Services — Kill Your Darlings

Mentors Program

Work one-to-one with award-winning and bestselling authors.

Writing Courses

Enrol in one of Australia’s most respected online writing schools.

Manuscript Assessments

Get your work submission-ready with personalised feedback from experienced editors.

From manuscript feedback to mentorship and courses, we help you refine, shape and strengthen your work.

Literary Fiction short fiction Mentors

Melanie Cheng

Melanie Cheng is an award-winning author and general practitioner. Her latest novel, The Burrow, was shortlisted for the Stella Prize 2025.

Adult Fiction essays memoir YA Fiction Mentors

Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a writer and broadcaster. She has published five books, including her latest, Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism, and has a forthcoming adult novel and teen series.

crime fiction Mentors

Candice Fox

Candice Fox is the author of eleven novels, three of which have won the prestigious Ned Kelly Award. Her bestselling novel Crimson Lake hit screens as Troppo in 2022.

Adult Fiction Mentors

Kate Mildenhall

Kate Mildenhall is the author of three highly acclaimed novels, a children’s picture book and the host of The First Time podcast. Her upcoming novel is The Hiding Place.

essays Narrative Non-Fiction poetry Mentors

Evelyn Araluen

Evelyn Araluen is a Goorie and Koori poet, researcher and co-editor of Overland. Her debut, Dropbear, won the 2022 Stella Prize. The Rot, her second collection of poetry, is coming soon from UQP.

Adult Fiction short fiction YA Fiction Mentors

Mark Smith

Mark Smith is the award-winning author of the Winter Trilogy YA series and a highly acclaimed short story writer. His latest novel is Three Boys Gone, his first book for adults

Narrative Non-Fiction Mentors

Sarah Krasnostein

Sarah Krasnostein is the author of four non-fiction books and a regular contributor to the Monthly and Saturday Paper. Her book The Believer was named a Best Book of 2022 by the New Yorker.

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Crime/thrillers Literary Fiction memoir short stories Editors

Available Now

Elena Gomez

Elena has been an editor for over a decade, most recently at Text Publishing and Penguin Random House, where she was deputy managing editor. She is also a published poet.

Children’s Stories Literary Fiction memoir short stories young adult fiction Editors

Next Availability: October 2025

Jasmin McGaughey

Jasmin McGaughey is a Torres Strait Islander from the Kulkalgal Nation, and African American. She is a writer, editor and the author of Ash Barty’s Little Ash series.

Crime/thrillers historical fiction Romance Editors

Available June

Lauren Finger

Lauren has worked in publishing since 2001. She spent a decade at Allen & Unwin before moving to the UK, where she worked at Atlantic Books and Bookouture. She has run her commercial fiction editing business since 2018.

Adult Fiction Genre Fiction YA Fiction Editors

Available Now

Abigail Nathan

Abigail runs Bothersome Words and has edited genre fiction since 2004. She works with publishers and authors across Australia and the UK, and is also an agent with Alex Adsett Literary.

Commercial Fiction essays Literary Fiction non-fiction short stories Editors

Available September

Angela Meyer

Angela has worked for more than 20 years as an editor and publisher. She is also an award-winning author and a lecturer in the Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT University.

Commercial Fiction Literary Fiction memoir Narrative Non-Fiction Thriller Editors

Available Now

Armelle Davies

Armelle is a freelance editor working across all genres in trade publishing for adults. Previously, she was an in-house editor at Fremantle Press and Affirm Press.

Commercial Fiction Literary Fiction memoir non-fiction Editors

Available Now

Camha Pham

Camha is a freelance editor with over 10 years of experience, working for publishers including Hachette and University of Queensland Press (UQP).

essays Literary Fiction memoir short stories Editors

Available June

Ceridwen Dovey

Ceridwen is the award-winning author of seven books of literary fiction, including Only the Astronauts, Only the Animals and Life After Truth.

historical fiction Literary Fiction memoir Middle Grade Fiction non-fiction Speculative Fiction YA Fiction Editors

Available July

Clare Strahan

Clare is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience. She teaches writing at RMIT University, has published two novels and was a manuscript assessor at Writers Victoria.

Genre Fiction Literary Fiction memoir non-fiction short stories Editors

Available Mid-July

Coco McGrath

Coco has worked in the book industry for over 10 years, with roles at Griffith Review and Affirm Press. She specialises in structural editing.

Crime/thrillers Literary Fiction memoir Narrative Non-Fiction Speculative Fiction YA Fiction Editors

Available June

Kate Goldsworthy

Kate has worked on trade books since 2010 for many publishers, including Allen & Unwin, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins and Black Inc.

poetry Editors

Available March 2026

Jennifer Nguyen

Jennifer is a published poet and editor, with 10 years experience in the literary industry. She currently works at Australian Poetry.

fiction memoir non-fiction Editors

Available Now

Kirsten Alexander

Kirsten is a writer, editor and copywriter. She has worked as an editor for Text Publishing and Penguin Random House, among others.

Literary Fiction Narrative Non-Fiction short stories YA Fiction Editors

Available Now

Maame Blue

Maame Blue is a short story writer and the author of two novels. She has mentored emerging writers, including at Faber Academy UK and The Literary Consultancy.

Children’s Fiction fantasy Middle Grade Fiction Science Fiction YA Fiction Editors

Available Mid-May

Meg Whelan

Meg is commissioning editor for the children’s book team at Simon & Schuster. Previously, she was was the children’s book buyer at Hill of Content in Melbourne.

essays Literary Fiction memoir Narrative Non-Fiction short stories Editors

Available Now

Mireille Juchau

Mireille is an award-winning author of three novels and currently teaches in the postgraduate writing program at the University of Technology, Sydney.

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Enrol in an Online Writing Course

Looking to sharpen your short story? Ready to take your idea from concept to execution? Need a hand nailing down a new genre? With over 15 years experience supporting and publishing the best of Australian writers, we understand what makes a good story.