Emily Ohanjanians

Emily Ohanjanians – Editor

Former Harlequin and HarperCollins editor with 15+ years of experience. Specializing in romance, historical, women's fiction and more!

Overview

Hi, I’m Emily! I’ve been a publishing professional for over fifteen years. Most recently I worked as a senior editor at MIRA Books, a commercial fiction imprint at Harlequin/HarperCollins, where I acquired, edited and published novels ranging from debuts to established bestsellers. My portfolio includes novels in a broad range of genres, including book-club fiction, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, humor fiction, suspense and thrillers, historical and speculative fiction. Please have a look at a selection of books I've edited and published below!


I love stories, and my favorite part of the job has always been working with writers to help them shape their stories to best fit their vision. I’ve spent years studying story theory and honing my ability to draw out the elements of a story—be it pacing, character development, emotional arc, or other features—that can be sharpened to take a story to the next level. I've applied these skills widely over my career, acquiring and publishing novels from debuts to New York Times bestsellers, guiding self-published authors to success, and helping querying authors sign with agents and traditional publishers.


I know what readers and publishing professionals respond most to, and can help guide your writing so that it stands out in this competitive market. I love sharing my knowledge and experience with authors, because without you, we wouldn't have the best thing in the world: books! Get in touch and let's take this journey together.



“Emily is an excellent, insightful editor. She’s knowledgeable, focused and right on the money with her suggestions. She’s also very easy to work with. If you’re looking for an experienced professional editor, you’ve found her. I recommend her highly.”—Karen Robards, New York Times bestselling author


“Emily is meticulous, kind, focused and has a keen eye for detail, pointing out where to expand a scene, up the action, and deepen emotion. Her knowledge is unmatched. I highly recommend that should you ever get the chance to work with her, you take the opportunity immediately.”—Noelle Salazar, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Flight Girls and Angels of the Resistance


“I've worked with Emily on most of my books. She is a rarity in the business, for she provides expert, comprehensive guidance that strengthens your story, ensuring you achieve what you were aiming for. She understands the industry and she understands writers. Professional and personable on every level, she is a pleasure to work with.”—Rick Mofina, USA TODAY bestselling and Barry Award-winning author


"Emily is a writer's dream. Brilliant and incisive, she has the uncanny ability to intuit the heart of your story and, with kindness and encouragement, help you realize the fullest potential of your vision. I felt so lucky to be in the hands of someone so talented, dedicated, thorough, and savvy. She is a gift."—Kerry Kletter, author of East Coast Girls

Services
Fiction
Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Humor & Comedy LGBTQ Fiction Romance Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Honours Bachelor's Degree (majors in Literature and Linguistics)
  • Publishing Certificate

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 2022 — Present

Professional book editing services for fiction writers, offering developmental edits, editorial assessments, line edits, submission package services, and consulting.

Harlequin/HarperCollins

Mar, 2007 — Apr, 2022 (about 15 years)

Professional senior editor of commercial fiction including several New York Times, USA TODAY and Globe and Mail bestselling authors. Sought out and acquired breakout commercial fiction in a variety of genres including book club fiction, contemporary and historical fiction, thrillers and suspense, humor fiction and women's fiction. Project managed books through their publishing life cycle from acquisition through release, including edits, cover art and copy, endorsements, metadata, marketing, publicity and sales. Worked closely with authors on proposals, assessments, developmental and line edits to ensure their stories are in the best possible shape before publication. Helped to guide authors' career growth to ensure commercial success and longevity. Built the careers of bestselling authors such as Brenda Novak, Karen Robards, Gena Showalter, Noelle Salazar, Rick Mofina, Jean Meltzer, Bunmi Laditan and more. Managed other editors and created content for imprint's core assets including website and social media.

Portfolio

A Girl Named Anna

Barber, Lizzy

Missing Daughter

Mofina, Rick

Never Coming Home: A Novel

McKinnon, Hannah Mary

Their Last Secret

Mofina, Rick

The Lying House

Mofina, Rick

Every Second

Mofina, Rick

East Coast Girls

Kletter, Kerry

A Family of Strangers

Richards, Emilie

Last Seen

Mofina, Rick

Search for Her

Mofina, Rick

Sister Dear: A Novel

McKinnon, Hannah Mary

You Will Remember Me: A Novel

McKinnon, Hannah Mary

Emily has 14 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Zena L.

Zena L.

Aug, 2024

Emily was wonderful to work with. I really appreciated her insight and suggestions on how to make my book better. We had a great call afterward, during which we talked through questions I had and she offered clarity and great ideas on how to address the notes. I would definitely recommend her.
Sharon W.

Sharon W.

Apr, 2024

Working with Emily was a wonderful experience. She was kind and helpful and responded quickly to any questions I had. Her editing advise was very helpful and her suggestions have improved my work tremendously. Her ideas for what I needed to change were balanced beautifully with her words of encouragement. By the end of the project, I felt like I had made a new friend.
Nancy K.

Nancy K.

Feb, 2024

This is my fourth novel, and I've never before had such a thorough reading and editing as what Emily Ohanjaians provided. I had a first draft but was feeling a little lost about it, and couldn't figure out how to fix it. Emily delved into the manuscript and pinpointed the issues on many levels. From storyline to plot, to character development, point of view, themes, character coherence, word ...
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Caroline F.

Caroline F.

Oct, 2023

Emily far exceeded my expectations. She gave me a thoughtful, detailed, insightful, precise roadmap to follow to get my book publisher-ready. Before Emily, I was completely stuck. I wasn't sure which direction to take my novel, and I couldn't figure out what was working and what wasn't. I'd paid a few other editors (and asked family and friends) for notes, but none were nearly as powerful and a...
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Ian P.

Ian P.

Sep, 2023

I was delighted when Emily agreed to perform a developmental edit on the MS of my novel. As someone new to writing fiction, I chose her because of her particular expertise and specialism in the romance genre (although, strictly speaking, my novel isn't a pure romance). She has exceeded my already high expectations. The process of having my work professionally edited was both exciting, but als...
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