells you. Started M. at 21; today he's 30, writing full-time (novels, articles, songs, etc.). Any "mentor" who demands to become your lifetime partner's not for real.

Am currently working with seven novelists (in Florida, Tennessee, Montana, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado) and helping two non-fiction authors shape and finish mss. Florida writer I helped with novel, synopsis, proposal/query had the ms. solicited by Doubleday editor; she later accepted a contract offer for her novel from a publisher outside the United States. S.W. now has several non-fee-paid agents bidding to represent his unfinished first novel — an extremely rare achievement. K.C., K.D. and J.R. have also secured agent representation for their first novels.

Mentor's writing/editing credits: Ten published books (Doubleday, New Leaf Press, etc., all non self-published, some "for hire"), currently developing two non-fiction books as co-author. Much published poetry. "Non-fiction novels," inspirational-motivational, public affairs; all paid-for. Wrote just one project "on spec" in past 15 years. Have written countless articles, newsletters, fund raising packages (raised more than $500,000,000 for non-profit organizations — fund raising copy esp. can support your "serious" writing habits). I'm no "celebrity" writer, but I've earned high five figures writing for 20+ years. Scores of books, articles, newsletters, edited, copy-chiefed. As publications director, mentor-"daddy," and senior free-lance writer-editor, I've found, fueled, and freed top writers. I think I'm an even better "writing coach" than writer.

In the past 24 months alone, I've helped mentor 15 authors' projects into royalty-paying (non-"subsidy") print (some pending in-negotiation publishing contracts), in the general book market).

Now live with wife, Joyce, in Nevada, to be near our five grown children and nearly a dozen grandkids. As my professional "kids" and "grandkids" know well: I love helping real talent find and fulfill its destiny. May I help you?

Feedback

"Any writer looking for guidance about breaking into print needs a professional mentor he or she can trust. Seventeen years ago, when I was a student in graduate school, I had the good fortune to find Mark Orrin, the favorite writing professor and best poet on campus. Today he is a full-time professional writers' mentor, and I am a retired literary agent, a national award-winning journalist, author of a best-selling book (Mornings with Fulton Sheen), and an adjunct college professor listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2000. Yet in all I do, I continue to use and pass on Mark's writing wisdom, including his emphasis on the importance of genuine words of encouragement, candid comments on style and insider tips on getting published, with or without an agent. Whether you are writing for love or money, I wish for you an Mark Orrin. He will help you reach for the stars because he believes that's what they're there for. And the day you make your first sale, you'll know the amazing taste of the stardust that right from the start he's urged you to seize." – Beverly Coney Heirich, author, ex-agent, journalist, educator

"With your help, I finished converting my 'Salat Days' from a poem (published by Lonzie's Fried Chicken magazine) into a short story subsequently published by Romantics Quarterly. Before the short story version of 'Salat Days' was published, it won Honorable Mention in Writers Digest's Personal Essay Contest, which was cool, because it's simultaneously the only short story and the only personal essay I've ever actually finished! Thanks so much for your wise counsel, and for the vivid touches you encouraged throughout." – Michael Burch, corporation CEO, poet, essayist, editor of www.thehypertexts.com (a premier Internet poetry forum)

"I'm thrilled to tell you that I've just been offered a wonderfully 'legit' publishing deal from a small, well-established Canadian publisher... My re-titled Faith in a Fishbowl should be in print within a few months. Congrats on another mentoring success!" – Jerry Rose, inspirational book author

"Received a book contract today... I am still a bit too shocked to believe it! Also, I wanted to thank you for the suggestions you gave pertaining to the book. Although at first I felt a little 'protective' (euphemism J) and only wanted to hear 'good' things, when I looked at your comments objectively I saw the great merit in them. I referred to your comments many times in my re-editing process and each time found them very helpful. Thanks!" – Jessica Whittemore, author, even in Darcey

"Writers' egos, I'm finding out, are very fragile. You have a way about you that's very soothing on my fragile ego; while you teach and correct the work, you never forget the writer, and that's a gift. I know you've helped me through a lot, and I will tell you honestly: Without your guidance, friendship and patience, I would still be writing only for myself; I'd never have had the guts to take it this far." – Petra Ruck, fantasy novelist

"Last month I contacted (on your recommendation) my favorite best-selling author via e-mail to ask if she'd mind forwarding information about her agent to me. She didn't mind, and her agent requested a sample of my work, liked it very much, and now wants to see the full manuscript. Exciting stuff. You should know, too, that part of the sample I sent him was the first chapter, rewritten per your suggestions. (You're brilliant!) I'll keep you posted." – Kathryn Cruise, author, Self Care Advisor [Ms. Cruise has since secured agent representation for her historical novel]

"Thanks for all your hard work editing the book and 'coaching' me; you helped polish this material from a piece of coal to a precious stone." – Grant Trevithick, author, Quantum Spirituality

"Sacred Seduction has been released to rave reviews, and I am very happy. Your bracketed comments especially [on the ms.-in-progress] were particularly interesting and helpful. And I could see that you didn't change my 'voice' in your editing." – Bisi J. Ojediran, novelist, Director, Shell Oil Communications, Nigeria

"A very special thanks to my mentor, Mark Orrin, for not only his passionate editorial input, but also for his steadfast personal love and care." – Joy Sawyer, author, The Art of the Soul, Dancing to the Heartbeat of Redemption, poet

"If you hadn't called me... back in '91, who knows what turns my life might have taken? Different and far less exciting, that's for sure. Thanks for being such a faithful friend and mentor. I appreciate you immensely." – Mark Olsen, novelist, essayist, scriptwriter

"Throughout our work and rework on my manuscript, Mark Orrin was encouraging and kind, and he never made me feel like the rookie I am (was). He never left me feeling like he knew more about the publishing industry than I did — he just continued to teach me in an incredibly thoughtful and gentle way, fine-tuning my work and imploring me to be the best I could be. I told him last week: Even if I never get published, I'll still feel that the money I spent to work with Mr. Orrin was money well spent. I want all to know that I had a wonderful experience throughout the road Mr. Orrin and I traveled together. I'll certainly call upon him for my next project. [And later]... I have been aggressively contacting agencies and publishers and need some advice. At the moment there are ten agencies and two publishers who have responded favorably to my query (which you taught me how to write, I might add) about my novel, The Hole to China. If one or more of these responders happen to be interested enough to ask me to contract with them, how should I handle this?" – Gary Kaschak, author

"You've excelled yourself; the query/proposal is brilliant. Mark, I am so glad that I picked you. You have shown amazing expertise, in re-ordering my words to make more sense of them, and in showing such empathy for what I'm trying to achieve. I don't know how to thank you for all your hard work, and I hope this is not the end of our business relationship." – Mim McKew, Australian memoirist

"Thank you for your masterful work [on a controversial 'non-fiction novel' project]. Hope you are as pleased with the finished product as we are." – Robert Davies, senior editor, author

"I've finally secured representation for Sublime. My agent took my mini-proposal to a conference recently, and the editors of five houses asked to see the full proposal... Keep your fingers crossed." – John Riggs, Ph.D., author-educator

Submission

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(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):

(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):

(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):

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Rewriting / Ghostwriting
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(09) Number of footnotes/references:

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(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:

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