Jim Thomas - Editor
Crafting a work of fiction is a gloriously arduous process. With over twenty years of experience at one of the big NYC houses, I can help.
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Overview
After more than twenty years at Random House in New York City, I’m out on my own, specializing in what brought me to publishing in the first place: Editing.
It’s a passion. When you entrust your story to me, I dedicate myself to it, surrounding myself with your characters, living your plot arcs, hearing your voice, and tracking your themes. I study your story from the inside out to see what more it can be, and offer strategies for how to get there.
My particular area of expertise is fiction for middle-school and high-school kids, but as a freelancer I've worked with writers on everything from romance to cyber thriller. I treat each of my writers as if they’re destined to be the next New York Times bestseller.
Take a look at the webinar I recorded for Reedsy about the old writer's axiom "show, don't tell:" https://blog.reedsy.com/live/show-dont-tell-rule-reason
If you’re ready to invite a professional editor into your process, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s dive in!
“The gold standard of editors. Jim's sensitivity to divining an author’s intent is uncanny. He possesses the requisite skills of a midwife, and the bedside manner of a beloved small town doctor. I can’t envision the project that wouldn’t benefit from his discerning eye.”
—Mark Frost, New York Times bestselling author of The Paladin Prophecy, and co-creator of Twin Peaks
“Jim is an excellent coach, one gifted with an eye for potential and an intuition for how to realize it. He sees where I’m pulling my punches and shows me where I can jump higher. Dumbfoundingly, I jump higher, and then I do it again.”
—Rachel Hartman, New York Times bestselling author of Seraphina and Shadow Scale
“Jim Thomas achieves a perfect balance between an editor’s two contradictory jobs: to be thoroughly picky and at the same time constantly encouraging. He made me stop and think, and he made me eager to keep going. I could not have had a better editor.”
—Jeanne DuPrau, New York Times bestselling author of The City of Ember
It’s a passion. When you entrust your story to me, I dedicate myself to it, surrounding myself with your characters, living your plot arcs, hearing your voice, and tracking your themes. I study your story from the inside out to see what more it can be, and offer strategies for how to get there.
My particular area of expertise is fiction for middle-school and high-school kids, but as a freelancer I've worked with writers on everything from romance to cyber thriller. I treat each of my writers as if they’re destined to be the next New York Times bestseller.
Take a look at the webinar I recorded for Reedsy about the old writer's axiom "show, don't tell:" https://blog.reedsy.com/live/show-dont-tell-rule-reason
If you’re ready to invite a professional editor into your process, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s dive in!
“The gold standard of editors. Jim's sensitivity to divining an author’s intent is uncanny. He possesses the requisite skills of a midwife, and the bedside manner of a beloved small town doctor. I can’t envision the project that wouldn’t benefit from his discerning eye.”
—Mark Frost, New York Times bestselling author of The Paladin Prophecy, and co-creator of Twin Peaks
“Jim is an excellent coach, one gifted with an eye for potential and an intuition for how to realize it. He sees where I’m pulling my punches and shows me where I can jump higher. Dumbfoundingly, I jump higher, and then I do it again.”
—Rachel Hartman, New York Times bestselling author of Seraphina and Shadow Scale
“Jim Thomas achieves a perfect balance between an editor’s two contradictory jobs: to be thoroughly picky and at the same time constantly encouraging. He made me stop and think, and he made me eager to keep going. I could not have had a better editor.”
—Jeanne DuPrau, New York Times bestselling author of The City of Ember
Languages
English (AUS)
English (CAN)
English (NZ)
English (SA)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Coming of Age
Dystopian
Fantasy
Middle Grade
Middle Grade Fantasy
Post-Apocalyptic
Young Adult
Work experience
Editorial Director
Random House
January, 2007
–
April, 2013
(about 6 years)
Editor
Random House
January, 1993
–
January, 2007
(about 14 years)
Portfolio (18 selected works)
The City of Ember (The First Book of Ember)
Jeanne DuPrau
A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ... read more
The People of Sparks (The City of Ember)
Jeanne DuPrau
A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Lina and Doon have led the citizens of Ember to an exciting new world. When they discover a village called Sparks, they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town’... read more
The Prophet of Yonwood (Ember, Book 3)
Jeanne DuPrau
A prequel to the modern-day classic The City of Ember. This highly acclaimed adventure series has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Nickie will grow up to be one of the first citizens of the city of Ember. But for now, she’s an eleven-year-old girl whose father was sent away on some mysterious government project. So when the oppor... read more
The Diamond of Darkhold (Ember, Book 4)
Jeanne DuPrau
A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Lina and Doon escaped the dying city of Ember and led their people to the town of Sparks. But they soon discover that winter is harsh aboveground. When Doon finds a book with torn... read more
The Paladin Prophecy: Book 1
Mark Frost
From the co-creator of the groundbreaking television show Twin Peaks comes an exciting adventure series with a unique combination of mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural. Meet your new action-adventure addiction!Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-... read more
Alliance: The Paladin Prophecy Book 2
Mark Frost
From the co-creator of the groundbreaking television show Twin Peaks comes an exciting adventure series with a unique combination of mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural. Will West is a student of the Center—a school for an elite group of students. After exposing a sinister underground society of students known as the Knights of Charlemagne, Will discovers that he is developing... read more
Rogue: The Paladin Prophecy Book 3
Mark Frost
