Lots of you want to write, want to see your name in print. One of the best ways to learn professional writing is to be tutored and/or mentored by a professional writer. Unfortunately, there are few opportunities in this regard for the beginner/amateur, beyond the usual college creative writing courses and programs. There are a few professional workshops in the country (such as the Clarion Workshop, in the SF/fantasy field), but these are very selective, and openings are limited.

I will read, comment, and critique any MS that I feel has merit. Be aware, I'm choosy, too. If you haven't gained at least a command of the language, a grasp of basic technique, and the rudiments of manuscript format, you need basic training. However, if you are some ways along the road to becoming a professional writer, if you are producing manuscripts regularly or have a finished manuscript, I am willing to take a look at your work. Yes, I do charge a fee. How much? The fee is based on the length and difficulty of the material. But it's always affordable. Don't worry - we can work something out.

How do we hook up? Send me email describing your project. If I ask to look at it, you can send either hard copy or attached files. I prefer the latter, but I'm open to paper submissions.

What kind of stuff? Anything. Fiction, any genre, or nonfiction, any subject. Novels, books, short stories, articles. I've written and published all of the above. If you look over my BIBLIOGRAPHY, you'll see lots of science fiction, fantasy, and some horror. Those are my specialties, but I've written two nonfiction books, a few nonfiction articles, and I read lots of other stuff: mystery, biography, popular science, history, politics, and mainstream popular novels. I even sample so-called literary fare from time to time. To top it all off, I know a thing or two about publishers, agents, bookstore chains, and book distributors. I'm willing to impart any or all of this knowledge and expertise to help you write something that can and will get published. Send me an E-MAIL today.

John DeChancie
jdechan@yahoo.com