Historical Fiction Book Coach

"Every author needs a Jenny in their life..." ~Anna Belfrage, seven-time Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice recipient  When I first started offering my services as an editor, there were very few independent editors specializing in historical fiction. Fast-forward a dozen years and authors have more choices. Which is a good thing. The publishing industry can always use another good editor. But there are not as many book coaches dedicated to historical fiction, and if your coach is not an expert in your genre, you may not be getting appropriate guidance. In my opinion, historical fiction is the hardest genre to write. Not only do you have to craft a compelling story with engaging characters, but you have to do mountains of research to bring a time period to life, you have to constantly fact-check yourself, and you have to walk a fine line between having your characters stay true to their time period while also appealing to modern sensibilities. Historical fiction is m...

Get professional feedback on your first pages from Jenny Q!  Whether you’re just starting your WIP or you’ve completed multiple drafts, let's make sure your story is off to a great start. Your opening pages have only one job: to make the reader want to keep reading. And there’s actually no one right way to do this. There are countless books, articles, and classes on the topic, and all of them offer valuable advice in some form or another. But there are some universal elements that every good story opener possesses. I will help you ensure your opening has them. I will read and evaluate up to 30 pages of your story’s opening (industry standard formatting), providing comments on the text, a brief summary of your opening’s strengths and weaknesses, and my suggestions for improvement.     I'll be focusing on: Structure Point of View Pacing Backstory and description Characterization Engaging the reader Follow-up discussions will take place via email. In the event that more...

  Get professional help on your outline from Jenny Q!  Whether you’re a seasoned plotter or you're making the transition from pantser, ensuring your outline is solid before you begin writing or revising a first draft can save you hundreds of hours of time and frustration and give you the motivation to keep going. What to expect: I'll review your outline before we meet and form my preliminary questions and concerns. Then we will meet via Zoom to go through your outline scene by scene, making notes as we go along. The workshop will be recorded for future reference. In this one-on-one workshop, we'll be focusing on: Cause and effect Flow and pacing Plot holes Redundancy Extraneous scenes Character motivation Character arc integration Subplot integration This service is available to writers of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and fantasy, including all of their subgenres. Price: $375 Need a little more help? The  Kickstarter Combo  includes a Story Outline Workshop ...

Being an effective coach is about what I can do for you, and that is different for each author. Maybe you'd like a coach in your corner as you write a novel from beginning to end. Or maybe you only need help with a portion of your manuscript, like a rough opening, a sagging middle, or a lackluster ending, or maybe you need help working out a subplot or a character arc. A Coaching Your Way package puts me at your disposal one month at a time. Over the course of that month, I’ll read up to 10,000 words and we’ll have two video chats or phone calls, plus I’m always available for email communications. We’ll work on whatever you want to work on. There’s no long-term commitment. Who could benefit from Coaching Your Way? This is perfect for someone who would like professional guidance from the beginning of the novel-writing process to the end. Write your novel faster and smarter with structured goals and editorial support at every step. Your first draft will read more like a third or four...

  Your story matters. Your writing deserves time. You’re allowed to invest in yourself. The Confident Writer Collective is a structured, supportive space for writers who are ready to establish a consistent, intentional writing practice that actually lasts. Through daily writing sprints, weekly challenges, and genuine community connection, you’ll stop writing alone and start showing up with clarity and confidence. Twice a month, you’ll join live group coaching sessions where you’ll get mindset support and craft guidance—so you’re not just writing more, you’re growing as a writer. This isn’t about hustle or pressure. It’s about momentum, gentle accountability, and becoming the kind of writer who finishes what they start. Join a group of awesome writers who understand that:   Rough drafts are normal Starting over isn’t shameful Progress counts even when it’s messy It’s safe to be imperfect It’s okay when life sometimes gets in the way Showing up is what counts the most Space is l...

Check out my new book for writers!  If you're a writer who has ever struggled with doubt, envy, or discouragement, if you ever have days when you feel like you're not good enough and you think about giving up, I wrote this book for you. It's full of affirmations and motivational tips that will instantly boost your mood, shore up your confidence, and remind you that your voice matters. The ebook and print editions are on sale now, and it's FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited!  Amazon An instant mood boost for writers! Every writer has moments of doubt—we see other writers making it look easy, and we get jealous. We see other writers hitting the big-time, and we think that will never happen for us. We see another writer working on a story very similar to ours, and we get discouraged. And, worst of all, we wonder if anyone will want to read what we’re writing or if we’re just wasting our time. If any of this sounds familiar, The Writer’s Little Book of Self-Confidence is here...

Just need some advice? Let’s put our heads together during a Power Hour! Stuck on a scene? Written yourself into a corner? Characters aren’t speaking to you? Can’t quite put your finger on where you’ve gone wrong? I love to brainstorm story problems and help find solutions. I’m also happy to talk concept, market strategy, navigating paths to publication, and how to get started. Power Hours are 60-minute personalized discussions where we can talk about anything you’d like related to writing and publishing. When required, I will read up to 2500 words in preparation for our discussion. Power Hours: $100 Loading…

The Historical Editorial team offers stand-alone copyediting and developmental editing services for authors who don't need the comprehensive guidance of coaching. We have over 40 years of combined editing experience and have helped hundreds of authors achieve their publishing goals. Some of us are published authors ourselves. But at heart, we are first and foremost readers, and readers of historical fiction in particular. We keep up-to-date on new releases and trends in the genre, and chances are you've already run into us in online historical fiction groups and at industry events. All of this means that we have the genre insight to help guide your book to success. From concept, writing style, and story structure to comp titles and market positioning, we're always thinking about how to help you not only make your book the best it can be, but to help give it the best shot at success in the marketplace. So many thanks to Historical Editorial for the hard work helping me get m...