Courtney Stevenson

Courtney Stevenson – Editor

Starred review Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, with 10 years of experience of working with middle grade and young adult novels.

Overview

I joined HarperCollins in 2016 as an assistant to Rosemary Brosnan; since then, I have been lucky to help on such amazing books as The Poet X by National Book Award-winning author Elizabeth Acevedo, Ogre Enchanted by Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine, I Can Make This Promise by debut author Christine Day, and many repackaged editions of titles on our team’s rich backlist.

In building my own list, I am focused on middle grade and YA books, with a particular interest in clever humor, family dynamics, historical stories and settings not seen enough, the occasional pop nonfiction, and writing that pulls me along to the next page. Some recent titles on my list include That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart, Dinner at the Brake Fast by Renee Beauregard Lute, and Money Out Loud by Berna Anat.

I always get excited about seeing new work from authors, and talking through their vision. My aim is to help you tell your story to others most effectively, focusing on plot, character, voice, and dialogue. I also can help to refine you query letter to grab a reader's attention and get them excited to dive into your manuscript.

Services
Fiction
Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Middle Grade Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books

Apr, 2016 — Present

Courtney has 8 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Michelle D.

Michelle D.

May, 2026

Courtney was friendly and professional. Her advice was incredibly helpful, and she was open to my follow-up questions. I would absolutely use her services again, and would recommend her to anyone looking for a keen editing eye.
Brian N.

Brian N.

May, 2026

Extremely professional and armed with excellent taste, you can't do better than Courtney S!
Brian N.

Brian N.

May, 2025

Excellent experience with Courtney -- she's professional, smart, and has her finger on the pulse of the marketplace. Best of all: she provides feedback with a clear and consistent point of view that provided actionable notes. Would highly recommend her to everyone!
John P.

John P.

Jul, 2024

Courtney gave an excellent critique of the manuscript. I am already starting the rewrite and it reads a lot better as a middle grade novel.
Amal K.

Amal K.

Mar, 2023

Courtney assisted me with the tightening and clarification of my query letter. Much of what was needed was already there--but the thing was too wordy, so she brilliantly slashed and burned all that was necessary. This translated into a similar need to trim the ms. Once done, I hope to work with ...
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