Alexandra McKenzie

Alexandra McKenzie – Editor

Children’s book editor; experience with picture books, early readers, middle grade, and NF

Overview

I am a children’s book editor and former elementary school teacher with a passion for diverse, inclusive, and unique stories. In my day job, evaluate submissions for acquisition, write selling and marketing copy, perform developmental and line editing, and shepherd books through the art process.

Working in traditional publishing, I am quite familiar with what makes a query letter successful and can help you make yours stand out. I specialize in looking at picture books through the lens of finding a successful structure for your story and satisfying emotional arc for your characters through developmental editing. Let me help you find the perfect inroad for children reading your story. When line editing, I help writers find the best way to express their ideas and through copyediting I use a practiced eye to comb the manuscript for any grammar issues. Let me help you polish your words until they shine. Together we can get your book submission-ready!

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Charlesbridge Publishing

Apr, 2024 — Present

EdSights

Oct, 2022 — Apr, 2024 (over 1 year)

Charlesbridge Publishing

Jan, 2022 — Sep, 2022 (8 months)

Charlesbridge Publishing

Apr, 2020 — Jan, 2022 (almost 2 years)

HMH

Nov, 2019 — Mar, 2020 (4 months)

Boston Renaissance Charter Public School

May, 2017 — Jun, 2018 (about 1 year)

Boston Renaissance Charter Public School

Aug, 2016 — Jun, 2019 (almost 3 years)

Portfolio

Whose Egg Is That? (Whose Is THAT?)

Lunde, Darrin

Monster vs. Boy

Krossing, Karen

Leo, Rise and Shine! (Leo Can!)

McQuinn, Anna

Leo, Sleep Tight! (Leo Can!)

McQuinn, Anna

On Friday Afternoon: A Shabbat Celebration

Babay, Michal

Charlesbridge

I Heard: An American Journey

Avery, Jaha Nailah

Charlesbridge

Hands-On Science: Matter

Schaefer, Lola M.

Lola's Nana-Bibi Comes to Visit (Lola Reads)

McQuinn, Anna

Not A Monster

Martínez, Claudia Guadalupe

The Other Pandemic: An AIDS Memoir

Curlee, Lynn

Leo at the Park (Leo Can!)

McQuinn, Anna

April & Mae and the Movie Night: The Saturday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Sleepover: The Friday Book (Every Day with April & Mae 6)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Animal Shelter: The Thursday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Talent Show: The Wednesday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Soccer Match: The Tuesday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Book Club Cake: The Monday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

April & Mae and the Tea Party: The Sunday Book (Every Day with April & Mae)

Lambert, Megan Dowd

Show and Tell! Great Graphs and Smart Charts: An Introduction to Infographics

Murphy, Stuart

Picture Day Jitters (The Jitters Series)

Danneberg, Julie

Brand-New Bubbe

Aronson, Sarah

Lola Sleeps Over (Lola Reads)

McQuinn, Anna

Valentine's Day Jitters (The Jitters Series)

Danneberg, Julie

Smitten With Kittens

Minor, Florence

Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom

Babay, Michal

Alexandra has 22 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Elizabeth G.

Elizabeth G.

Jun, 2023

Pinned
This was my second critique with Alex and she is tremendous and extremely gracious! She provides a thoughtful and applicable critique with savvy attention to detail that only an editor's eye would see. She not only provides a thorough written critique but a story map to see how your story might be paginated. I HIGHLY recommend her!
Elana A.

Elana A.

Jul, 2022

Pinned
Alexandra was great to work with! There was excellent communication during the whole process, and she even submitted the finished assessment early :) I received super helpful (and creative!) notes that have already helped me improve my picture book. She even made a (quite nifty) book map to help me see the flow of the story, and it’s something that will come in handy for other picture book p...
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Cathy B.

Cathy B.

May, 2022

Pinned
Alexandra is a dream editor to work with. I was truly blown away by the amount of insightful feedback she provided to me on my story. I have never been so excited to jump into revisions! Her input was exactly what my story needed to take it to the next level. Not only did she provide valuable suggestions, but she also took the time to paginate the story which allowed me to see how the story ...
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Ed B.

Ed B.

Apr, 2024

Alex always does a great job editing each book in our series about Tripp the Tumbleweed. In addition to addressing grammatical+ issues, she provides great insight into the story and character development. I highly recommend her services!
Casey E.

Casey E.

Mar, 2024

As a first-time writer of a children’s book, I felt like Alexandra provided me with the guidance and expertise I needed to elevate my story and point out where improvements could be made. She was very professional throughout the editing process and was able to meet a tough deadline at short notice!

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