Julie Scheina - Editor
Washington, United States
I am a former senior editor at Little, Brown with over 13 years of experience editing acclaimed and bestselling children's and YA fiction.
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Overview
I am a former senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with over a decade of experience editing acclaimed and bestselling books for children and young adults. I have edited more than 150 titles across a variety of genres, from picture books and poetry collections to middle grade and young adult novels, and I bring this depth of experience and industry knowledge to every project.
I love collaborating with authors and illustrators, helping to identify a work’s strengths and weaknesses, and ensuring that an author or illustrator’s vision is shining through from start to finish. Authors who have worked with me have called me “the very best kind of editor” (Suzanne Selfors), “my most valued editorial partner” (Margaret Stohl), “a fantastic resource of editorial wisdom for a first time novelist” (Kaia Moritz), and “everything I could have hoped for in an editor…her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before” (Cheryl Renee Herbsman).
Books that I have edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include the #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; The Lucy Variations by National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr; Iron Hearted Violet by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill; the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat; Lambda Literary Award finalist I Am J by Cris Beam; New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop; as well as titles with authors including Jennifer Brown, Jackson Pearce, April Lindner, and Jennifer Rush. Other clients include Bloomsbury (an imprint of Macmillan), Greenwillow (an imprint of HarperCollins), the Gernert Company, Writers House, and Greenhouse Literary.
SELECT TESTIMONIALS
"Julie Scheina is everything I could have hoped for in an editor - kind, prompt and responsive, and extraordinarily talented. She edits with a deft, yet soft touch. Simply by asking me questions (many, many questions!) she guided me to fleshing out my characters, their world and their story. She helped me see what elements existed only in my head that hadn’t made it onto the page. And she helped me more fully understand my MC’s arc, making it clearer how to hang the story on the scaffolding of that arc. What surprised me the most is how her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before. I highly recommend Julie Scheina’s services and would definitely invite her to edit my work again."
—Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING
“Julie is my most valued editorial partner. I love that she can not only help me be my best narrative self, but also that I can specifically tell her the kind of read I am looking for, or what I am concerned about, and that she can give me a responsive read that answers all those questions. She has a wonderful depth of publishing industry experience, a commercial sensibility, and a love of craft that make her a unique partner for a writer. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
—Margaret Stohl, author of the Icons series and co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series
“It’s rare to encounter an editor with as much skill, enthusiasm, and dedication to her craft as Julie Scheina. She excels at respecting an author’s voice while suggesting the sorts of changes, large and small, that shape a manuscript into something outstanding. As an editorial colleague at a major publisher, I saw firsthand the ways in which Julie’s sensitivity, insight, and encouragement were central to the success of numerous bestselling and award-winning books.”
— Barbara Bakowski, Senior Copy Editor, Random House Children’s Books
“If I were to write my own book, I would be honored to have Julie Scheina as my editor. In the seven years she worked in the editorial department at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, she continually impressed me with her intelligent and thoughtful approach to the craft of editing, deep respect for writers, excellent communication skills, and professional poise. Her broad editorial range enabled her to work on a diverse list projects, including contemporary commercial fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and poetry and her first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry would be invaluable to writers as they embark on their careers.”
–Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
“I had the pleasure of working with Julie Scheina over many years on a variety of different projects. She always brought her very best to every job, giving authors the individualized attention each required, never approaching a manuscript with a one-size-fits-all mindset. The books she worked on were better for her effort, and the writers she worked with better authors.”
–Michael Bourret, Literary Agent, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
“Julie is an incredibly thoughtful and careful editor who understands how to identify quickly what an author is trying to do and help them do it even better. Her tastes are diverse, and she understands that different books (and authors) require different approaches. I always know that no matter what kind of manuscript I give to Julie, it will leave her hands in better shape than when she got it.”
–Steven Malk, Literary Agent, Writers House
I love collaborating with authors and illustrators, helping to identify a work’s strengths and weaknesses, and ensuring that an author or illustrator’s vision is shining through from start to finish. Authors who have worked with me have called me “the very best kind of editor” (Suzanne Selfors), “my most valued editorial partner” (Margaret Stohl), “a fantastic resource of editorial wisdom for a first time novelist” (Kaia Moritz), and “everything I could have hoped for in an editor…her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before” (Cheryl Renee Herbsman).
