Brooke Vitale – Editor

I have spent the past fifteen years working as a children’s book editor. There is nothing I love more than diving into a manuscript and helping to pull out all its potential. I believe in collaboration, but also brutal honesty. Too often as an author it is difficult to see where a story is not being true to itself. That’s where I come in. It's my job to tease out the scenes that are good and help you to make them great. To find the moments that aren't quite working and figure out how to turn them into the strongest scenes in the story. Together, we can shape your book into what you always dreamed it would be.

I began my career at Sterling Publishing, working primarily on nonfiction titles. Although I thought I wanted to be in fiction, I found that I loved the challenge of nonfiction. Helping to explain sometimes complex subject matter in a way children could understand and finding a new angle on content that had often been covered more than once was exciting, and I loved learning from my authors as I developed their books. Today I know more about the solar system, the ghosts haunting the White House, and how to start a successful babysitting company than I ever dreamed I would!

Following a new career opportunity, I moved from Sterling to Penguin. With the move came a change in the types of books I edited, and I began to work on picture books and middle grade fiction, as well as licensed tie-in books. This change to licensed books ultimately led me to Disney, where I spent eight years editing books tied to the Disney Parks and to Disney movies. This work provided a whole new challenge, as I helped authors to create stories that were new and fresh, expanding the worlds of beloved characters far beyond that envisioned by the filmmakers, all while staying true to the world of Disney canon. This is a skill I have found to be incredibly valuable in today's landscape of books featuring modern retellings of classic tales. I was also afforded the opportunity to create original fiction, and had a chance to return to my roots, with nonfiction titles based on Disney heritage. In my time at Disney, I edited over eight hundred books. Among my favorites (and my most successful) were Hide and Hug Olaf, by Kevin Lewis, which sold over 400,000 copies, and Olaf's Night Before Christmas, which sold over 250,000 copies.

Now, I'm excited to take on a new challenge: helping you to turn your book into exactly what you hope it will be. I look forward to working with you and, together, creating an absolutely fantastic book.

Testimonials:
“I’ve worked with Brooke for many years and can’t speak highly enough about her abilities as an editor. She has consistently elevated my work with her insights, and her creative comments never fail to inspire. I can’t imagine having written my books without her help, and consider myself fortunate to have worked with her.” --Jason Lethcoe, Author

"Although we’d had many years experience illustrating children’s books, Periwinkle Smith and the Twirly Whirly Tutu was the first picture book that was entirely ours, and Brooke’s guidance was invaluable. She’s a master at pacing a story, helping us know exactly where things should move along, and where a page turn should surprise with a big reveal. As illustrators it was interesting to see just how spot-on and almost cinematic her art suggestions were; quick spots, spreads, extreme closeups, and even bits of side business not mentioned in the text as extra fun for the reader. We can’t recommend Brooke’s editing skills highly enough. She’s a treasure."--John & Wendy, Authors

"Brooke is an excellent editor who inspires and guides the creative process in a highly competent and collaborative way. Having worked with her on several books now, I have no doubt that she similarly brings out the best in all of her authors."--Tania Zamorsky, Author