For Writers
Your Mentor
Sandie Docker is an internationally published author of six novels with Penguin Random House. Sandie writes contemporary women’s fiction, and is known for her heartwarming stories about love, loss, family, and small-town life, earning her a devoted readership around the world.
With over 10 years of experience in the writing and publishing world, Sandie has gained a wealth of knowledge about the craft of storytelling and the complexities of the industry. Having navigated her own path from aspiring writer to successful author, she understands the challenges and triumphs of every stage in the writing journey.
As a mentor, Sandie offers a compassionate, insightful, and practical approach to helping writers achieve their goals. Whether you're preparing a pitch, wrangling a tricky plot, tackling a frustrating plot hole, wondering how to take that first step toward submission, or need honest advice about your completed manuscript, Sandie is here to guide you with expert feedback, encouragement, and actionable advice. Her services include:
Pitch rehearsal and crafting to make your story stand out.
Talking through plot holes and finding creative solutions.
Planning and goal-setting sessions to keep you motivated and on track.
Plot wrangling when your story takes unexpected turns.
Submission planning and strategy to approach agents and publishers with confidence.
Industry insights to help you navigate the publishing world.
Manuscript assessment to strengthen your story.
Chapter and synopsis reviews to ensure your submission package is polished.
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to submit your work, Sandie provides tailored guidance and an empathetic ear to help you move forward on your writing path with clarity and confidence.
Ready to take the next step? Let me help make your writing dreams a reality.
Quick Consult
½ hr Zoom consult = $50
For help with pitch rehearsal/crafting; talking through a plot hole; help with planning and goal setting; wrangling plot bunnies; general industry insights; submission planning; how to get started; should you plot or pants it…
**contact initially via email to see if ½ hr will be enough
**no legal/contract advice can be given
Submission Review
Review Package 1 = $125
Cover letter; 1st chapter/10 pages (approx. 5K words); synopsis
Review Package 2 = $280
Cover letter; first 3 chapters (up to 50 pages); synopsis
*all feedback will be written
Manuscript Assessment
& Mentoring
Genres accepted: contemporary women’s fiction; romcom; general fiction (with or without romantic elements); rural fiction. I am not the best fit for sci-fi/fantasy, crime, or category romance. Other genres, use the form below for your initial enquiry
Manuscript Assessment and Mentoring places are limited.
Manuscript Assessment = from $1200*
Your manuscript is complete and you have edited it (more than once) but you’re not sure if it’s ready to submit to agents/publishers, or you’d like to polish it so it’s the best it can be for that one shot.
A deep dive into your manuscript to identify what’s working, and what could use some more work; be that plot, character development, pacing, structure
You will receive a comprehensive report and a marked- up manuscript
An optional 1 hour Zoom call to clarify any issues and ask questions about the report/mark-up
*up to 95,000 words = $1200 : over 95,000 - 120,000 words = $1500
6 Month Writing Mentorship = $2000 *
Maybe you need some guidance in shaping, developing or refining your completed manuscript; or maybe you’re 20,000 words in but aren’t sure if you’re heading in the right direction; or maybe you’ve had a manuscript assessment but can’t make head nor tails of how to apply it to your work. Take advantage of a tailor-made 6 month mentorship based on your needs. May include areas such as structure, characterisation, audience, style, editing and redrafting, goal setting, being accountable to those goals, and more.
Initial 1 ½ Zoom meeting to establish where you’re at, where you want to go, what areas we’ll be working on and feedback on the first 5,000 words of your manuscript
A 6 month tailor-made plan on how we’re going to meet those needs
Monthly 1 ½ hour Zoom meetings
Monthly feedback on your work (approx. 5000 words per month, depending on agreed plan)
Final 1 hour Zoom to wrap anything up and discuss what happens next.
*cost includes a non-refundable deposit of $100. If after the first zoom session either one of us decides not to continue with the mentorship (it has to be the right fit for both of us), no further costs will be payable.
**number of words per month will be determined in the initial zoom, depending on where you’re at in your writing (e.g an early draft is likely to need more feedback, so in six months we might only get to 35,000 words; a more polished manuscript needing less work, we might get through the whole thing).
***receiving feedback on one’s writing can be daunting – I still curl up in the foetal position when my edit reports come in – I will be gentle but honest, so please make sure you are open to the feedback given.