Books that I have edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include the #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; The Lucy Variations by National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr; Iron Hearted Violet by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill; the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat; Lambda Literary Award finalist I Am J by Cris Beam; New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop; as well as titles with authors including Jennifer Brown, Jackson Pearce, April Lindner, and Jennifer Rush. Other clients include Bloomsbury (an imprint of Macmillan), Greenwillow (an imprint of HarperCollins), the Gernert Company, Writers House, and Greenhouse Literary.
SELECT TESTIMONIALS
"Julie Scheina is everything I could have hoped for in an editor - kind, prompt and responsive, and extraordinarily talented. She edits with a deft, yet soft touch. Simply by asking me questions (many, many questions!) she guided me to fleshing out my characters, their world and their story. She helped me see what elements existed only in my head that hadn’t made it onto the page. And she helped me more fully understand my MC’s arc, making it clearer how to hang the story on the scaffolding of that arc. What surprised me the most is how her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before. I highly recommend Julie Scheina’s services and would definitely invite her to edit my work again."
—Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING
“Julie is my most valued editorial partner. I love that she can not only help me be my best narrative self, but also that I can specifically tell her the kind of read I am looking for, or what I am concerned about, and that she can give me a responsive read that answers all those questions. She has a wonderful depth of publishing industry experience, a commercial sensibility, and a love of craft that make her a unique partner for a writer. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
—Margaret Stohl, author of the Icons series and co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series
“It’s rare to encounter an editor with as much skill, enthusiasm, and dedication to her craft as Julie Scheina. She excels at respecting an author’s voice while suggesting the sorts of changes, large and small, that shape a manuscript into something outstanding. As an editorial colleague at a major publisher, I saw firsthand the ways in which Julie’s sensitivity, insight, and encouragement were central to the success of numerous bestselling and award-winning books.”
— Barbara Bakowski, Senior Copy Editor, Random House Children’s Books
“If I were to write my own book, I would be honored to have Julie Scheina as my editor. In the seven years she worked in the editorial department at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, she continually impressed me with her intelligent and thoughtful approach to the craft of editing, deep respect for writers, excellent communication skills, and professional poise. Her broad editorial range enabled her to work on a diverse list projects, including contemporary commercial fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and poetry and her first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry would be invaluable to writers as they embark on their careers.”
–Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
“I had the pleasure of working with Julie Scheina over many years on a variety of different projects. She always brought her very best to every job, giving authors the individualized attention each required, never approaching a manuscript with a one-size-fits-all mindset. The books she worked on were better for her effort, and the writers she worked with better authors.”
–Michael Bourret, Literary Agent, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
“Julie is an incredibly thoughtful and careful editor who understands how to identify quickly what an author is trying to do and help them do it even better. Her tastes are diverse, and she understands that different books (and authors) require different approaches. I always know that no matter what kind of manuscript I give to Julie, it will leave her hands in better shape than when she got it.”
–Steven Malk, Literary Agent, Writers House
Languages
English (AUS)
English (CAN)
English (NZ)
English (SA)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Adventure
Children's - Middle Grade
Dystopian
Fantasy
Paranormal Romance
Science Fiction
Thriller
Young Adult & Teen
Work experience
Editor and Publishing Consultant
Self-employed
March, 2014
–
Present
(over 5 years)
I am available for a range of editorial services for children’s and young adult projects, including critiques; detailed editorial feedback; developmental and line editing; query, synopsis, proposal, and copy review; as well as consultation and coaching. I also have experience as a speaker and presenter for a variety of conferences, panels, and workshops.
