Jacquelin Cangro - Editor
I'm a seasoned developmental book editor with 20 years of experience at Penguin Random House committed to helping you make your story sing!
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Overview
Hi! I'm a seasoned developmental editor of fiction and nonfiction with 20 years of experience at Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. I've worked with New York Times bestselling authors such as John Green, Ruta Sepetys, and Jacqueline Woodson. My favorite genres are YA, romance (all sub-genres), and historical fiction. I have also been a book coach and writing instructor for more than two decades.
My goal is to help you strengthen your work while remaining true to your vision. I do this by providing clear suggestions with actionable feedback so you know the next steps to make your story the best it can be. After all this time working with authors (and being one myself), I know one thing for sure: you have a unique story to tell. I can help you share that story with the world.
Some kind words from recent clients:
--Jackie Cangro is more than just an editor; she is an inspiration and a push to see a story through to the end. Her comments on the draft of my first novel were detailed and informative, and I now have a clear map of how to forge ahead. I would recommend her to a writer at any stage in the process. ~Adrienne Oliver, author of Lorraine (historical fiction)
-- I got lucky when Jackie agreed to be my editor. She was extremely positive with her suggestions and always available for my questions. I would highly recommend her to any writer who wants their work to be the best possible. ~Carol Fricke, author of Hope Transported (women's fiction)
-- Jackie’s not just a writer or editor. She’s a reader. And the sort of reader who reminds a writer that his duty is to the reader first and to his own hangups and sacred moo-cows second. She knows that stories have starts and ends and the good ones have peaks and valleys and buckets of conflict. She also gives it to you straight–without making you feel like a complete idiot…Every writer should be lucky enough to have someone like her around. ~Ken Wheaton, author of The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival (upmarket fiction)
My goal is to help you strengthen your work while remaining true to your vision. I do this by providing clear suggestions with actionable feedback so you know the next steps to make your story the best it can be. After all this time working with authors (and being one myself), I know one thing for sure: you have a unique story to tell. I can help you share that story with the world.
Some kind words from recent clients:
--Jackie Cangro is more than just an editor; she is an inspiration and a push to see a story through to the end. Her comments on the draft of my first novel were detailed and informative, and I now have a clear map of how to forge ahead. I would recommend her to a writer at any stage in the process. ~Adrienne Oliver, author of Lorraine (historical fiction)
-- I got lucky when Jackie agreed to be my editor. She was extremely positive with her suggestions and always available for my questions. I would highly recommend her to any writer who wants their work to be the best possible. ~Carol Fricke, author of Hope Transported (women's fiction)
-- Jackie’s not just a writer or editor. She’s a reader. And the sort of reader who reminds a writer that his duty is to the reader first and to his own hangups and sacred moo-cows second. She knows that stories have starts and ends and the good ones have peaks and valleys and buckets of conflict. She also gives it to you straight–without making you feel like a complete idiot…Every writer should be lucky enough to have someone like her around. ~Ken Wheaton, author of The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival (upmarket fiction)
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Contemporary Romance
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Romantic Comedy
Short Story
Women's Fiction
Young Adult
Certifications
- MFA in Creative Writing, Georgia State University
- Certificate in Developmental Editing, Editorial Freelancers Association
- Certificate in Copy Editing, Editorial Freelancers Association
Awards
- Saturday Evening Post's Great American Stories, Finalist
Work experience
Developmental Editor
Self-employed
January, 2008
–
Present
(about 15 years)
*Provide comprehensive content review of manuscripts, specializing in historical fiction, romance, women's fiction, and YA.
*Offer insight into the story elements that are working and what areas of the story need attention.
*Suggest options for revision with a strategy for tackling the most pressing story issues.
Teaching Artist
GrubStreet
September, 2012
–
Present
(over 10 years)
Develop course concepts and syllabi for multi-weeks courses, seminars, and workshops, such as:
*Intro to Fiction
*Unlocking Your Story's Inciting Incident
*Writing About Place: Creating an Immersive Setting
*Be Your Own Editor: Getting Your Novel Ready for Publication
Executive Director
Penguin Random House
February, 2000
–
December, 2019
(almost 20 years)
*Worked with New York Times bestselling authors such as John Green, Ruta Sepetys, and Jacqueline Woodson.
*Read and evaluated query letters and manuscripts.
