ABOUT JENNY Q

Hey, y'all! I'm Jennifer Quinlan (aka Jenny Q), independent editor and cover designer specializing in historical fiction.

Design has long been a hobby of mine. I started out scrapbooking and received so many compliments on my layouts that I decided to try my hand at digital design. In recent years, I have been able to pursue it professionally, collaborating on award-winning print and online advertising campaigns for my hometown daily newspaper and creating promotional materials for the fastest-growing real estate company in Virginia. Now I've combined my years of advertising and marketing experience with my love of visual art and my love of books to offer my services to independent authors.

Never judge a book by its cover? Yeah, right! The truth is that readers judge books by their covers every day. You've worked hard to craft your book, and you've got a lot of marketing and promotion ahead of you. Give yourself a leg up with an eye-catching cover that captures the theme and tone of your story and entices readers to click on it or pick it up from the shelf.

My goal is first and foremost this: To create covers that look just as professional as any of those coming from the big five publishers today. I do that by paying attention to cover trends and examining the covers of bestsellers to make sure I'm designing covers crafted to sell. I like to design covers that give an impression of the story within and aren't necessarily an exact literal interpretation. I aim to catch the reader's eye with an impact image that combines with title and font to intrigue the reader enough to check out what's behind the cover.

My specialty is historical fiction covers, simply because I spend so much time in the genre, but I'll take on any cover project if I think I can deliver what the client wants. My rates are affordable and are based on the complexity of the composition, the cost of artwork, and the design hours required. Send me an email for a free consultation and estimate: jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

But I'm not only a cover designer, I'm also an editor! I hear people say it's not possible for one person to provide top-notch service in more than one area, but I reject that notion. I am a very visual person, and design satisfies my need for creating eye candy, while editing satisfies my need to create worlds with words. I am not a writer, but I love being part of the collaborative process of shaping and polishing a story as an editor.

I edit across all subgenres of historical fiction including romance, mystery, inspirational, fantasy, supernatural, time travel, steampunk, gay/lesbian, and young adult. I also enjoy working with traditional fantasy and paranormal and contemporary romance. Learn more about my services and read testimonials from my clients on my editing website, Historical Editorial.

I hold a B.A. in history from Virginia Tech and a copyediting certification from UCSD. I am a voracious reader with an analytical mind, an eye for detail, and a passion for historical fiction and good books in general. I maintain a book review blog for historical fiction, fantasy, and romance, Let Them Read Books, I review new releases for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and TLC Book Tours, and I'm an Amazon Vine Voice. I moderate the American Historical Fiction Group on Goodreads, I am a member of the Historical Novel Society, and I closely follow news and trends in the industry. My education in history is well-rounded and ongoing, and I am confident editing across all time periods, but I have concentrated knowledge from my studies in Colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil War America.

When I'm not working, I like to have fun! My husband is a fellow history buff--he's a Civil War reenactor and a relic hunter--and we love to travel throughout the southeastern US, visiting historic sites, having some fun in the sun, and eating good food! My hobbies include photography, gardening, observing nature and wildlife, hanging out at the pool with my large family, and of course, reading. I am a farmer's daughter--my dad raises Black Angus beef cattle--and I was raised with goats and pigs and chickens too. I like to visit a city from time to time, but my heart belongs to the country. I love country music, football, dogs, and big trucks, and my nose is perennially stuck in a book!

Contact me anytime to chat about your project: jennyq@historicaleditorial.com



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