Jennifer Rees

Jennifer Rees – Editor

Let's make your story amazing! I help interesting people write and polish their Picture Books, MG, and YA fiction and nonfiction.

Overview

I am a New York Times bestselling Children's Book editor with 15+ years in the industry with my work specializing in Picture Books, Middle Grade and YA novels, such as Suzanne Collins' unparalleled THE HUNGER GAMES series.

Perfecting your story through the editorial process—whether a humorous picture book or something tender and heartfelt, an adventurous chapter book, MG mystery, or riveting teen novel—is truly an exciting stage! This is where you can see your story truly transform. I find great joy in helping you learn and grow as a writer, whether you are new or more seasoned, helping you craft your story with the goal of making it stronger and also more marketable. The art of writing, from character, plot, story arc, voice, pacing, language, and nuances like age range and genre, title and word count, to rhyme or not, are all important considerations. I can also help you learn what it takes to be successful in the industry, like how to pitch your work, if the subject matter and material are marketable, and how you can present it to best represent your work, all a part of what makes a children’s story GREAT or not-so-great.

A little about me: After college, I became a Children’s Bookseller and was hit with the publishing bug. So, with a few suitcases and a big dream, I moved to New York City and was beyond fortunate to land at Scholastic, where I worked my way up from reading manuscripts in the “slush” pile to editing my own books. During my time there, I edited picture books, MG novels, and teen fiction and nonfiction, and series for all ages, including THE HUNGER GAMES series, which was a life-changing experience for me. I loved every minute of it, but after my third son was born, I knew I needed a change, which included being a mom and shifting my career to something that made sense for my family while still continuing to do the work that I love. Now in Pittsburgh, PA, my hometown, I live with my family of three amazing boys, one naughty Golden Retriever, and a library's worth of children's books that are never shelved alphabetically and never off-limits. I maintain my deep-rooted connection to New York City publishing, as I continue my work with Scholastic, as well as other publishing houses like National Geographic and Wattpad, and several literary agencies; (I edit their authors' stories to prepare them for submission). I find deep joy, gratitude, and satisfaction in my work, which is to share my love and knowledge with others who feel the same passion about writing and children’s books as I do. My love for my work is at the heart of every creation, and if you work with me, you will learn that to be true. If you have any questions, please send me a message. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. Please take the time to read my reviews! Happy writing!

https://blog.reedsy.com/live/picture-book-jennifer-rees/
Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books Young Adult
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (SA) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2011 — Present

Freelance editor of Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, and YA novels, for a range of companies like Scholastic, National Geographic, and Wattpad.

Scholastic

Sep, 1998 — Sep, 2011 (about 13 years)

Acquired and edited a range of titles, specializing in picture books, Middle Grade novels, and teen fiction, as well as non-fiction for all age ranges. My work includes many award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles, including Suzanne Collin's THE HUNGER GAMES series.

Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Sep, 1996 — Sep, 1998 (about 2 years)

Children's bookseller at a wonderful independent bookstore, hand-selling and curating children's book titles from a range of publishers across all publishing channels.

Portfolio

The Friendly Bookshelf

Brickley, Katherine

The stunning Hunger Games trilogy is complete!The extraordinary, ground breaking New York Times bestsellers The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, along with the third book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay, are available for the first ti... read more
Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers.Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's... read more
The Number Mountain

Allen, Ashley

The Juju Girl

Marsh, Nikki

In sixth grade, bad things can happen to good kids. Bullies will find your weakness and jump on it. Teachers will say you did something wrong when really didn't mean to do anything wrong. The kids who joke the loudest can drown out the quieter, nicer kids.Mave... read more
"Camelot meets Hogwarts meets Panem in this intriguing, well-written beginning to a planned YA series."--Kirkus Reviews_____________Inspired by one of the greatest legends of all time… Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerou... read more
Survival Colony 9

Joshua David Bellin

In a future world of dust and ruin,fourteen-year-old Querry Genn struggles to recover the lost memory thatmight save the human race.Querry is a member ofSurvival Colony Nine, one of the small, roving groups of people whooutlived the wars and environmental cata... read more
A Kite for Melia

Narh, Samuel

Protector of the Ocean

Chlebek, Alyssa Nicole

Alligator, Bunny, and Crabby are enjoying a day at the beach when large punctuation marks create chaos for the group. Their friend Iguana has trouble writing periods. Can the friends help Iguana? Or will these punctuation marks take over?
Split! Splat!

