Birth Your Book

Ready to revise your messy draft into an inspired feminist manuscript?

Birth Your Book starts August 3. Learn more and register here.

Not quite there yet? Scroll down for information about other offerings, including one-on-one editorial consultations with Amanda.

You can also find testimonials from former students and writers I have worked with 1-1 below.

Book coaching, mentoring & office hours

In addition to classes, I have a limited number of spots available to work one-on-one with writers. You can grab a 30-minute or 1-hour spot with me anytime to discuss literary and culture writing, essay ideas, freelance pitches, newslettering, podcasting for writers, finding your niche/voice, platform (ah!), book ideas, building a writing career, and questions about pursuing an MFA or transitioning out of a graduate program into writing for a general audience.

I also love mentoring and coaching writers just beginning or returning to their writing practice, and those in need of creative recovery or a reset.

In addition, I offer developmental editing on essays, manuscripts, and book proposals. I am currently scheduling 1-1 work for late summer and early fall 2026.

Check out how I work with writers by clicking the “rates & packages” button below, then scroll down to schedule a 15-minute consultation to see if we are a fit.

You can view testimonials from writers I have worked with in classes and 1-1 by scrolling down. Writers I have worked with have gone on to publish at The New York Times, The Guardian, The Cut, Slate, Romper, HuffPost, Write or Die, and literary magazines.

Rates & packages

Testimonials

  • I cannot recommend an Amanda Montei workshop, class, or writing group enough. Amanda is simply a wonderful writing teacher (as evidenced by the fact that I keep coming back for more). Not only is she a brilliant writer with an impeccable editorial sense, but she has the uncanny ability to gently push every piece of student writing to the next level without giving away the answers. She is devoted to her students and projects, is a seemingly unending font of book recommendations, and I've never regretted a dollar that I've spent on working with her. I signed up for Amanda's multi-month writing group not sure what to expect, but hoping for accountability as I moved through the early stages of a sprawling book project. Not only did I find a way forward with my book, but I found camaraderie in the space she created and held over the course of five months. I will forever cherish this group of people--brought together by Amanda and her work-- who gave me permission to take my writing and this book project seriously as well as myriad pieces of wisdom on craft and the writer's life.

    Caroline Calvert

  • Working with Amanda one-on-one took me from dreaming about a big byline to getting it. With her coaching I was able to organize my ideas more clearly on the page and approach each part of the process — from pitching to editing to submitting my work — with greater confidence and clarity. To see the work we go live and be shared by everyone from anonymous redditors to the thinkers and writers I truly admire was a thrill. 

    Stefanie O’Connell, author of The Ambition Penalty

  • Working with Amanda has been, in one word, transformative. She is thoughtful, meticulous, and dedicated as a writing teacher and editor. More than just helping me improve the technical aspects of my writing, she clearly shows she cares about my individual point of view and helped me step into my voice as a writer. Through our work together, I found strength and confidence in my perspective. Amanda helped me move my writing forward in a way I didn’t know was possible. She has such extensive expert knowledge of the publishing world. She helped me navigate these harder parts of the publishing landscape and get more eyes on my work. In addition to helping me work on my book proposal, she coached me through pitching and securing essays in two major online publications, crafting my Substack, and so much more. I could not have accomplished any of this without Amanda’s encouragement and critical review of my writing.

    Caitlin Smith, writer and surgeon

  • This writing community has given me tools and structure to take my creative work seriously. It was a perfect combination of craft lessons, peer feedback, and guidance on navigating the day to day realities of writing--from finding time to write as a caregiver to landing an agent and getting paid for our work. Most important, it reminded me that feminist writing is not an optional luxury but an essential political act--one that's more important than ever in these tumultuous years.

    Kira

  • In one of our first sessions, Amanda told us that she prefers the word devotion to dedication. And she holds her groups together with devotion, both for the craft and our tender writer hearts. Signing up for this group was the best thing I did this year to foster my own devotion to my writing.

    Saga McFarland

  • I signed up for Amanda's class on a whim when I was feeling frustrated about parenting/life/etc. I was initially intimidated because of my lack of experience, but through the encouragement of Amanda and the group, I went from never pitching or submitting ANYTHING to having my first byline in a local news publication. The women I worked with were committed, focused, and gave invaluable feedback. Taking Amanda's class helped me strengthen my craft and my confidence!

    Andrea

  • Amanda expertly created a safe and sturdy space to share, grow, and accomplish our writing goals. To build this kind of supportive culture is no small task. Her feedback is a rare combination: smart, generous, honest, and kind. I will forever be grateful to Amanda and the beautiful community of writers I found here.

    Marianne

  • "As a teacher, Amanda is one of those rare gems who is deeply intellectual yet warm and approachable, while also being incredibly meticulous in the personal interest she takes in each of her students and their work. I took a four-week online course on essay writing with her, and it was the first writing workshop I'd taken in over a decade. I was nervous going in, but left feeling that I'd gained an entire semester's worth of inspiration, concrete techniques, comprehensive feedback, and real-world advice about publishing. Thanks to the nurturing community that Amanda was so brilliant at cultivating, I even met an amazing writing buddy, who has become a long-distance friend. This class didn't just help improve my writing, but also reignited my love of the craft. I truly cannot recommend Amanda highly enough!"

