Apprentice as an EDITOR
Build Your Editorial Toolkit and Real-World Experience
Make a Difference with Spotlight Ink
A selective program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and college-age students ready to build real-world editorial skills and make a difference in their communities.
Spotlight Ink Editor Apprentice Program invites teens to apprentice with an Inklings mentor, learn real-world editorial skills and put them into immediate practice as they support teen writers who are publishing through the Spotlight Ink program. Editors will receive a Spotlight Ink Editorial certificate and editorial credit in the two Spotlight Ink books they oversee.
Have you ever wondered: What does an editor do?
Whether you’re a writer, and you want to better understand what happens on the other side of the editor’s desk, or your dream is to become an editor who makes book magic possible, the very best way to learn the art of being an editor is to roll up your sleeves and practice.
In our Spotlight Ink Editor Apprenticeship program, you’ll do just that. You’ll begin with a course where you learn more about the art of editorial work. Then, with your mentor’s support, you’ll guide or two writers through a full-novel revision, then a scene-level refinement. You’ll swap manuscripts with one of your peer editors for the final round, a line edit, so that you see details with fresh eyes.
Throughout the program, you’ll be able to join in on writer circle sessions, when you’re able, to support your authors in their problem-solving and revision. In your final term, you’ll partner with your authors in their project to raise money through book sales for a cause close to their hearts, expanding the experience beyond skill-building to deep community impact.
Key Program Elements:
- Editorial Process: Mentor-support as you offer editorial guidance to two teen Spotlight Ink authors
- Structural full-novel revision, focusing on character arc, plot and subplot pacing, and heightening the heart of the story
- Scene-by-scene refinement, focusing on action, dialogue, and interiority
- Sentence level proof-reading, focusing on word choice, figurative language, and sentence flow
- Creative Collaboration: Small-group sessions to support revision and problem-solving
- Professional Support: Final manuscript review with Inklings pro mentor
- Publishing Journey: See behind the scenes of publishing: layout, cover design, and publication
- Social Impact: Learn real-world book marketing and fundraising skills in collaboration with your Spotlight Ink authors
Program Outcomes:
- Editorial credit on two Spotlight Ink novels
- Enhanced critical thinking, creative writing, and editorial skills
- Real-world project management experience
- Marketing and promotional expertise
- Strong college application portfolio material
- Demonstrated community impact through nonprofit partnership
Ready to share your story?
Join a select group of thoughtful editors committed to supporting teen authors as they craft powerful stories and collaborate with them to make a positive impact in the world.
“I found so many opportunities to make my novel better – new scenes, changing settings, adding tension. It’s like looking for what you already did and then…fabulousing it!”
Program at a glance
Duration: 12 months
Cohort Size: up to 6 editors
Goal: Edit two books, gain a real-world editorial skillset and certificate, support two meaningful causes
Grade Levels: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, college-age students
Location: Online
Day/Time: Writer Circle sessions – 4-5 pm PT /7-8 pm PT in summer terms, 4:30-5:30 pm PT /7:30-8:30 pm ET during the academic year
Tuition: $250 per term (5 terms)
Your Editorial Journey
Term I: Fall 2025
Begin your editorial course in October 2025, and receive your first manuscripts in early December. You’ll work through a full novel editorial review, and provide your two authors with editorial letters and line notes in January. Your mentor will guide you every step of the way, reading your letters, offering personal notes, as well as group coaching in your editorial meetings.
Term II: Winter 2026
While your authors work through their eight-week revision pass, you are invited to attend Writers Circles as your schedule allows and support them in problem-solving and revision decisions. You will receive the revised draft just before the beginning of the spring term. During this term, you’ll also meet with your mentor to learn more about the focus of your next editorial pass: scene level revision.
Term III: Spring 2026
You’ll complete your editorial letter and line notes focusing on scene-level revisions, and receive mentor guidance along the way. This revision focuses on dialogue, action, character relationships, conflict, and interiority. After you pass your editorial notes back to your writers, you can drop into their Writers Circle sessions again when you’re able to be a thought partner in support of this next stage of their revision process. Near the end of the spring term, you’ll meet with your mentor and the writers for a master class on the next step: sentence-level copyediting.