Senior Editor
Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
August, 2006
–
March, 2013
(over 6 years)
Portfolio (28 selected works)
Red Knit Cap Girl
Naoko Stoop
Red Knit Cap Girl is a little girl with a big dream -- to meet the Moon. Red Knit Cap Girl lives with her animal friends in an enchanted forest. There is so much to see and do, but more than anything Red Knit Cap Girl wishes she could talk to the Moon. Join Red Knit Cap Girl and her forest friends on a journey of curiosity, imagination, and joy as they search for a way to meet the Moon. Gorgeo... read more
Iron Hearted Violet
Kelly Barnhill
Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill spins a wondrously different kind of fairy-tale: In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. But this isn't most fairy tales...Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumb... read more
The Last Dogs: The Vanishing
Christopher Holt
When all the humans in his world disappear, Max, a yellow Labrador Retriever, begins the search for his family. He knows that if he can just find Madame Curie, a wise, old black Lab, she'll be able to help. Madame had a premonition of astonishing events to come -- she might know where Max's family is.But Max can't make the journey alone. Joined by friends Rocky and Gizmo, Max sets off to find ... read more
The Sasquatch Escape (The Imaginary Veterinary)
Suzanne Selfors
When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon?Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in... read more
Smells Like Dog
Suzanne Selfors
Meet Homer Pudding, an ordinary farm boy who's got big dreams-to follow in the footsteps of his famous treasure-hunting uncle. But when Uncle Drake mysteriously disappears, Homer inherits two things: a lazy, droopy dog with no sense of smell, and a mystery.Why would his uncle call this clumsy dog his "most treasured possession?" And why did he put a gold coin on the dog's collar?And who will c... read more
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma
Trenton Lee Stewart
Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before.Filled wit... read more
The Storm Makers
Jennifer E. Smith
What if you had the power to control the weather?What starts as an ordinary summer turns exciting and perilous for twins Ruby and Simon when strange occurrences begin happening on their farm -- sudden gusts of wind, rainstorms, and even tornado warnings -- that seem eerily timed to Simon's emotions.Then a stranger arrives and tells the twins that Simon is a Storm Maker -- part of a clandestine... read more
President of the Whole Fifth Grade (President Series)
Sherri Winston
Start counting your votes . . . and your friends.When Brianna Justice's hero, the famous celebrity chef Miss Delicious, speaks at her school and traces her own success back to being president of her fifth grade class, Brianna determines she must do the same. She just knows that becoming president of her class is the first step toward her own cupcake-baking empire!But when new student Jasmine M... read more
Bitter End
Jennifer Brown
He told me he loved me and I believed him. When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her. At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want ... read more
Beautiful Creatures
Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
The first book in a lush gothic fantasy series for younger readers of Charlaine Harris and fans of Cassandra Clare.Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South,... read more
Icons
Margaret Stohl
Ro murmurs into my ear. "Don't be afraid, Dol. They're not coming for us." Still, he slips his arm around me and we wait until the sky is clear. Because he doesn't know. Not really.Everything changed on The Day. The day the Icon appeared in Los Angeles. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting. Since then, Dol has liv... read more
Unbreakable (Legion)
Kami Garcia
2013 BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL.I never believed in ghosts.Until one tried to kill me.When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible--not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.Kennedy learns that her mother's ... read more
Jane
April Lindner
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a... read more
Sweetly (Fairy Tale Retelling)
Jackson Pearce
The forest invites you in . . . but will never let you go.As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear too.Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invi... read more
I Am J
Cris Beam
A powerful and inspiring story about a transgender teen's struggle to find his own path -- and love his true self. J had always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a "real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping... read more
Ori Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest. Oh, and maybe finally working up the nerve to ta... read more
She Loves You, She Loves You Not...
