Jemiscoe Chambers-Black – Editor

I'm a literary agent, agency owner, vice president of AALA, writer, and former film and television assistant director who has spent my career thinking about one thing, no matter the medium: what makes a story work.

I hold an MFA in Fiction and spent more than a decade working in film and television before moving into publishing in 2018. Today, I'm co-founder of a boutique agency, where I represent authors and illustrators across kidlit and adult publishing. My clients include New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, award winners, and creators whose work has sold to all major publishers.

As an agent, editorial development is a significant part of what I do. I work with my clients to strengthen manuscripts before they ever reach an editor's desk, with a particular focus on voice, pacing, character development, structure, emotional arcs, and the places where a story isn't yet delivering on its promise.

That's the approach I bring to my editorial work.

I'm not interested in rewriting your book into the book that I would have written. I want to understand what you're trying to accomplish, identify what's working, and help you see where your manuscript may be in its own way. My feedback is always candid, specific, and actionable, but ALWAYS grounded in respect for your passion, voice, and vision. Your vulnerability, too, because it always takes a brave soul to share one's writing with a complete stranger.

For writers pursuing traditional publishing, I can also bring an agent's perspective to the editorial assessment of your manuscript, including current market considerations, where I'm engaged, where my attention begins to wander, what questions I'm asking as I read, and what additional work may be needed before joining the query trenches.

You've already done the hard part: writing the book! My job is to help you strengthen the next draft.