Amy Gibson

A delightful, rainy day celebration!I sing a little rain song, a simple song, a plain song, a pitter-patter-tip-tap-on-the-windowpane song. Drip drop, plip plop, pit pat, split splat! Put down your umbrella! Take off your galoshes! It's time to sing and dance ... read more
Just a Drop of Water

Kerry O'Malley Cerra

A touching middle grade story about a boy trying to process the events of September 11 and how they impact his friendships Jake wants to be a soldier and wants to outsmart his school’s rival cross country team After September 11, Jake is torn between defending... read more
Sunny Holiday: Book 1

Coleen Paratore

The first book in this fantastic new series from the author of THE WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER is now available in paperback!Sunny Holiday thinks that every month should have a kid-friendly holiday. Valentine's Day, July 4th, and Christmas definitely fit the bi... read more
A thrilling new adventure from award-winning master storyteller Philip Reeve!Ansel is a mute boy whose master is a dragon-slayer. Brock has shining armor, and scars that prove his heroic stories. Ansel suspects there are no such things as dragons. So what is t... read more
Purge

Littman, Sarah Darer

Hallelujah Handel

Douglas Cowling

A stunning picture book inspired by the beloved "Hallelujah Chorus," and the remarkable story of Handel's personal mission to spread peace and joy.Somewhere in a darkened room behind London's famous Opera House there is a young, orphaned boy with a mysterious ... read more
A snazzy story about friendship and true love!Lerch is one sassy, snazzy fish who seems to have it all: good looks, charm, a great sense of humor, and a perfect smile. But he's lonely (the bubbles and the pebbles ain't talkin'!) and wants to find a friend. But... read more
New 25th Anniversary Edition: This adorable book takes us back in time to the very first day of Miss Spider's life! Little Miss Spider has just popped out of her egg and is wondering where her mother could be. The spiderling's plaintive cries are heard by a pa... read more
Righty & Lefty

Rachel Vail

A charming and funny picture book about the value of irreplaceable friendships.Righty and Lefty, an adorable pair of feet, can't seem to agree on anything. Righty wakes up early, while Lefty likes to sleep in; Righty dreams of wearing fancy footwear, but Lefty... read more
Dear Mr. Rosenwald

Carole Boston Weatherford

Based on the true story of the Rosenwald schools built in the rural African-American South in the 1920s, award winning writer and poet Carol Boston Weatherford tells the lyrical story of third grader Ovella as her family and community help each other build a n... read more
The amazing true story of the orphaned baby hippo and 130-year-old giant turtle whose remarkable friendship touched millions around the world.The inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-yr-old giant tortoise named Mzee (Mm-... read more
Friendship has never been sweeter with this charming picture book by emerging artist Sara Varon.Cat comes to the big city to stay with best friend, Chicken. The city is exciting (and there's so much to do!) but after a while Cat pines for the country with its ... read more
Dreamsleeves

Coleen Murtagh Paratore

A powerful, radiant story about a girl who wears her dreams on her sleeve . . . Aislinn is a girl with a lot of dreams, but due to family issues (caused mostly by her hard-drinking father), there's a lot standing in her way. While she should be enjoying the su... read more
It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited---after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and t... read more
From first-time novelist Jordan Sonnenblick, a brave and beautiful story that will make readers laugh and break their hearts at the same time. Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hott... read more
War Horse

Michael Morpurgo

A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey--now available in paperback!In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, ... read more

Jennifer has 1049 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Shari T.

Shari T.

Dec, 2023

I am in absolute awe of Jennifer! She gives incredibly concrete, detailed, and helpful guidance (along with generous amounts of warm encouragement). Jennifer is a dream, and I am so grateful and fortunate that she is my editor for this manuscript!
Leo L.

Leo L.

Nov, 2023

Jennifer has been fantastic to work with. Very professional and very thorough. The feedback was just what the story needed and all of the notes were elaborated for easy digestion.
kat C.

kat C.

Nov, 2023

I requested an Assessment with Jennifer and her review did not disappoint. Fantastic constructive criticism, as well as great enthusiasm for the project. Jennifer even went above and beyond on my edit and advice, helping me to truly become immersed in the creative writing world. You can't go wrong with Jennifer!
Jenna R.

Jenna R.

Nov, 2023

Jennifer was incredibly friendly and detail-oriented. She was very responsive to questions and her feedback was thoughtful and accessible. The story was much improved by her involvement! Thank you!
Marnie M.

Marnie M.

Nov, 2023

Jennifer couldn't have been more responsive, supportive, or helpful, both in editing my final manuscript and developing a query letter. I think we both felt very positive about the final result - and I already have a (small, independent) publisher. Jennifer really got me on my way!

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