This is from my experience. I hope it can help other people too!
1. Not all programs are the same.
It is important to know what a program is offering BEFORE you apply because not all programs are the same. When I started to apply, if someone asked me what I was looking for in a program, I would have replied, “A mentor. Duh.”
But I didn’t really understand the differences between programs. For example, PW was known for its showcase, AMM doesn’t have one. PW had a 3 month turnaround that could extend, AMM doesn’t really have a time limit. RevPit, another program, is NOT a mentorship program, it’s a 2 month developmental edit, meaning that you don’t get a mentor, you get an Editor (and mentorship and editing have overlap but they ARE NOT THE SAME THING). Check out this blog post by Michael Mammay! It’s about new mentorship programs, but there’s a lot of things to consider in existing programs too.
Other mentorships include WriteMentor, Avengers of Colour, DVMentor and more. Research how they’re different. Some programs may not appeal to you as much as others based on what you’re looking for.
2. Research the mentors.
So many strong manuscripts are submitted to these programs. Not getting picked doesn’t mean your story is bad, it can simply mean you weren’t a good fit for the mentors you applied to. So look really closely at your mentor and assess how you actually think they’d connect with your story, which can mean attending extra events or things beyond looking at the website/MSWLs.
3. Find a Community.
Please please please try to find your people. Not a Twitter person? Try IG. Not an IG person? Try Discord. Not a Discord person? Try to find people in your area. And just because one group doesn’t work out doesn’t mean another won’t.
4. Get eyes on your query and early pages.
This is so important. I know people can be nervous to share work, but when you’ve met people you trust, share! Their feedback can be invaluable and it can help you see what’s missing.
My earlier first pages had no voice. It started in grief, which if you listen to Cece Lyra on The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast, is a bad choice. Cece was right in my case. (Of course she was!) Everyone RUN to the Books with Hooks segment of the podcast to hear agents break down queries once a week and give insightful feedback.)
I also submitted to the Books with Hooks segment and got super valuable feedback that I’ll mention in a future post, but I don’t think I’d have my mentor if I didn’t get the feedback I got from Veronica Park, formerly of Fuse Literary.
5. Don’t Give Up because you didn’t get a request or didn’t get picked.
I have been there. Thoughts running through your head like “Am I even cut out for this?” and “Why did I try?” So many people have been there in various iterations. But it’s so important to remember that (at least in the programs that I applied to) you only get 4 choices.
When you query, you can query far more people. This isn’t about polish – part of the point of the mentorship is to improve the work. It’s about a match on a different level, which no one can control. It’s not a judgement on you or your work. Tons of people go on to query successfully without ever even getting a request.
6. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break after a pitch event (or at any time!)
But don’t let not getting into one of these programs, or getting a rejection on a query or a full, or anything else be the reason you stop trying. Your WIP will be ready whenever (or if) you decide to come back to it. If writing brings you joy, it’s important to embrace that feeling, rather than relying completely on the validation of others because the positive feelings from that only last so long.
7. No Matter Who You Are, I’m Rooting For You
I mean this! Reach out any time to elletaylorwriter@gmail.com and I’d love to chat! My next post will be about my specific experience leading up to AMM!
Elle Taylor 
