Hi everyone!

This is the Big Secret Project I’ve been working on since September: my own freelance editing and writing coaching business! I know I’ve been teasing about it for a while, but I’ve been reluctant to say much publicly before things were truly ready. And now, it’s Launch Day for…

Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services

So what kinds of services does Heart of the Story offer? Who is the business designed to help? And, what does the business mean for this website? This post will go over all of that. So, without further ado…

What Services Does Heart of the Story Offer for Writers?

At Heart of the Story, I’ll have two areas of focus:

1. Editing: I’ll work with novelists, poets, nonfiction authors, and other storytellers to ensure their manuscripts are well-crafted, compelling, and editorially sound. Whether you’re planning to self-publish your book or want a fresh perspective on a story before querying to agents, I can help through these editing services:
   • Manuscript critiques (big-picture feedback on your work)
   • Developmental editing (manuscript critique, plus structural editing within the manuscript itself)
   • Line editing (focusing on prose)
   • Copy editing (checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage)
   • Proofreading (a final review for typos and minor edits before publishing)
2. Writing / Literary Coaching: Sometimes a writer needs some extra guidance and support on their journey. With my coaching program, we’ll work together on whatever you’re struggling with through weekly calls, creative assignments, and goal-setting to get you on track. The following are just some of the areas where I can help:
   • Confidence-boosting, time management, and accountability
   • Starting (or finishing) that book you’ve been dreaming of writing
   • Brainstorming for your novel’s worldbuilding
   • Holistic ways of dealing with perfectionism and other habits that are getting in the way of your writing

For more details on these services, visit the Editing and Coaching pages at Heart of the Story’s website. There’s also the possibility that I’ll expand on these services in the future.

Oh, and Freebies!

Yes! When you visit Heart of the Story’s homepage, you’ll see an opt-in form for a PDF on confidence-boosting tips and tricks for writers. (You’ll find a similar form for it on the Free For You page.) This PDF is free to anyone who wants it or thinks they can benefit from it. And when you sign up, you’ll also receive regular emails from me (my business newsletter, so to speak) with more writing advice, free worksheets, book recommendations, and other Heart of the Story updates.

To receive the free PDF (and future emails from Heart of the Story), simply enter your name and email address on any of the site’s opt-in forms. Then, after a quick double-confirmation email, you’ll have your gift within minutes. Yay!

What Does This Mean for SaraLetourneauWriter.com?

Eventually I’m hoping to start a blog for Heart of the Story, concentrating on tips on the craft of writing, working with editors and literary coaches, and related topics. (No timetable on this yet.) Between that, the editing and coaching work, my other job, poetry, and life in general…

Yes. Things will slow down on this site over time. And while I’m aware it’s already been taking me longer to respond to comment, reply to emails, and visit friends’ blogs (and I apologize for that, though I’m sure some of you will say there’s no need to), I also know this is the best path going forward.

Getting Heart of the Story up and running has been a LOT of work, from figuring out my services, pricing, and messaging, to building the website and doing the other necessary setup, to nurturing the confidence and courage I’ve needed for this venture. But it’s been well worth the time, effort, and energy I’ve invested so far. And now, if I want my business to succeed (and I do, with every fiber of my being), it’ll need even more of all that from me.

So here’s what I’m thinking about for the future of this site:

• SaraLetourneauWriter.com will become a “static” site, with occasional blog updates on poetry publications, newsworthy bits, and life musings. I have 4 weeks’ worth of blog posts coming up, but I’m not sure of my schedule beyond that yet.
• An Events page will be added, with dates for open mic nights, poetry readings, and conferences I’m planning to attend as Sara the editor or Sara the poet.
• The Worksheets for Writers page will be taken down so I can repurpose the worksheets for Heart of the Story. (Any impacted articles will be updated accordingly.) I haven’t decided whether I’ll make them publicly available for free afterward, but they’ll definitely be available for clients to use.
• I’m also planning some general site modifications. For example, I’ll take down other static pages that aren’t relevant anymore and update any out-of-date static pages and the main navigation menu.
• As of today, I’m no longer accepting blog awards or blog / book tags (with the exception of one fun book tag that should be posting soon).
• I might keep some ongoing blog series, like What’s Making Me Happy and Poetry & Song. (My seasonal reading updates might move to Heart of the Story if/when that blog goes up.) If you’d like to see any of these series continue, please let me know in your comments!
• Unrelated to this site, I’ll continue writing for DIY MFA and occasionally guest-posting at other sites. Any guest posts will focus on writing, editing, reading, and so on.

The point is, I’ll still be around. I just can’t guarantee how much. So even if you do sign up for Heart of the Story emails (and I hope you will!), you’re more than welcome to continue following me here. And you’ll still find me on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. (Facebook… eh. Still undecided about that.)

I hope you understand why I need to make these changes. Most of all, I hope you’re just as excited as I am about this endeavor. Feel free to share the Heart of the Story website link and spread the news to any writers you think might be interested! And if you know a writer who’s looking for an editor or coach, or if you yourself are looking for one… well, you know where to find me. 😉

Click here to visit the Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services website and learn more about its offerings.