From the co-creator of the groundbreaking television show Twin Peaks comes an exciting adventure series with a unique combination of mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural. Meet your new action-adventure addiction!Will West is playing a dangerous game. Months after uncovering the sinister Paladin Prophecy plot, Will continues to work with the mastermind behind the project—none ot... read more
Seraphina
Rachel Hartman
Lyrical, imaginative, and wholly original, this New York Times bestseller with 8 starred reviews is not to be missed. Rachel Hartman’s award-winning debut will have you looking at dragons as you’ve never imagined them before… Seraphina is a half-dragon, descended from a dragon mother who took human form and a father who has no particular fondness for Seraphina’s kind. Not that anyone else does... read more
Shadow Scale (Seraphina)
Rachel Hartman
Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons. The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part gir... read more
The Red Winter: Book Five of The Tapestry
Henry H. Neff
An inventive and action-packed mix of fantasy, science fiction, and mythology, all in a realistic contemporary setting. Rowan has won a battle, but not the war. With proper allies, Rowan’s armies could storm the demon stronghold, capture its ruler, and end the reign of demonkind. But while nations clash, a greater struggle lies elsewhere. In his desperate pursuit of Astaroth, Elias Bram scours... read more
100 Cupboards (100 Cupboards, Bk 1)
N. D. Wilson
Readers who love Percy Jackson, the Unwanteds, and Beyonders will discover that 100 cupboards mean 100 opportunities for adventure! The bestselling and highly acclaimed 100 Cupboards series starts here. What dangers are locked behind the cupboard doors? Henry isn’t brave, but when he hears a thumping and scratching on the other side of his bedroom wall, he can’t ignore it. He scrapes off the p... read more
Heart of a Shepherd
Rosanne Parry
When Brother's dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He’s determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father’s safe return. The hardships Brother faces will not only change the ranch, but also reveal his true calling.From the Hardcover edition.
In This Life
Christine Brae
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, They’re in each other all along. RUMI It starts out so simply. Anna runs away to Thailand, drags her best friend Dante with her and spends a few weeks away, taking on other people’s problems while getting away from her own. She meets the enigmatic Jude Grayson, and for as long as it’s clear to both of them that it ends when they leave, she thinks she’s got ... read more
Archimedes Slaked (Volume 1)
H Scott Sturm
WHAT IF THE MILLENNIALS WENT ON STRIKE AND SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE? THIS IS THE EPIC STORY AND WARNING OF ARCHIMEDES SLAKED. In an all-too-familiar alternative current day, America has been torn apart by extreme ideologies and political divisiveness. Countless millions are mesmerized by the rhetoric of media and internet pundit Topher Blue who promises the restoration... read more
Brain Jack
Brian Falkner
A Top Ten YALSA Pick for Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults! Fans of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother and M. T. Anderson's Feed will love this high-octane cyber thriller.In a dystopian near-future, neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it's the Internet at the speed of thought. For teen hacker Sam Wilson, a headset is a must. But as he masters the new tech... read more
Oxblood (The Victoria Asher Novels)
AnnaLisa Grant
How far would you go to save the only family you have left? Victoria "Vic" Asher is finally finding some balance in her life. Though she's still reeling from her parents' death in a plane crash, she's content with waiting tables at the Clock; window shopping with her best friend, Tiffany; and hanging out with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Chad. But when she receives a mysterious package i... read more
Spanking Shakespeare
Jake Wizner
SHAKESPEARE SHAPIRO HAS ALWAYS hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one embarrassing incident after another. Entering his senior year of high school, Shakespeare has never had a girlfriend, his younger brother is cooler than he is, and his best friend's favorite topic of conversation is his bowel m... read more
Compass to Vinland
Dani Resh
Wren Larkin has a lot of things working against him––too tall, too thin, and living in a house that looks like an old boot. His only friends are a group of noisy crows that are always bringing him random trinkets. Needless to say, he’s not the most popular kid in town. But things change when a girl named Maria moves to town and instantly befriends Wren. Maria continues to do the unexpected w... read more
Jim has 20 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Working with Jim was incredible. I hired him hoping to level up in my writing, and WOW, did he deliver. He has years of experience as an editor and is an expert in story. He spotted all of the places where I'd been blind, and his encouraging comments helped me to let go of parts of the story that didn't work. With his keen eye, I've been able to form a new vision that works from start to finis...
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Amelia Addler, April 2022
Such an amazing eye for details, themes, what’s working and what’s not. Jim really goes the extra mile
Charlotte Frohwitter, January 2022
Jim's professionalism throughout the developmental editing process was top-notch. The quality of his work speaks for itself in my opinion. He is concise, thorough, and full of insights that even at first glance ring true, but offer a ton of contextual layers that will definitely be an invaluable resource moving forward in revision and as an author. I'd recommend Jim in a heartbeat, and hope to ...
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ERIK WILKS, June 2020
Working with Jim was a fantastic experience. It is no hyperbole when I say that he completely altered my view of writing and storytelling. As a first time author, I learned so much about how to construct an emotionally resonant narrative and build my book's world by showing and not telling. I owe this to Jim's annotations, which were remarkably in-depth, insightful, and indicative of his engage...
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John Frye, March 2020
This is my second time hiring Jim - really excellent, again!
Ed Mahony, September 2019
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