Imagine finally both thriving and creatively delighting in a writing project that’s tailored to your needs and ambitions, whether that's a book proposal, a short story, or a collection of Substack posts.
1:1 Mentorships for WRITERS
Yeah—no. That's not exactly what you had in mind when you dreamt up life as a writer, is it?
Hear me loud and clear: no amount of sunlit, latte-filled afternoons are going to soften the sting of feeling like writing will forever be a hobby that that produces work that'll never be published. Which feels more like purgatory, most days.
Meandering through a life of sitting in front of a computer and writing with no end in sight, feeling like what's inside your brain is just begging to be brought to its fullest potential…
Entering the bookstore and seeing the rows and rows of books that have names that aren't yours printed on the spines...
And wanting SO badly to have a road map to the fullest version of yourself, because you sometimes can't sleep at night for the words flickering through your head when you lay down at night—it's like your ideas have ideas.
BUT... you can't seem to get your hands on any roadmap of the sort.
"I love filling this Moleskine notebook with all my lyrical prose in the back of this artsy cafe where no one will ever see them."
"Am I good enough to be a writer? Is my dream of being published just that—a dream? Are my files and files of writing going to end up producing anything worthwhile? Am I wasting my time?"
A gentle, helpful hand is within reach.
Perhaps what you want is not yet another online class that will sit unused on your computer, but a real, live human to talk to who will give you their full attention. A person to work with one-on-one who has won awards in both nonfiction and fiction, is a Contributing Editor for Poets & Writers Magazine, and has written a New York Times-bestselling essay collection. Someone who will speak to you directly about the challenges that you face, give you feedback on your work, and help you find the light at the end of your confusion.
That's what you'll get when you sign up for a mentorship with me.
gina balibrera, author of the volcano daughters
"I was so fortunate to be mentored by Esmé Weijun Wang for one year as part of the Periplus Collective writing community. Her steady, generous wisdom filled the distance on our phone calls, Zoom meetings, and voicemails, and her kindness, sense of beauty and joy, and her practical savvy were so valuable to me as I moved through novel drafts and the initial steps of publishing. With every question I brought to her, Esmé met me with support, understanding, and grace."
Hey there!
I'm Esmé, your new ally in the writing world.
I’m an acclaimed writer of fiction and nonfiction—the author of the New York Times-bestselling and finalist for the the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay book The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays (2019), as well as the novel The Border of Paradise: A Novel (2016), which was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2016. I won the prestigious Whiting Award in 2018 and was selected by Granta for their once-a-decade Best of Young American Novelists list of 21 authors under 40; my short story, "What Terrible Thing It Was," was included in Best American Short Stories 2018. I’ve also made appearances on the Today Show, NPR’s Weekend Edition, KCRW, the New York Times, the CBC, Flavorwire, and the New Yorker Online.
...and many more topics (Just ask!)
BOOK PROPOSALS
FICTION WRITING
NONFICTION WRITING
NEWSLETTER WRITING
PLATFORM BUILDING
Introducing
my coaching ABOUT...
Mentorship Packages
APPLY Now
○ 1 hour Zoom call
○ DISCUSS Any writing-related topics
○ Downloadable recording
○. TRANSCRIPTION AVAILABLE
○ LETTER FROM ME WITH ACTION STEPS
Talk to me for an hour about your project or your project-to-be, whether fiction or nonfiction. You get the chance to get my insight on it all: big and small, crucial or finicky. Impostor syndrome? Don't know how to get started? Stuck on your short story or essay? Application required to make sure I can be of help.
MAGIC Session
○ 1 kickoff zoom call with downloadable recording and transcription
○ 3 VIP Voxer days (24/7 voice memo communication 1x each month)
○ FEEDBACK ON 3000 WORDS PER MONTH WITH ACTION STEPS
○ 1 follow-up call on Zoom
A hummingbird project is when we spend time over three months to get one big thing on your writing wish list done. Your hummingbird project can range from writing an e-book memoir to sell on your website to preparing, outlining, and writing the core pieces of your book proposal to writing and revising a short story. Application required to make sure I can be of help.
HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT
APPLY Now
Payment plan available of 2x $600
Alex clemente
"I joined the Unexpected Shape Academy searching for community. I was looking for a supportive environment to nurture my growing writing ambitions. Esmé and the community she cultivates is just what I was looking for. She gave me access to authors and industry experts I had never thought I would interact with. This work of breaking down barriers made me believe that my ambition could materialize into actual essays and maybe even an actual book.
Working with Esmé 1-on-1 has only cemented my resolve to continue investing in my writerly ambitions. I know my work will be received with care. Her insight has always pushed my writing to a new level. I have also gained a champion for my work. Esme has connected me to other members of the literary community. She’s provided recommendations on where my work can live on. Moreover, she talks about my book as something that will exist in the future. That kind of support pushes me to keep writing so that this book does eventually see the light of day. And when it does, Esmé will be in the acknowledgments."
R.O. KWON, author of exhibit
"Esmé is a brilliant writer who cares intensely about community, with a deeply generous approach to sharing knowledge and uplifting others' voices. She helps make our literary communities a better and more expansive place, and anyone being mentored by Esmé will surely learn a great deal about writing practices, paths toward and through publishing, and what can often be an opaque and confusing industry. We should all be so lucky as to be guided along the way by someone as astute as Esmé."
DR. EZZIE SPENCER
"Upon completing my manuscript, I popped it off to Esmé and was wow'd by the experience of working with her to prepare my precious cargo for publication! Our working relationship involved that rare combination of speed, reliability AND the highest quality feedback. Esmé was so attuned to my intentions for the book and any suggestions were communicated with great sensitivity and care. Of course I gladly agreed with anything she noted as her input elevated the overall result, without a doubt. Hire Esmé!"
"Esmé Weijun Wang is not only brilliant, she's one of the hardest working writers I know. Her thoughtfulness, dedication, and attention to detail would benefit anyone working with her in a mentorship role."
Rachel Khong, author of real americans
Beth Kempton, bestselling author of Freedom Seeker and We are in this together
"At the time, the ‘book proposal’ is still just a bunch of ideas in the back of my mind, and scribbled in the pages of my journal.
And then, just as I start to think I really need to do something about pulling this proposal together, I get an email from my friend Esmé Weijun Wang, a talented writer who has done a fantastic job editing projects for me in the past. Out of the blue, after nearly a year without contact, she says, 'I’m just checking in about possible projects. Do you have anything you need editing?'
Well, funny you should ask… And so, with Esme’s help I put together an ambitious plan to write my entire book proposal in a matter of weeks, with regular Skype check-ins and frequent reviews. The pressure it puts on me is just what I need and the proposal starts to flow."
Frequently Asked Questions
What if something happens; are we able to reschedule?
I understand that sometimes things happen and we need to reschedule (as a chronically ill person—trust me, I get it). I do hope that you're able to give me 24 hours' notice. If you can't, you can't. However, I will only allow two rescheduled calls and/or VIP Voxer Days before I charge $50 per additional rescheduled call because I, too, have chronic illnesses, and I need to maintain a balanced schedule to prioritize my health and well-being. As such, I kindly ask that we limit the number of times our calls can be rescheduled. This will help me manage my energy and commitments. effectively.
Where can I learn more about you?
You can learn much more about me at my website, esmewang.com.
One of my questions isn't answered here. Where can I ask it?
Please DM me at my Instagram at esmewwang. You can also email us at info@esmewang.com.
Do you provide payment plans?
Yes! If you need a payment plan, please email us at info@esmewang.com and we can discuss further.
Is it possible to extend a Hummingbird Project if I wish?
Absolutely. WIth every mentorship, we'll discuss next steps toward the end of our time together.
apply today
Ready to get started?
