Jill Saginario – Editor

Hi. I'm an independent editor focusing on books for young readers from picture books through young adult literature. Having been a bookseller continuously since 1999, I have deep knowledge of the children's and YA marketplace and what drives people to pick up a book. (I still can't seem to stop working at bookstores. Help!)I have experience in-house editing with two medium-sized traditional publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Candlewick Press. I've also worked with one of the premiere children's/YA-specific literary agencies, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. I created Pickle Ink Editorial around the time of the #weneeddiversebooks movement to help authors of all backgrounds get published. I am highly passionate about guiding authors writing for the picture book through young adult/new adult age groups, especially those with traditionally under-published voices such as people of color or LGBTQIA authors so our culture may be enriched with books that reflect the amazingly diverse world we live in.My personal reading tastes:*cutting-edge contemporary YA*funny and/or silly MG & YA*super dark, knife-in-the-heart realism*off-the-wall bizarro sci-fi*sweet early reader stories*anything boy-centric*LGBTQIA books in any form*casual racial diversity*talking animals*will this make me cry? > YES*books entirely written in texts. Please write this for me.**UPDATE: Please send contemporary MG and YA! My fantasy MG/YA dance card is full!**My editorial style is direct, thorough, and no-nonsense: I will not dance around what I mean. To find out more about me and my rates, please ask. Transparency in pricing is important to me because I know it's important to you. A solid professional edit isn't going to be bargain-basement, but it will make all the difference to your work."When I hired Jill, I thought I was getting an editor but what I got was a partner. Someone who not only excelled at her craft but wanted to work with me to make the best possible book. From here on out there is no way I can work with anyone else. Not after witnessing what it is like to work with Jill and bring my book to the next level."-E.V. Fairfall, author of the Sleeping Tom series"I’ve found Jill to be an invaluable reader...her work at HMH and as a bookseller has given her a true sense of what makes a book stand out and sparkle as well as what makes for literary – and commercial – legs. I can depend on her to consider all of the important micro to macro elements of a manuscript: from character development and pacing to tension, voice, and beyond."- Kate O'Sullivan, Executive Editor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers"Jill is a smart, thoughtful reader with real insights into plot and character. Efficient, effective, and highly recommended!"- Ammi-Joan Paquette, Senior Agent, Erin Murphy Literary Agency