Becoming a Rising Stars Sponsor

THANK YOU !

We're so pleased to introduce you to the process of SPONSORING a RISING STAR. First, we'll offer a little basic information. Then, we suggest you to take 10 minutes to check out the links we've provided. After you've checked them out, please contact Gabriella

Here is a little basic information to help you get started:

The Rising Stars program was founded to provide our diverse community of highly talented writers with BLACK SUITCASES opportunities to be recognized and rewarded--to open up new avenues for growth and keep the spotlight on much valued writers on W.Com.

We engage the entire community--writers with yellow, blue and purple suitcases-- in the process of locating, SPONSORING and rewarding outstanding writers.

As a Sponsor, your charge will be to search for a talented writer with a black suitcase whose work is articulate and well presented. Finding a writer who touches your heart is a very special plus, but it's also very important that you select a writer who is competent. Think if you can comfortably rate his/her work between 8 and 10, if 10 represents fine writers on W.Com. Be sure to share how your candidate qualifies when you make your nomination. Writers whose work is largely labeled 18+ and violent or primarily sexual in nature will not qualify. The reason for this is we have a number of Rising Stars under age 18 in our group who are charged with reviewing the work of fellow Rising Stars and participating side-by-side in contests and workshops where work submitted must be read by all.

Needless to add, we want all of our Rising Stars to feel up to participating. The quality of his or her work must be on a par with the rest of the work submitted by Rising Stars. If the work is not close to being competitive, this Rising Star won't feel at home participating in our programs. When you recommend a candidate, keep this in mind.

Preliminary Advice:

Be sure to take time to read, review, and enjoy some interaction with your candidate before recommending this writer to our program. It's important that you and your writer have had sufficient contact that you can see you and your candidate are a good match.

We discourage writers with black suitcases from asking a specific individual to serve as their Sponsor. We like to think you'll enjoy making your own selection without being lobbied. It's difficult to step around being asked to sponsor a writer with a black suitcase. If you are approached by a writer, please send the interested writer to the piece we created especially for writers who are interested in our program.

ID: 1212991   (Rated: E) How Rising Stars are Selected  Information on how Rising Stars are selected by Gabriella

One other thought. Angel Army provides an excellent buddy program for new writers in search of mentors to provide support. The Angel Outreach Program is a terrific one. If you're interested, contact iKïyå§ama-R.I.P Whitney H. for further information.

Rising Stars program is structured differently. Our #1 concern is our search for exceptional writers and/or writers with real potential. We hope you'll take the time to develop a meaningful friendship as part of becoming a Sponsor. The effort to locate and select a talented writer requires that you are able to undertake your search independently, allowing a bit of time to read, review and get to know your candidate. Keep in mind: It's tough to put aside a friendship to select an appropriate candidate for our program, but for our program, this is important. For those Sponsors who do not have time to search, we'll provide a list of prospects.

Once you've submitted the name of an appropriate candidate, we'll visit your candidate's portfolio. If we agree your candidate is a great match with our program, we'll issue an invitation to your candidate to join our program as a Rising Star.

Once your Rising Star has been approved, you'll be expected to:

Carry a link to your Rising Star on your "Who's Online" listing.
Select a piece from the writer's portfolio for an awardicon. Send the
item number to Gabriella . We will order the awardicon.
Post a Rising Stars Sponsor's sig in your portfolio.
Post the name of your newest RISING STAR on your bio
ALL RISING STARS SPONSORS are required to REVIEW
JUST 3 PIECES in the portfolios of Rising Stars each month.
You can use this as a way to boost/support the work of your Rising Stars on an ongoing basis.
Be generous. Reward your Rising Star with an awardicon now and then.
Be aware of your Rising Star's progress and important events in his/her
life on and offline.

A SINGLE IMPORTANT OBLIGATION FOR SPONSORS:

This is important. I want to be sure you read and have a chance to fully appreciate the importance of this one obligation you'll have as a SPONSOR in addition to becoming an attentive friend/mentor to your Rising Star. IN ORDER to serve as a RISING STARS SPONSOR during 2010-2011, you must be able to POST JUST 3 REVIEWS of pieces found in the portfolios of our Rising Stars each month in our MEMBER-TO-MEMBER REVIEWING FORUM. Your Rising Star will look to you to set an example. Since this is a new obligation, we will understand if an existing Sponsor should decide he or she can't commit to this obligation. If this is the case, you will not be asked to give up your existing Rising Stars. The obligation to review is linked to requests to adopt Rising Stars going forward in 2010. We love all of our Sponsors and hope you'll decide to stick with us. Your leadership and participation are important to us !

ID: 1303972   (Rated: 13+) It's Our Job To Shine Bright  M2M review forum. Review 3 Stars each month. Win an award! by Gabriella

SPONSOR'S SIGNATURES can be found in the Sponsor's Folder listed below.

Your role:

Can range from the role of mentor, if you should find a writer who is a beginner and/or younger with exceptional potential.

Or you might find a wonderful well established writer, in which case your role might be to establish a strong friendship with your Rising Star--one where you become a much valued supporter and source of encouragement for your Rising Star.

