Anna Membrino

Anna Membrino – Editor

Children's book editor and author with 10 years' experience at Random House Children's Books and Scholastic. Editor of a #1 NYT bestseller.

Overview

I am a children's book editor and author with over ten years' experience in publishing. I have worked at Random House Children's Books and Scholastic (both in Book Clubs and in their Trade division with Cartwheel & Orchard Books), and am the editor of #1 New York Times bestselling picture book GRUMPY MONKEY.


I specialize in picture books and early readers, and excel at developing stories with picture book illustrators who are new to writing. I love to collaborate in service of an author or illustrator's story, and I find it immensely gratifying to help people clearly express their narratives.


I have a keen sense of what works in the children's book market, and can offer direction with regard to what acquiring editors are seeking, what areas of publishing are saturated, and more.


Also, I "get" humor :) I have lots of experience editing comedy professionals, and enjoy sharpening/pushing manuscripts so that jokes land precisely and well. Wow I make funny writing sound fun.

Services
Fiction
Picture Books
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Freelance Consulting

Feb, 2020 — Present

I review manuscripts and provide editorial letters for clients looking to develop new projects or polish books prior to submission.

Scholastic

Feb, 2019 — Feb, 2020 (about 1 year)

I edited a full list of board books and picture books, stewarding them from acquisition to publication.

Random House Children's Books

Jan, 2013 — Jan, 2019 (about 6 years)

I developed picture book projects with new-to-publishing creators, supported editors in editing their premiere authors and illustrators, and edited my own list of picture books, board books, and early readers.

Scholastic

Jun, 2011 — Dec, 2012 (over 1 year)

I reviewed books from every publishing house to determine whether they would be featured in the Scholastic Book Club catalogs.

Portfolio

Grumpy Monkey

Suzanne Lang

The hilarious #1 New York Times bestselling picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings...and the danger in suppressing them.Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reaso... read more
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Bedtime Bonnet

Redd, Nancy

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Fire Engine No. 9

Austin, Mike

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
*A 2018 Children's and Teen Choice Book Award Finalist!A mouse who acts as a careful custodian of his book tries to guarantee his reader some peace and order in spite of escalating chaos. For ... read more
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Big Boys Cry

Jonty Howley

Let boys cry! This picture book imagines a world in which boys are encouraged to express their full range of emotions.It's Levi's first day at a new school, and he's scared. His father tries t... read more
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
From Cirocco Dunlap (This Book Will Not Be Fun) and Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Greg Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed) comes a charming, giggly read-aloud that illustrates the particular art... read more
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment

Anna has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jenny M.

Jenny M.

Oct, 2024

Anna is one of the best editors I've worked with. I can't recommend her enough! She is so insightful and gave me fabulous suggestions on both my query letter and manuscript. Working with her has brought my picture book to the next level. She is a pro and understands the market inside and out. She suggested great comp titles and helped me craft my query in ways that make it a stronger submission...
Read more
Daniel H.

Daniel H.

May, 2024

Anna was extremely helpful and professional. She helped me elevate my story, and I learned a lot along the way. She was always patient and helpful with my amateurish inquiries, and I’m forever thankful to her for her enthusiasm about my book. Highly recommended!

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