    Ariana Hendrix, writer of the newsletter American Mom in Norway

  • “Without Amanda's expert knowledge of the publishing landscape and fresh insights, I wouldn't have gotten my article published HuffPost. In addition to one-to-one writing mentorship, I've taken her well-attended writing workshops. Even though it wasn't expected of her, Amanda offered personalized feedback to all of the workshop attendees. Though it's rare to find a writing instructor this generous, this is the level of dedication to her students' success that I've come to expect from Amanda. She really shows up for her students. I feel incredibly lucky to have found her early in my writing career. Ten out of ten–she's an absolute standout..”

    Rachael Quisel, BSW, MPA, 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee

  • Amanda's writing group gave me permission to take my next book seriously. Peer feedback and support are essential parts of my writing process, so I'm grateful for the space to meet like-minded women who dare to use their voices, too.

    Tawny Lara, writer

  • As someone new to writing as a creative outlet, I was a little nervous before the start of Amanda's writing group. However, the experience turned out to be far more rewarding than I could have imagined. I only wish I had been able to do it sooner.

    Madeleine

  • “Participating in Amanda's Care for Writers class was just the balm I needed to reset my writing goals and intentions. Knowing that every Friday I would get to learn from Amanda, be in the presence of other great writers and refocus on the craft of writing kept me going all week.”

    Oona Metz, author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women

  • “Amanda's teachings have empowered me to make the most progress on both my book and my freelance work. Her courses — I've taken multiple — have kept me intellectually engaged and held me accountable while graciously leaving space for life's inevitable interruptions. The confidence, encouragement, and community I've gained from her courses have been invaluable, generative, and inspiring. Like a good book, I can't recommend working with her enough.”

    Ashley Rubbell, writer

  • “Amanda’s classes are the perfect mix of writing, feedback, exploring, and sharing. Amanda knows how to lead a group through discussion and writing prompts. She is always generous with her resources and helpful information. I feel like I hit the jackpot by taking Amanda class!”

    Amy Garrison, writer

  • "This course buoyed me and made me feel connected to other writers at a time when I was feeling very disconnected from the writing world. I was blown away by the diversity and depth of readings, the spirit of support and camaraderie, and the quality of both submissions and feedback from fellow participants. Amanda led the course with such insight, compassion, and intelligence—I also thoroughly enjoyed the prompts, as well as the discussions and ways in which we were all inspired to engage with the reading material, and each other's work, on a weekly basis. I will miss it!"

    Kaitlin Solimine, author of Empire of Glass and host of the Postpartum Production podcast

  • "Amanda is a great teacher who gives fantastic feedback and knows how to steer writers in productive directions."

    Heather Hewett, PhD, co-editor of #MeToo and Literary Studies

  • “Amanda's workshop was a wonderful experience. I left each class feeling motivated. Amanda gave thoughtful prompts that helped me learn new tools and ways to approach writing. I thought her style of teaching was very welcoming and open. Each person in the course had time to share their work and their thoughts with each other creating a creative and supportive environment. One of my favorite takeaways from Amanda was to approach writing as a practice in creativity and play!"

    Amanda Stojanov, Asst. Prof. of Digital Media, West Long Branch, NJ

  • "Amanda's course was nurturing, generative, inspiring, and just such a powerful 4 weeks. No one wanted the session to end which speaks to her ability to not only create a compelling course but also encourage healthy discussion and vulnerability."

    Cindy DiTiberio, writer

  • "Amanda's course was the course on motherhood and rage and vulnerability and strength that I didn't know I needed. Her course materials and writing prompts were impeccably curated and thoughtful, and she created an honest and supportive "classroom" space on Zoom. I am grateful for the community I found through this course!"

    Ariella Ruth, writer

  • “Amanda is intellectually rigorous but also approachable. She has a profound knowledge of the materials covered in the course. She gives space to every student in the course and provides excellent feedback. She also encourages students to be out of their intellectual comfort zone but so with grace and understanding.”

    Giusi Russo, Assistant Professor of History, Montgomery County College

  • "Amanda provided thoughtful and creative writing prompts that were truly inspired by the readings, in a surprising but inevitable way. They unlocked my thinking and brought new energy to my own creative work. Amanda's welcoming, gentle, and listening energy created a nice sense of community even over Zoom. I learned a lot, had fun, and felt a sense of connection not just to the subject material but to the group."

    Stella

  • "This course was fascinating and encouraged me to reflect deeply on a wide range of creative and intellectual topics. It shifted my thinking on certain issues, allowed me to connect with other writers, and helped me carve out space for magic and creativity. Amanda did a great job of making space for each student to contribute. She structured the class while still allowing for spontaneity."

    Victoria Livingstone, PhD, writer and translator