Want to take your writing to the next level?

A limited-time opportunity for personalised feedback

Feedback.

We either love it or we hate it, right?

Here at the Society of History Writers we are all about helping each other on our history writing journeys. That’s why for 2025 I’m offering members the opportunity to receive personalised feedback on a piece of your history writing, up to 3,000 words.

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Why choose me?

I am currently studying for a DPhil in Archaeology at the University of Oxford and my academic background is in History. I’ve also been assistant head teacher of a large London primary school with oversight of English and inclusion.

I host two history-focused newsletters on Substack with a combined worldwide readership of 1.8k+. You can read more of my own writing, on

Medieval Musings

, at the links below.

• ‘Her Story Begins’. Hild’s Tale: A Novel, instalment

• Powerful Stories Hidden Within Place Names

• The Truth About Medieval Masculinity

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What feedback will I offer?

It will vary from person to person, but when reading I will start with the following questions:

• Does the piece flow well? If not, what is getting in the way of that flow?

• Is it pacy, drawing the reader on?

• Is there a good underpinning of historical research?

• For non-fiction pieces, is the argument grounded in reliable evidence?

• For fiction pieces, how sophisticated is character and plot development? Does each section build well?

Please note that I am not a professional editor and this service does not replace professional manuscript editing services.

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Who can submit their writing?

It’s worth saying at this point that this is a paid member perk.

Wait! Don’t run away just yet!

Let me explain why.

If I’m offering feedback, I want to take the time to make sure it’s good feedback that will help you achieve your writing goals. I can’t do this if everyone submits their writing; I’d have close to 1,000 pieces to read and respond to!

I’m not sure what a comparable service off Substack would cost. Courses offering general writing advice tend to be in the region of £200-£300 (US$243-$365), and I was once offered a 1:1 coaching session for £400 (US$487)!

I am offering this feedback for the monthly cost of £8 (about US$9.70) or an annual payment of £80 (about US$97.35). I’d love you to join the community fully with an annual membership (

Elin Petronella

has written a great article HERE on how annual subscriptions help writers better than monthly subscriptions). But, of course, you can also sign up for a month, get your feedback, and then decide if you want to hang around for longer!

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How does it work?

1. Choose a piece of writing that you would like feedback on that is:

   1. 3,000 words or less

   2. in English

   3. your own work

   4. non-fiction history or historical fiction

2. Create a word document and clearly label it with your name, Substack handle (e.g., @hollyabrown ), an email address, and the word count.

3. Submit it via the link below.

That’s it!

I aim to return all writing samples within four weeks of submission and will close the link permanently on Tuesday 25th February 2025. There will be three more opportunities for writing feedback in 2025.

Only one piece per writer will be accepted in each submission window.

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Are you ready to make 2025 your best writing year yet?

Submit your writing below!