Portfolio (15 selected works)
Some seven million people board the New York City subway every day, each one with a story to tell. The Subway Chronicles collects twenty-seven of the tales, dramas and comedies that unfold during the daily commute. From the “mole people” living in the subway tunnels, to the transit employees working behind the scenes, to the locals and tourists riding shoulder-to-shoulder in harmony, discord, ... read more
Addressed to Greta
Sussman, Fiona
The Mosquito Hours
Melissa DeLorenzo
“In prose as undulating as the ocean by which the story is set, THE MOSQUITO HOURS chronicles the Crawford family, a multi-generational family of widowed and unwed women, momentarily at the ebb tide of their lives. Melissa Corliss DeLorenzo takes us into the world of ordinary women living with pluck and dignity despite unplanned pregnancies, underemployment and the untimely deaths of loved one... read more
The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival
Ken Wheaton
Welcome to Grand Prairie, Louisiana—land of confounding accents, hard-drinking senior citizens, and charming sinners—brought to hilarious life in a bracing, heartfelt debut novel simmering with Cajun spice. . .Father Steve Sibille has come home to the bayou to take charge of St. Pete's church. Among his challenges are teenybopper altar girls, insomnia-curing confessions, and alarmingly allurin... read more
Tangled Paths: Tangled In Time Book Two
Corvin, Caroline
Time Travel Kids
Reginald Williams
Fifteen year-old James Simmons lives with his parents in Dallas, Texas; James is an internet artist sensation, he sells pictures on the internet of mystical and magical worlds and creatures but what many people don't realize are that these photos are real. James is a Time Travel Kid, he was born with the ability to open and enlarge subatomic wormholes in a place called the quantum foam.When Ja... read more
The Grass Sweeper God
Doug Howery
In the 1950s Appalachia coal fields of Solitude, VA... Smiley Hanlon is placed in the "Mentally Retarded" Class... Because he is different...Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate ... read more
You, Me and the Rest of Us: #NewYorkStories
Alex Clermont
New York City is one of the most famous places in the world, but it's also home to more than eight million residents. People who are living everyday lives filled with the wonders and fears we all share. "You, Me and the Rest of Us: #NewYorkStories" is a collection of stories about those people who are all trying to find their place in the world. From the comical to the tragic, these vignettes ... read more
Sweet as Cane, Salty as Tears: A Novel
Ken Wheaton
A freak accident forces a New Yorker to return to Louisiana and confront her Cajun pastThere is nothing more dangerous than a spooked rhinoceros. It is just before lunchtime when Huey, the prized black rhino of Broussard, Louisiana, erupts from his enclosure, trampling a zoo employee on his way to a rampage in the Cajun countryside. The incident makes the rounds online as News of the Weird, an... read more
Bacon and Egg Man: A Novel
Ken Wheaton
In the halls of Congress, on the streets, in the media, the war on fast food is on. Tofu may be topical, but bacon is eternal. Bacon and Egg Man, Ken Wheaton’s second novel, is a sly send-up of a politically correct food establishment, where the Northeast has split off from the rest of the United States. The new Federation is ruled by the electoral descendants of King Mike, a man who made it h... read more
Talking Underwater
Melissa DeLorenzo
“Sister” is a sacred word. Cattail Beach is joy. Until one day at its shore, both are lost in a single moment.Family is life, and Amy enjoys a gentle, happy one. Devoted parents, a loving marriage, two little girls, a fulfilling career and a cherished relationship with her sister. Amy and Heather are more than sisters—best friends, inseparable confidants, co-workers and, finally, mothers.Catta... read more
The Common No. 13
Jennifer Acker, Bethany Ball, Laura Winther Galaviz, Menachem Kaiser, Bruna Dantas Lobatoo, Mensah Demary, Mary Jo Salter, Zack Strait, Cortney Lamar Charleston, Vievee Francis
The Common is a print and digital literary journal published biannually, in the fall and spring. Issues of The Common include short stories, essays, poems, and images that embody a strong sense of place. The Common Online publishes original content four times per week, including book reviews, interviews, personal essays, short dispatches, poetry, contributor podcasts and recordings, and multim... read more
What a Difference a Change Makes!: 21 Jewels of Wisdom for Living Your Treasured Life
Sékou, Dr. Sheree Bryant
Day of Days: September 11, 2001, A Novel of the Fire Service
Napolitano, Frank
The Shadow in Her Pocket
Koppel Torres, Lorena
Jacquelin has 114 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Jacquelin is great to work with. She is patient and engaging and brings a huge amount of expertise to the engagement. I have worked with her on two books and she has had valuable input and shaped the final product on both interactions. Highly recommended.
Jeff Schmoll, February 2023
Jacquelin was so lovely to work with. Organised, clear and enormously helpful with her professional viewpoints and comments. I hope to be able to work with her any time soon again.
jenny grettve, January 2023
This is my second time working with Jackie and she consistently delivers beyond what she promises. Jackie helped take my memoir's manuscript to the next level, and now she has successfully helped to do the same for my query letter and synopsis. Despite Jackie's talent and in-demand skills, she still makes time to answer all my questions in a timely fashion. I couldn't have asked for a better pa...
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Valerie Wittman, December 2022
First of all, let me start by saying I have never gotten so much value for my money, ever. Jackie offers a fair price for a lot of feedback and I've never been so happy to have my credit card charged.
When Jackie sent me her assessment, I almost cried. It was so on-point, like she was looking into my soul and seeing me for exactly who I was. I am so eternally grateful to her for treating my ma...
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Alyssa A, December 2022
Jacquelin was professional, timely and communicative. In fact, she even finished a few days earlier than agreed upon. I found her insight helpful and I feel it has made my book even stronger. I would definitely work with her again!
David Hoffman, November 2022
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