Julia Ringo

Julia Ringo – Editor

Editor specializing in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, with significant experience at prestigious Big 5 publishing houses.

Overview

I know that editing can be a highly vulnerable experience, but I also believe in its potential to transform and empower. My primary goal is always to bring a manuscript as close as possible to the best version of itself, in keeping with the author's vision - and to get there we need close communication and mutual understanding. Let's craft a plan together and prepare your book to meet the world.


I’m passionate about fiction and narrative nonfiction, with particular interest in genre-bending and hybrid forms, prose written by poets, and writing about travel, nature, community, and the weight of history. I love multigenerational family stories that cross the world and time. I'm drawn above all to precision and specificity in prose, place, and character, along with stories that trace the intersection between human and non-human lives and that challenge readers to find compassion for a disenfranchised group. And dark humor is a bonus!


I’m fortunate enough to have spent my career at some of the most renowned publishing houses in the country, and I look forward to bringing this experience to bear on shaping your manuscript. I began my publishing career as an editorial intern at the storied indie Grove Press, where I first witnessed up close the workings of a literary publishing house: the piles of submissions, the impassioned editorial meetings, the enthusiasm of every employee from the rights department to design. In 2015, I took an editorial position at Alfred A. Knopf, where I assisted a nonfiction editor. On the nonfiction side, I have shaped academic texts for trade publishing and helped many first-time authors gain a sense for structure and scene.


At Farrar, Straus and Giroux, I edited the New York Times bestseller Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman; PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist You Will Never Be Forgotten by Mary South; I Live a Life Like Yours by Jan Grue, named a best memoir of 2021 by Kirkus; and fiction by O. Henry Prize-winner Gunnhild Oyehaug and Man Asian Literary Prize laureate Miguel Syjuco, among many other titles.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Humanities & Social Sciences Travel
Fiction
Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction Short Story
Languages
English (US) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2022 — Present

My business partner and I work with writers and publishers to turn manuscripts into award-winning, critically-acclaimed, unforgettable books.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Dec, 2018 — Sep, 2022 (almost 4 years)

Oversaw production process from finished manuscript to bound book
Evaluated manuscripts and proposals; acquired book projects for publication; edited and published several books per season
Wrote jacket cover copy, catalog copy, sales/marketing materials, and rights guides
Worked closely with agents, authors, and internal departments, including publicity, sales, subrights, contracts, permissions, and legal

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Aug, 2017 — Dec, 2018 (over 1 year)

Oversaw production process from finished manuscript to bound book
Evaluated wide range of fiction and non-fiction manuscripts and proposals; pursued own acquisitions
Performed developmental and line edits on two to three books per season

Alfred A. Knopf

Mar, 2015 — Aug, 2017 (over 2 years)

Read and reported on all submissions to a VP and senior editor with a Pulitzer Prize-winning list focused on nonfiction, including works of history, current events, science, and biography
Wrote sales and jacket copy for all new titles, composed in-depth editorial letters and some line-edits for works in progress, gathered permissions and tracked images for supervisor’s many illustration-heavy titles
Acted as liaison between editorial and production departments, answered questions and otherwise engaged with authors during the production process

Julia has 8 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Julie S.

Julie S.

Jan, 2024

Julia is a pleasure to work with. She provided timely, professional help with my query letter and pages.
Terese S.

Terese S.

Nov, 2023

I look forward to working with her again.
Warren H.

Warren H.

Sep, 2023

Julia was great to work with. Her feedback on my query letter and pages was really terrific. She sharpened what I already had done and while only time will tell if the changes will result in an agent, I feel like my materials are in a really strong state. Julia's price was extremely reasonable and her editing work was detailed. While Julia finished the project on schedule, I sometimes needed to...
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Andreea B.

Andreea B.

Aug, 2023

Julia is the kind of editor who helps you grow as a writer. I sent her a story that had been rejected 35 times by literary magazines, sometimes with compliments, and in three pages she told me why. Her feedback is honest, constructive, and precise. I left with clear directions what to do next and with a reading list. She showed me how to push myself to become a better writer and got me excited...
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Terese S.

Terese S.

Aug, 2023

An excellent critic with useful ideas.

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