Senior Children’s Book Writer, Mentor & Editorial Lead (Volunteer)

Senior Children’s Book Writer, Mentor & Editorial Lead (Volunteer)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: Storytelling, Literacy & Publishing (PromisePress)

Location: Remote via Google Meet and/or New York City

Type: Volunteer (Unpaid)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability. Through mentorship, literacy development, academic enrichment, social-emotional learning, creative expression, and community-centered storytelling, MAP creates safe, consistent, and empowering spaces where young people can thrive.

PromisePress is MAP’s literary and publishing division, producing children’s books and literacy materials grounded in empathy, resilience, cultural identity, and emotional truth. Our work is designed not simply to entertain, but to support language development, emotional regulation, belonging, and self-understanding for children navigating instability, transition, or trauma.

The Role at a Glance

The Senior Children’s Book Writer, Mentor & Editorial Lead is a high-trust leadership role responsible for:

• Writing original, publication-quality children’s books
• Setting literary standards and narrative rigor for PromisePress
• Mentoring, supervising, and developing emerging children’s writers
• Ensuring all content is developmentally sound, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive

This role exists to protect literary excellence and ethical responsibility while building a sustainable, well-supported community of writers.

This is not a content-production role. It is a craft-driven, pedagogically informed, editorial leadership position.

Core Responsibilities

1. Authorship & Literary Craft

• Write original children’s book manuscripts aligned with MAP’s literacy and SEL framework.
• Develop stories across age bands (Early Readers K–2, Middle Grade 3–5, and/or Upper Grade 6–8).
• Demonstrate mastery of voice, pacing, structure, and emotional resonance appropriate to each developmental stage.
• Integrate themes of resilience, identity, agency, and belonging without didacticism or oversimplification.

1. Mentorship, Supervision & Editorial Leadership

• Mentor and supervise junior and emerging children’s writers within PromisePress.
• Provide rigorous developmental feedback focused on structure, character, language, and emotional clarity.
• Lead revision processes that strengthen manuscripts while preserving author voice.
• Model professional writing discipline, ethical storytelling practices, and collaborative revision culture.
• Support writers in understanding trauma-informed and culturally responsive narrative approaches.

1. Quality Assurance & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Review manuscripts for developmental appropriateness, emotional safety, and literary quality.
• Collaborate closely with editors, educators, illustrators, and curriculum specialists.
• Ensure alignment between narrative content, illustration direction, and educational intent.
• Contribute to editorial planning, publishing timelines, and series development when appropriate.

1. Professional Standards & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in editorial leadership meetings and publishing strategy discussions.
• Check and respond to emails daily, with responses within 48 hours.
• Take responsibility for continuous improvement in both writing quality and mentorship effectiveness.

How MAP Treats Senior Creative Leaders

MAP approaches creative leadership with seriousness, respect, and care. In this role, you can expect:

• Clear editorial authority and leadership scope
• Thoughtful collaboration with highly mission-aligned teams
• Respect for creative process, time, and emotional labor
• Feedback that is precise, constructive, and intellectually engaged
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Recognition of mentorship and supervision as expert labor, not volunteer filler

Ideal Background & Expertise

• Significant experience writing children’s literature or youth-centered narratives (published or equivalent professional level).
• Demonstrated leadership, mentorship, or supervisory experience with writers, educators, or creatives.
• Deep understanding of child development, literacy progression, and age-appropriate narrative construction.
• Advanced editorial judgment—able to diagnose story issues and articulate revision pathways.
• High cultural literacy and sensitivity to ethical representation, especially for marginalized or vulnerable populations.
• Commitment to developing other writers with clarity, generosity, and intellectual rigor.

Strongly Valued (but not required)

• MFA or advanced training in writing, literature, education, or publishing
• Experience with classroom-aligned or SEL-informed children’s books
• Experience leading writing workshops, editorial teams, or publishing initiatives
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities (Spanish or Haitian Creole a plus)

Commitment

• Volunteer role, approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6–12 month commitment strongly preferred
• Remote collaboration via Google Meet, with optional NYC-based meetings
• MAP prioritizes sustainability, depth, and care over speed or burnout

What You’ll Gain

• Senior editorial leadership experience in mission-driven publishing
• Authored and supervised manuscripts with real educational and community impact
• Experience shaping both stories and writers within a values-driven organization
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to help children encounter language that names their experiences with dignity and precision

How to Apply

Please send your resume, LinkedIn profile, and 1–2 children’s writing samples to

hr@mentorapromise.org

Subject line: Senior Children’s Book Writer & Editorial Lead – Mentor A Promise

You may also apply directly here:

https://forms.gle/ptgy2zBZXJB1q7GV8

Write with authority. Lead with care. Help shape literature—and literary stewardship—that gives children language for resilience, belonging, and possibility.