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...

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? Anyone who needs a little extra help! This is a great option for writers who don’t need the intensive coaching of a structured package or who can’t commit to a long-term package. This is also perfect for someone who would like professional guidance from the beginning of t...

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. Some Power Hours may not require advance reading, but for those that do, I will read up to 2500 words to prepare for the discussion. Power Hours: $100 Loading…

A Motivational Group for Writers Writing a novel can be a very solitary endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be! Being part of a writing community can help you keep your eye on the prize while offering some much-needed camaraderie. Could you use some support and encouragement to reach your writing goals? Are you having trouble getting started or finding the motivation to finish? Perhaps you’re embarking on the querying or publication process? Or maybe you just need to socialize with peeps who understand the crazy ride you’re on! In this group, we will: • Set goals and share our progress • Celebrate our successes and overcome our setbacks • Identify what’s holding us back and how to move forward • Provide and receive support and encouragement It’s like your very own group of accountability partners, moderated by editor and book coach Jenny Q. Grab a beverage and a fuzzy blanket and join us! It’s FREE! This group meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Duration: 60 minutes Locat...

Myself and the Historical Editorial team offer 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 helpin...