Julie Artz

Julie Artz – Editor

I help authors who dream of a life spent crafting stories that matter slay their doubt demons so they can write with confidence.

Overview


Do you struggle to get the words on the page to match to the stories in your mind? Are you frustrated by getting rejections with no real idea how to make your stories more appealing and marketable? Do you have trouble with elements of craft like structure, pacing, and character arc? Do you need the tough love and accountability of working with a coach while you write? If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep reading...

A consummate social and environmental justice minded story geek, I am a writer, editor, and book coach whose love of story translates into everything I do. After nearly two decades of writing and editing corporate, technical, and non-profit materials, nine years ago I turned my skills and experience toward publishing. Since then, I have edited and coached traditionally published authors published by Penguin RandomHouse, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Hachette, and Boyds Mills Press, as well as working with small press, indie, and hybrid-published authors, and have also helped clients formulate their query and pitching strategy.

Testimonials:

"Julie is one of Author Accelerator's most accomplished book coaches. She is diligent, dedicated, market-focused, compassionate, well-read and beloved by all her clients. She will make your book better." —
Jennie Nash, Private Book Coach + Chief Creative Officer, Author Accelerator

“I owe Julie an enormous thanks. She was my coach at the very onset of a bouncing baby idea, and she held my hand for almost two years as I brought it into the world. She set me on a straighter path for this nebulous middle-grade novel idea I had...without her I would have needed dozens more rewrites. She pushed me, gently, to look for and eventually find the truth of the story I wanted to tell but couldn’t yet articulate. Once we were finished, I had a toolbox that was filled with strategies and ways forward. Having her as a coach from the start was invaluable.” -- Jane Baird Warren, author of How to Be a Goldfish (Scholastic Canada, 2022)

“Julie was very positive, responsive, and encouraging throughout my entire process of writing a proposal and pitching it to agents. She was generous in giving me a list of agents to query, along with offering tips along the way. I’m grateful to have accomplished my goal of securing my top choice of an agent by working with Julie!” -- Sara Avant Stove, author of The Way of the Happy Woman and The Book of SHE

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Fantasy Middle Grade Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Pitch Wars Finalist 2015
Certifications
  • BA English Literature, DePauw University (1997)
  • MS Communication Management, Colorado State University (2001)
  • Pitch Wars Mentor (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
  • TeenPit Mentor (2017, 2018, 2019)

Work experience

Self-employed

Aug, 2013 — Present

After nearly two decades of writing and editing corporate and non-profit materials, I’m turning my skills and experience toward the creative realm. In addition to my work as a Pitch Wars and Teen Pit mentor and book coach with Author Accelerator, I also offer the freelance writing and editing services.

Pitch Wars

Jan, 2017 — Feb, 2021 (about 4 years)

Each year, I select one middle grade author and mentor them through the revision of a full manuscript as part of Pitch Wars. The mentorship process involves teaching craft concepts, revision planning, support, and both developmental and line editing. This mentorship culminates in an Agent Showcase where agents can make requests. My mentees have, in addition to learning a lot about both the business and the craft of writing, all successfully signed with agents as part of this process.

Portfolio

List of Ten

Gomez, Halli

NUT JOB: How I Crushed My Food Allergies To Thrive

Hunt, Sonia

How to Be a Goldfish

Warren, Jane Baird

In Pillness and in Health: A memoir

Henriette Ivanans

What if your husband gave you a kidney and you chugged a beer with your painkillers the next day?What if your loving marriage became a tortured threesome? Husband, Wife and Pills?Meet Henriette and Kevin. As newlyweds, they move to LA to conquer Hollywood. Whe... read more
Turtles of the Midnight Moon

Fitzgerald, María José

Etta Invincible

Eschmann, Reese

Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament

Kim Long

For fans of The Amazing Race, Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament is the perfect adventure for middle grade readers who like scavenger hunts and puzzle-solving.Twelve-year-old physics whiz Lexi Magill won't let anything stop her from winning Wisconsin... read more
Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme

