Dr Aimee Blackledge (DPhil, University of Oxford)
HISTORICAL FICTION CONSULTANT, AUTHOR & ART HISTORIAN
Historical Accuracy for Writers Who Refuse to Get it Wrong
I help agented and querying authors bring Early Modern Europe to life with the scholarly precision of an academic and the instincts of a historical fiction novelist.
SPECIALISING IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE, 1500–1800
NEW
New to my services? Request a Period Eye Historical Assessment
I offer a complimentary 2,000-word historical assessment to writers considering working with me. If you'd like to see my work before you commit, the Period Eye Assessment is the place to start. Click the button below to learn more.
Writing Historical Fiction Means Recreating an Entire World that No Longer Exists
The texture of voided velvet against skin · the acrid scent of a tannery · the precise weight of a gold coin pressed into a palm · the exact colour of a tulip so rare it ruined men · the social hierarchies and unspoken rules we no longer recognise
THE PROBLEM
Nothing breaks immersion faster than a detail that doesn't belong
You're a writer, not a historian. Your job is to tell a compelling story—and you're already doing that. But readers of historical fiction are often deeply knowledgeable. When a candle is made from the wrong material, a word used that didn't exist yet, or a ceremony performed inaccurately, they’ll notice.
Details matter. But getting those details right is time-consuming, technically demanding, and easily overlooked, especially when historical research isn't your primary discipline.
That's the problem I solve
YOUR GUIDE
I know the problem from both sides
As a historical fiction writer, I know the anxiety of getting a detail wrong in the eyes of a knowledgeable reader—and as an Oxford-trained art historian specialising in material culture, I know exactly how to fix those problems.
I work with agented authors preparing for submission and writers dedicated to the querying process—writers for whom historical accuracy is non-negotiable.
My specialism is the world your characters inhabit: the objects they touch, the clothes they wear, the rooms they move through, the hierarchies they navigate. I bring scholarly precision and a novelist's instinct to every manuscript I read.
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Get it right, and your readers,
including the ones who know,
will feel it.
Your manuscript will carry the authority that agents, editors, and readers recognise, even when they can't quite recognise why. Get it wrong, and they'll not only notice but also remember. A single anachronism can undermine years of careful work.
You've written the story. Let me make sure your world reads and feels real.
Here's What Working with Me Looks Like
Book a consultation or manuscript service. I’ll ask you a few simple questions about your manuscript to help me understand your needs.
01. Book a Service
I'll read your manuscript with a historian's eye and a novelist's instinct, working to the agreed turnaround.
02. Work Begins
You'll receive your assessment or annotated manuscript, followed by a Zoom debrief and ongoing email support while you revise.
03. Delivery
My Services at a Glance
MOST POPULAR
01
Manuscript Vibe Check
A clear, candid assessment of the first 30,000 words. Discover whether your historical details feel real and where the cracks are showing.
£ 295
FLAT RATE · 4-WEEK TURNAROUND
02
Consultations
A historian on call for specific questions, world-building, or ongoing support. Single sessions or a flexible retainer block is available.
From £120
PER SESSION · 3-HOUR BLOCKS AVAILABLE
03
Authenticity Report
A comprehensive roadmap for revising your complete manuscript's historical plausibility. Up to 100,000 words.
From £420
£0.007 PER WORD • 5–6 WEEK TURNAROUND
04
Full Manuscript Annotations
Line-by-line margin comments. This service ensures any anachronisms are caught before they ever reach your readers.
From £600
£0.01 PER WORD • 7–8 WEEK TURNAROUND
01
MOST POPULAR • ENTRY POINT
Manuscript Vibe Check
Is your historical world convincing? Before investing in deeper editing, discover whether your historical details feel real and where the cracks are showing. I’ll read the first 30,000 words of your manuscript and deliver a clear, candid assessment on historical accuracy and major anachronisms.
Assessment of the first 30,000 words
5-10 page written assessment on historical atmosphere, consistency, and anachronisms
Specific suggestions for improving historical depth
Covers eight categories:
Language & Dialogue
The Material World & Objects
Fashion & Dress
Architecture & Interior Space
Social Hierarchy & Class
Occupation & Daily Life
Ritual, Religion & Ceremony
Sensory & Atmospheric Detail
Where The Period Eye goes deep on a single category in one scene, the Vibe Check takes the wider view — reading across eight categories in the first 30,000 words to give you a strategic picture of your manuscript's historical authority before it leaves your hands.
Need support beyond your manuscript opening? Or, as you continue writing and revising? You may wish to consider the Manuscript Vibe Check and a 3-Hour Consultation Block Bundle, which gives you three hours of flexible consultancy to use as you revise, available as Zoom sessions or email, with no expiry date.
TURNAROUND: 4 WEEKSFLAT RATE
£ 295
Early drafts and completed manuscripts are equally welcome.
02
FLEXIBLE • ON DEMAND
Consultations
For specific questions, world-building sessions, or ongoing support while you draft. Think of it as having a historian and researcher on call, available when you need a precise answer without commissioning a full assessment.
60-minute Zoom consultation with follow-up email
5–10 visual references or primary sources included
Covers eight categories:
Language & Dialogue
The Material World & Objects
Fashion & Dress
Architecture & Interior Space
Social Hierarchy & Class
Occupation & Daily Life
Ritual, Religion & Ceremony
Sensory & Atmospheric Detail
Retainer block available: 3 hours to use as needed, including Zoom calls and email consultations. Also, includes 10–20 visual references and/or primary sources
If you want to continue the conversation after your single session, I offer a 15% discount on a 3-hour block.