Your sponsorship is ongoing:

YOU MAY ONLY ADOPT ONE Rising Star at a time. This relationship requires that you give quality time to build a relationship that is meaningful. We don't recommend adopting more than one STAR every 6-8 weeks. There are no rules as to how many black suitcases you may adopt over time as long as you're able to CONTINUE BEING SUPPORTIVE AND INTERESTED IN EACH INDIVIDUAL STAR YOU'VE ALREADY ADOPTED.

Do what feels comfortable and take your time. You are adding a great new friend to your list of buddies for whom you become a source of support and encouragement each month. This means being willing to review a few pieces and check in to see how your Rising Star is doing on a monthly basis. Remember, this is a budding friendship.

It's wonderful to see the impact an attentive interested Sponsor can have on an individual writer's sense of Writing.Com as a source of ongoing opportunity for growth. Our goal is to see each writer continue on to write and achieve goals that not long ago seemed out of reach. No writer is an island. Even the most successful writers on W.Com look for and need support to continue writing and improve. There is always a new challenge waiting for each writer over the next hill if we're open to new adventures. An encouraging supportive Sponsor can do a great deal to ensure that a writer's journey is blessed with friendship and encouragement.


Caring for your Rising Star over time::

The staff attempts to visit the portfolios of our Rising Stars often enough to see that each invidividual is receiving reviews and an occasional awardicon. It's very distressing to find a Rising Star whose portfolio has been largely neglected. We (the staff) try to fill in with reviews and ribbons but as the program continues to grow, it becomes tougher for us to cover for all of the Sponsors who have lost interest in and largely forgotten to check in on their Rising Stars. We ask that you give careful thought to sponsoring given our real concern for the long-term care and support of each Star.

When you take on a new Star, take care not to impose too much advice or criticism too quickly. Look to your Rising Star for cues as to how to be supportive. Ask if she/he would like some feedback before imposing it. Be sure to point out what you find that is positive first and foremost when you write up your first set of reviews. Remember, it takes time to build trust and become a valued friend.


What if a Rising Star asks to switch SPONSORS:

As one of Rising Stars' Sponsors we ask you to make every effort to cover all of the important bases if you should decide to leave W.Com. It is important that you notify us and your Rising Star of your plans. It is only under this set of circumstances that we are willing to reassign a Rising Star from one Sponsor to another.

It is inappropriate and, as you can imagine, unfair to a committed Sponsor and the effort you invest in the relationship, for a Rising Star to ask to be switched from one to another Sponsor. You know from having read this, that we ask our Sponsors to think carefully about each decision to take on a Rising Star. This means each Sponsor is not only expected to take the job of friend-making and sponsoring seriously, you are also expected to devote quality time to determine if your candidate is an appropriate match for our program and a likely candidate for you.

As a Sponsor, you will visit your candidate's portfolio, review a few pieces, and enjoy some interaction with your candidate before deciding to make your recommendation for Rising Stars official. The letter of invitation that is sent out to each candidate for our Rising Stars program is designed to honor the Sponsor's commitment and the recommendation you have made. We also ask your candidate to take great care to check out our program and determine whether you (the sponsor) and our program as a whole feel promising and a wonderful match with this individual writer's goals and ambitions. These are important steps, ones that can prevent problems with the relationship with your Rising Star. However, if you receive a request from your Rising Star to switch sponsors, please contactGabriella for help and guidance.


HAVING READ OUR GUIDELINES, ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED ?:

If you're ready to look for a prospect, select a TALENTED WRITER with a black suitcase who has been a member on W.Com for at least 3 months. TAKE THE TIME TO CHECK our list of ACTIVE RISING STARS to be certain your candidate has not already been selected. Once you've cleared that hurdle, send me the user name of your candidate. I'll check his/her portfolio and get back to you.

Or, if you'd prefer, Gabriella can provide a list of prospects for you to consider if you need a little help with this.


Please contact blainecindy if you're interested in taking the first step to Sponsor. Cindy will help you get started.


Warmest best, Gabriella

ID: 1177922   (Rated: E) RISING STARS !   Celebrating and rewarding emerging writers--Enjoy a self-guided tour. by Gabriella

ID: 1213540   (Rated: E) Recommend a Candidate to Rising Stars  We Welcome the Community's Suggestions for Candidates by Gabriella

ID: 1284527   (Rated: E) Sponsors Matched W. Rising Stars  SPONSORS listed with RISING STARS from our founding to the present. by Gabriella

ID: 1329417   (Rated: E) SPONSORS SHOWCASE  A Showcase for Active Rising Stars Sponsors. by Gabriella

ID: 1218003   (Rated: E) Rising Stars' PROUD SPONSORS  Rising Stars Sponsors selected from our founding to the present. by Gabriella

ID: 1774188   (Rated: E) Rising Stars Sponsors Contest Forum  Contest forum for the Rising Stars Sponsors by Gabriella

ID: 1779899   (Rated: E) Rising Stars Sponsors Birthday Forum  A forum for our Rising Stars Sponsors' birthdays by Gabriella

Check your prospect against this list to avoid selecting an already existing Rising Star

ID: 1469266   (Rated: E) Active Rising Stars, 2006-2011  Most up-to-date list of active members by Gabriella