Historical Fiction Book Coach

"Every author needs a Jenny in their life..." ~Anna Belfrage, seven-time Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice recipient  My clients range from New York Times bestselling authors to brand-new writers just starting out. Here are just a few of my clients' achievements: Goodreads Choice Award Finalist 12 Historical Novels Review Editors' Choice Awards Barnes & Noble Top Indie Pick Historical Fiction Company Book of the Year IndieBrag and Readers' Favorite Awards Chanticleer Book Awards Numerous regional and state writing awards 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 guida...

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 to discuss those pages. 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 fourth draft and will likely only...

Finish Your Novel in One Year! This is an exclusive 1:1 coaching experience for writers ready to complete a market-ready novel with expert guidance, accountability, emotional support, and personalized strategy in 12 months. This program includes:  a preliminary coaching session to discuss objectives, determine goals, and create your customized personal strategy an outlining workshop to create a solid story structure weekly accountability and mindset check-ins up to 10,000 words per month evaluated 2 coaching calls per month via Zoom unlimited email support a developmental edit on the finished draft a copyedit on the final draft synopsis and query letter assistance if seeking traditional publication blurb and packaging assistance if self-publishing Click here to learn more

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: $400 Need a little more help? The  Kickstarter Combo  includes a Story Outline Workshop ...

Check out my debut 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! Get Your Copy on Amazon 97% of people who start writing a book never finish it. But you’re not going to be one of them. Stop doubting yourself and write the story you were always meant to write. As an editor and book coach, I know the challenges writers face. I know what it feels like to be overcome by self-doubt, to struggle to make writing a priority, to fall victim to limiting beliefs, excuses, envy, and the fear of rejection. I know what it’s like to feel stuck, discouraged, and, worst of all, to...

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...