SINGLE SESSION
£120
60-minute Zoom + follow-up email with visual references
BEST VALUE
HISTORIAN ON RETAINER • SUPPORT AS YOU WRITE
£225
A block of 3 hours to use whenever you need—no expiry. Once purchased, you’ll be able to book your first session at a time that suits you, no pressure.
Getting Started with Consultations is Easy
01. Book or Enquire
Book a Single Session, 3-Hour Block, or get in touch if you'd like to discuss your needs first.
02. Fill in a Form
I'll send you a brief form to complete before our session so we can make the most of our time together.
03. We Meet
A focused 60-minute Zoom session on your specific questions or whatever your manuscript needs.
04. Follow Up
You'll receive an email with visual references and primary sources to explore and use in your revisions.
Looking for support while you revise?
The Manuscript Vibe Check & 3-Hour Consultation Block Bundle
Save over £100
The Manuscript Vibe Check tells you exactly where your historical world needs attention. The Three-Hour Consultation Block gives you support and a historian on call to work through it.
Together, they take you from identifying what needs attention to revision, with the same specialist eye at every stage.
What's included:
· Manuscript Vibe Check: a full assessment of the first 30,000 words across eight categories, with a historical scorecard, annotations, priorities for revision, and a curated bibliography
· Three-Hour Consultation Block: three hours of flexible consultancy to use as you revise, available as Zoom sessions or email, with no expiry date
You can use your three hours to work through the priorities identified in your Vibe Check report and beyond.
£ 415
Purchased separately: £520 · Bundle price: £415 · Saving: £105
03
MANUSCRIPT REPORT FOR SELF-REVISION
Manuscript Authenticity Report
A comprehensive overview of your complete manuscript’s historical plausibility. You’ll receive a detailed report that gives you a steer on how to revise and strengthen your manuscript. I’ll provide you with a roadmap of what needs attention and why, so you can easily revise your manuscript. You will also be able to ask me follow-up questions via Zoom and email me for further advice.
Full manuscript read (up to 100,000 words)
5–10 page report
Covers eight categories:
Language & Dialogue
The Material World & Objects
Fashion & Dress
Architecture & Interior Space
Social Hierarchy & Class
Occupation & Daily Life
Ritual, Religion & Ceremony
Sensory & Atmospheric Detail
Flags anachronisms and highlights what is working well
30-minute Zoom debrief + email follow-up
TURNAROUND: 5-6 WEEKSFEE PER WORD
£0.007
Estimate your fee
Select your word count below
Select a word count to see your estimate
Estimated fee
Your manuscript exceeds 100,000 words. Please get in touch for a bespoke quote.
All fees are estimates; final pricing confirmed on enquiry. A 50% deposit is required to secure your slot.
04
PREMIUM • LINE-BY-LINE ASSESSMENT
Full Manuscript Annotations
The most thorough service I offer. I work through your entire manuscript in Word, leaving specific margin comments on historical details—the medicine that did not yet exist, the ceremony performed incorrectly, the coin of the wrong reign. This service ensures any anachronisms are caught before they ever reach your readers. You will also be able to ask me follow-up questions via Zoom and email me for further advice.
Line-by-line annotation via Comments in Word
Covers eight categories:
Language & Dialogue
The Material World & Objects
Fashion & Dress
Architecture & Interior Space
Social Hierarchy & Class
Occupation & Daily Life
Ritual, Religion & Ceremony
Sensory & Atmospheric Detail
Summary report included
60-minute Zoom debrief + email follow-up
TURNAROUND: 7-8 WEEKSFEE PER WORD
£0.01
Estimate your fee
Select your word count below
Select a word count to see your estimate
All fees are estimates; final pricing confirmed on enquiry. A 50% deposit is required to secure your slot.
Your Questions, Answered
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My specialism is the Early Modern period (1500–1800) in Europe, with particular expertise in material culture, visual literacy, and the sensory and social world of the period. I'm happy to discuss adjacent eras on enquiry.
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Yes. If you have at least 30,000 words drafted, the Manuscript Vibe Check is a great starting point. For ongoing support throughout the drafting process, the Three-Hour Retainer Block lets you dip in and out as you need me
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Yes, please get in touch.
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If you're unsure, get in touch. I'm happy to have a brief email conversation about your manuscript and where you are in the process before you commit to anything.
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No, never. Developing as a writer is one of the greatest gifts in life. Why would anyone hand the fun part over to a machine? I feel the same way about research; it’s the best part of what I do!
That’s why I have a strict AI policy. I do not use it. I will never feed your work into AI software or use websites that use AI to assess your files.
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If you are interested in my services, but your manuscript is over 100,000 words, please get in touch with me for a quote.
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Yes, rush turnarounds are available depending on my current schedule. Please get in touch for availability and a quote.
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I treat every manuscript I receive as strictly confidential and therefore, use Dropbox to share files with clients.
Your security is important to me; that’s why I delete your files after you have received your feedback and attended your consultation session. It’s just one less thing to worry about.
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When you commission me for a Manuscript Report or Full Annotations, I'll send an invoice for 50% of the agreed fee to secure your slot. Once your assessment is complete, I'll invoice the remaining 50%. On receipt of the final payment, I'll share your report or annotated manuscript and arrange a Zoom debrief at a time that suits you.
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I use Squarespace's secure payment processor, which accepts all major debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and more.
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Yes. Squarespace offers Klarna as a payment option. You can opt for Klarna Installments and pay in three or four interest-free payments.
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You can reach me anytime via my contact page or email. I aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
Ready to Make Your Historical World
Feel Real?
Get in touch, and we can find the best fit for your manuscript and budget. All projects begin with a brief email conversation.