Jenn Bailey – Editor

Editors and agents always want to see your first 10 pages and you've polished them to a high shine. But how does the rest of your book read?

My books have won three National ALA awards, two KAC Children's Book of the Year awards, Cybil's Books Award, Good Housekeeping Book Award, and have been named an NPR Books We Love choice, Capital Choice Noteworthy book, and a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, along with other accolades.

I have been a professional editor and writer for over 15 years, and have my Master of Fine Arts in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. I have edited and consulted on picture books and middle grade and young adult novels. I work most comfortably in the sub genres of contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, historical fiction, nonfiction, and humor. If you want a snarky look at your romance novel, I can give you that too.

When it comes to your work, I offer a deep and thorough critique, targeting elements of plot, structure, pacing, characterization, and agency. I have traveled the path from newbie writer to published author and understand that a truly beneficial critique balances encouragement with straight-forward speaking. I know the struggles writers have--with time, perseverance, and confidence--and I feel sure, that together, we can push through those issues and any others.

Not many freelance editors take on picture books, but I love them. I feel they are one of the most difficult things to write well, and it is my joy to dig in and make every word count.

Besides being a working author, editor, and acquiring reader, I am an accuracy reader specializing in Autism/Aspergers. I taught the 8-week Nonfiction Writers Intensive for Park University and presented at the AWP Writers Conference and Book Fair with the following lectures; Making Light: Humor's Serious Place in Children's Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature; Tone, Voice, and Mood: Not Just for Angsty Teens. Other requested lectures include: Redeeming your Villain; Making Magic; World Building is not just for Fantasy; and Make the Reader your Accomplice.

I am an acquiring reader for a literary agency and two publishing houses. As such, I am the first gatekeeper you need to pass on your path to representation and/or publication. Your work must convince me to let you pass, and your query letter introduces me to your work. Submission guidelines for query letters have varied "dos" and "don'ts," which is why you should always follow the posted requirements on each agency and publisher's website. Writing effective query letters comes down to the skill of crafting the synopsis and providing enticing and memorable plot points in a limited word count. Query letters don't make or break a submission, but they are a first impression, and I can help you make a good one.

Thank you for considering me for your project. I look forward to hearing from you.