Term IV: Summer 2026
Your final editorial pass focuses on sentence level details, such as word choice, figurative language, and the flow of sentences. Because you are so familiar with “your” two books, you will do your line-editorial work on one of the other Spotlight Ink books. With fresh eyes, you’re more likely to see details that the writer and editor might miss. Once your editorial work is complete, you can join in on continued Writers Circle, offering support as the writers make a final pass through their books. The last step is for an Inklings mentor to do a final proofread to refine each book’s final details. Your writers will also be making decisions about book layout, fonts and styling, and choosing whether to create their own cover illustration or hire a professional illustrator. You will have a front row seat to all of these choices, and be able to weigh in as they invite you to do so.
Term V: Fall 2026
In the lead-up to our book launch party, the Writers Circle turns their focus to practical tools for launching a book. You’ll join the writers as they finalize their chosen nonprofit, reach out to let that organization know about the fundraising effort, develop a press release and promotional campaign. You’ll support them in developing and refining marketing copy, image sets, and plans. Books will be published on a rolling basis between October and November, based on timing needs (such as early college application deadlines) and also on the delivery date of each book’s final materials to the book production team. You’ll be invited to share about your editorial journey at the book launch party, receive a Spotlight Ink editorial certificate, and editorial credit in the two books you edited (for the full-novel and scene level revision).
Program Includes:
- 12+ months of mentorship in editorial skills and creative problem-solving
- 32+ hours of creative collaboration during Writers Circle sessions
- 6 hours of master class editorial workshops
- 3 hours of 1:1 mentorship time with your Inklings mentor
- 32 hours+ of mentor-guided editorial hands-on work
- Mentor + peer support in learning the art of becoming an editor
- Book launch and marketing training
- Fundraising experience and community impact
- Start-to-finish exposure to the editorial and publishing process
- Editorial credit on two professionally styled, published booksProfessionally styled, published book
- Spotlight Ink Editorial Certificate
Join the Waitlist
To apply as a Spotlight Ink Editorial Apprentice, you must demonstrate readiness to commit to a 12-month program. We are looking for self-motivated editors who are able to provide thoughtful, supportive feedback, who are able to commit to supporting their authors throughout the process and meet editorial deadlines, and who are passionate about supporting creative projects and making positive impact in their communities.
Wondering about scholarships?
Need-based scholarships will be available for this program. Join the waitlist and indicate your scholarship interest as well.
We will follow up with more information in early Fall 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Society of Young Inklings publish?
We are committed to printing and publishing stories and poems that impact the world in positive, transformational ways—works we’d be excited to share with the full age range of youth writers we serve. We do not print or publish work that promotes violence, cruelty, prejudice, reckless behavior, or any work containing sexual content.
The Spotlight Ink program has been designed to support books of 60,000 words or less. Editors should expect to be working with two books of about 60,000 words each over the course of about 4-5 weeks in each editorial pass.
Why does the Spotlight Ink program take writers 18 months to complete?
To thoughtfully design, draft, revise, and publish an well-crafted book, 18 months is an ambitious, but doable, pace for a debut author. Teens who have previously published at Society of Young Inklings also recommend being intentional about working at a steady pace rather than working in desperate sprints to meet deadlines. We recommend that writers and editors consider Spotlight Ink one of their major extra-curricular programs, not as an add-on to an overflowing slate of other commitments. Editors are not required to attend Writers Circles, but they will get more out of the program if they make time for them.
What is my commitment in the Spotlight Ink Apprentice Editor program?
Spotlight Ink Apprentice Editor program is a community experience with limited slots. In joining the program, you commit to your authors to see them through their projects, and also to meet your editorial deadlines. We appreciate your thoughtfulness before applying. Please ensure you are ready to make a long-term commitment to the group and to your own growth as an editor.
