Caileigh Marshall
Author Mentorship - 6 Weeks of Coaching
Caileigh Marshall (she/her) is a historical romance writer and is writing a sapphic historical romance about Marie Antoinette.
Before working with us, Caileigh was receiving full manuscript requests from agents, but they ultimately passed, noting that the story wasn’t moving quickly enough. She knew her novel needed developmental editing but wasn’t sure if a writing coach was the right fit.
During our time together, we worked through multiple rounds of revision, focusing on turning her historical fiction into a historical romance, and explored character wounds, setting descriptions, interiority, and structure. Along the way, she also gained support in preparing for agent meetings and navigating a literary agency contract.
In the end, Caileigh didn’t just walk away with a stronger manuscript—she signed with a literary agent! She also developed a structured approach to revision that she can apply to future projects. She embraced the iterative nature of writing, broke through storytelling challenges, and gained confidence in both her craft and the publishing process.
Caileigh is represented by Matthew Valdez at Megibow Literary Agency.
Caileigh’s Feedback
What specific results did you experience from working with me?
I was able to replot my story from a historical fiction to historical romance, acquire an agent, improve my writing style (while understanding my writing quirks), and brainstorm a sequel novel.
What doubts did you have before hiring me?
I wasn't sure if I needed a writing "coach," but I knew that my story needed developmental edits based on feedback from agents who passed after reading the full manuscript. Working with Tiffany, I was able to go through multiple edits of my story and get immediate feedback to improve my writing style, which would not have happened with other developmental editors.
What did you like best about the experience of working with me?
I felt *so* supported. Tiffany provided tons of resources and examples on how I could improve my writing and this particular story. If I had any doubts between meetings, then I could easily get validation or suggestions to keep me from getting stuck.
What is important for others to know about author mentorship?
Tiffany can only provide feedback if you do the work. I committed to prioritizing my edits over other tasks, because I wanted to get the most out of our sessions.
How is your writing/writing process now, compared to when we started working together?
I now embrace the iterative process of writing, focusing on different pieces of the story with each pass. With my replot, I focused on the big plot points first, and then the next pass through focused on emotions, setting, character descriptions, etc. It's impossible to get it all perfect in one go.
What specifically did you walk away with after our time together?
A better understanding of writing fundamentals (character wounds, setting descriptions, interiority/emotion, chapter structure).
What part of the process was most difficult for you, and how could I have helped to make it easier?
Adding more emotions to my story, but I got better at it with additional examples from already published books.
Were you pleasantly surprised by any aspect of working together?
Yes! Tiffany helped me prep for a meeting with a potential agent and then provided guidance while I considered a literary agency contract. I felt much more confident in that process with Tiffany by my side.
“I wasn’t sure if I needed a writing coach, but I knew my story needed developmental edits. Working with Tiffany, I got immediate feedback and improved my writing style—something that wouldn’t have happened with other developmental editors.”
-Caileigh Marshall
BROWSE MORE CASE STUDIES
