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