Mary Fan

Dive into a universe of sci-fi wonders.This collection of sci-fi shorts features a variety of brainy young heroines—girls who engineer, tinker, experiment, and more. Voyage to far-off galaxies with girls who use their science savvy to fix rovers, rescue friend... read more
Raised by Unicorns: Stories from People with LGBTQ+ Parents

"I am honored to recommend this book to ALL parents. . . . [I]t relates to all families, tolerance, and love." --Greg Berlanti, writer, producer, director"Raw and unfiltered. . . Lowe breaks new ground, highlighting the dire need for further exploration. 5 Hea... read more
The Shadows We Know by Heart

Jennifer Park

In this haunting and luminescent debut novel, a girl’s complicated family life starts to unravel after she finds herself falling for a mysterious boy who lives in the forest behind her house.Leah Roberts’s life hasn’t been the same since her brother died ten y... read more
The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Amanda Rawson Hill

Magic doesn't work the way you think it will, but it's what Kate needs as she confronts friendship trouble, her parents' divorce, and Grammy's dementia in this lyrical middle-grade coming-of-age novel for fans of Half a Chance and The Same Stuff as Stars.Kate ... read more
Rise of the Dragon Moon

Gabrielle K. Byrne

The princess of a frozen queendom fights to free her mother from the clutches of terrifying dragons in this middle grade fantasy debut.Princess Toli may be heir to the throne, but she longs to be a fierce hunter and warrior. Alone in a frozen world, her queend... read more
Karma Khullar's Mustache

Kristi Wientge

In the tradition of Judy Blume, debut author Kristi Wientge tackles the uncomfortable—but all too relatable—subject of female body hair and self-esteem with this “sparkling and triumphant tale of a middle school misfit” (Heather Vogel Frederick).Karma Khullar ... read more
Enchantée

Gita Trelease

Love. Magic. Revolution...Enchantée is Gita Trelease’s imaginative debut fantasy about an impoverished magician desperate to provide for her beloved sister on the eve of the French Revolution.“Deliciously addictive.” —Stephanie Garber, author of Caraval“A head... read more
The Hotel Between

Sean Easley

A magical hotel, a mysterious tree, and a cryptic story about their missing father leads twins Cam and Cass on a worldly adventure in this enchanting debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Wildwood. Twins Cam and Cass h... read more
Maranatha Road

Heather Bell Adams

After Sadie’s son, Mark, is gone, she doesn’t have much use for other people, including her husband. The last person she wants to see is Tinley Greene, who shows up claiming she’s pregnant with Mark’s baby. Sadie knows Tinley must be lying because Mark was eng... read more

Julie has 7 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Adrija R.

Adrija R.

Apr, 2023

She gave a good feedback to my entire story. Needed this.
Stella C.

Stella C.

Sep, 2022

Julie has helped me so much while editing my first book. She has opened my eyes to so many things that I never would have seen or considered on my own, and overall she's given amazing advice. I would highly recommend her.
Julie A.
It was a pleasure working with you, Stella! Best of luck with your revisions.
Amber D.

Amber D.

Aug, 2020

Julie was incredibly helpful and sweet throughout the entire project. She gave amazing suggestions and edits that have (and will) make my book much better than I ever intended. Thank you!
Julie A.
Amber was great to work with and has created a wonderful fantasy adventure world.
Denise M.

Denise M.

Jun, 2020

Julie did a great job on editing my story on two levels big picture and details by chapter. The value was indeed 5 stars.
Julie A.
Thank you for your business, Denise. It was a pleasure working with you.
Alex K.

Alex K.

Mar, 2020

Julie has helped me so much, I'm glad I was able to work with her again! I highly recommend hiring her. :D
Julie A.
Thanks so much for your review, Alex. Please keep me posted on your project as you revise.

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