Heartwood Policies and faqs

General policies genres considered I am a fiction editor, so please do not send me nonfiction articles, manuscripts, or memoirs. Of the following genres, I work in middle grade, young adult, new adult, and adult. I am willing to consider select picture book or chapter book projects. Discounts FAQs Q: BUT JESS! Can’t I just […]

Heartwood Editing services

Developmental A developmental edit includes reading and assessing your materials in light of your goals, then suggesting methods, techniques, and possible changes to elevate your work to better match your vision. This level of edits is best for projects in their early drafts before undertaking revisions, or for projects that have been through multiple revisions […]

Deep Prose and Clear Voice

(pulled from a note to a CP) My main focus for vocal depth is finding places that need a boost to elevate the prose from (blocking and action) to “literature.” Not just facts, but poetry. The first layer is “What’s a cooler/more interesting way to X…?” Second layer is “What’s a way to tie this […]

Character Connection Tools & Exercises

Quick and dirty trick is REGULARLY pair a show with a tell, to clue the reader into why and what XYZ means.
This is REALLY helpful if you’re ND like me, and your/your characters’ reasons for doing things aren’t the same as neurotypical people/characters expect.

Critique Partner Horror Stories: Red Flags & Relationship Ruins

It’s emotionally risky, this writing business, so please respect your time, protect your energy, and cherish those CPs you hope to keep.

Boundaries & Benefits: Crafting with Critique Partners (AuthorToolbox)

Writing is hard, but it shouldn’t be lonely. From idea creation to final product, input from critique partners is priceless.

5 Things To Do Before You Beta Your Book #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

I believe in the beta process the way toddlers believe in Bandaids. Betas make books better, and better books make happier readers who read more books. But what you get out of your beta, and where your story goes in revision, is up to you, not your readers.

When Losing Feels Like Winning #authortoolbox

Even if I tried to quit or take a break, it would hurt too, plus I’d fail, because . . .

I love it too much.

Doing BETA Better

Now that I’ve had some minor successes with my beta swap model, I’m ready to bring it back online and share the process. My Role Play – Beta Swap. By role-playing as agents, publishers, and editors, we learn something in play that we learn otherwise only by making publishing mistakes. Most new writers make these mistakes, and […]