Julie Anne Peters
Seventeen-year-old Alyssa thought she knew who she was. She had her family and her best friends and, most important, she had Sarah. Sarah, her girlfriend, with whom she dreamed with about the day they could move far away and live out and proud and accepted for themselves, instead of having to hide their relationship. Alyssa never thought she would have to make that move by herself, but disowne... read more
Altered
Jennifer Rush
They were made to forget. But they'll never forgive.Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch, at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna'... read more
The Lucy Variations
Sara Zarr
Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. But without music in her life, Lucy's not sure who she is, or who she wants to be. Then she meets Will, her brother's new piano teacher, who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy find her way back to piano-not for an audience, but on her own ter... read more
Roomies
Sara Zarr, Tara Altebrando
The countdown to college has begun.When Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment at the beginning of summer, she shoots off an email to coordinate the basics: TV, microwave, mini-fridge. She can't wait to escape her New Jersey beach town, and her mom, and start life over in California.That first message comes as a surprise to Lauren in San Francisco; she had requested a single.... read more
Hinges of Broams Eld (a Kids' Fantasy Mystery series)
Jennifer Cano
Livy Hinge thinks that her biggest worries are the bully next door, the mysterious ingredients lurking in her mother’s Everything Casserole, and the tricky dilemmas her overactive imagination lands her in. But even Livy has never envisioned trees slinging splinters big as swords at her. Or falling off a giant moth five-hundred feet in the air, commanding the elements to stand still, or battlin... read more
The Secret Zoo: The Final Fight
Bryan Chick
In the sixth and final book in the highly imaginative The Secret Zoo series, the Shadowist has taken control of the Secret Zoo and only Noah and his friends, both human and animal, can stop him. The action spills out onto Noah's street, and even into his own home! Lingering questions are finally answered. Who really is Mr. Darby? Will Noah join the Descenders? What will happen to the Secret Zo... read more
Strange Times: The Ghost In The Girl
Tom DeLonge, Geoff Herbach
From the imagination of blink-182’s award-winning author Tom DeLonge, the Strange Times crew first debuted in the graphic novel Strange Times: The Curse of Superstition Mountain. Now teamed-up with Geoff Herbach, also an award-winning author of the Felton Reinstein Trilogy, DeLonge tells the hilarious and haunting adventure that originally forced five outcast jerks to band together or give up ... read more
The Deadliest Earthling (The Aldrinverse Book 1)
Gibson Morales
When he was six, Johnny’s parents gave their lives to defeat the Anunnaki and free Earth. Except they failed. Ten years of training later, a reluctant Johnny is the best cadet in the Watcher resistance network. He’s not the best because he wants to fight aliens, but because it’s the only way to escape his parents’ tainted legacy. At least, according to The Eagle, the leader of the resistance.B... read more
The Butterfly Code
Sue Wyshynski
I should be dead. But someone has made me perfect. My name is Aeris Thorne. Right now, I should be dead. By all the logic in this world, I should be shattered to pieces. How fast was I going on that ATV when I smashed into Hunter's iron gates? Ninety? A hundred? And the men who were chasing me, where did they go? Somehow, I'm whole. Maybe better than whole. Thank god Dad is safe. I don't dare ... read more
Elixir Project
Kary Oberbrunner
EVERYTHING CAN BE HACKED, EVEN THE TRUTH.Will this fact set Sienna free or plunge her into an even bigger lie?Sienna Lewis lives in a world constantly threatened by a hacktivist group known as SWARM. After SWARM executes its deadliest attack yet, Sienna and her three college friends learn they have been chosen for the ELIXIR Project—a master plan designed to overthrow SWARM—and participation i... read more
The Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story
George Brewington
A father-son monster hunter duo must save the Bay Area from an evil villain in The Monster Catchers, a madcap middle-grade fantasy debut from George Brewington.If there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Buckleby and Son!Whether it's a goblin in the garden or a fairy in the attic, Bailey Buckleby and his dad can rid your home of whatever monster is troubling you—for t... read more
Nine-year-old James has always longed for swashbuckling sword fights and daring adventures. But those are hard to find in the seaside town of Grimsby, where James and his sisters are not even allowed to dip their toes in the ocean. That is, until their father, Dr Jones, receives a royal commission to travel to Barbados. But James, Elizabeth, and Emily get more adventure than they bargained for... read more
Julie has 4 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
It’s hard to imagine a more insightful, diligent, and painstaking editor. Julie is all these things and more, and I am thrilled and grateful to have been able to work with her several times now. If you have a chance to work with Julie, jump for it: your book will never have a closer reading.
Bob Cohn, May 2019
I’ve worked with Julie twice now and will continue to do so as long as she’ll let me. Her editing is incredibly detailed and thorough, but always gentle and instructive as she leads you to your best. Working with Julie is like taking a master class; I can’t recommend her highly enough.
Bob Cohn, November 2018
Julie is fabulous. Her editing is insightful and thorough and maybe even a bit fastidious--which I suppose is a good thing when it comes to editors. I hope I'm lucky enough to be able to work with her again.
Bob Cohn, May 2018
I am so thankful to Julie for her thorough and thoughtful edit letter and line edits. I admit I was a little nervous, but reading them felt like opening a treasure chest filled with gold! I feel energized by all the ways I can make my book better. As I read, I kept thinking, “How did I miss this?“, “This is a great idea!” and “Genius!” Her questions and ideas not only point to solutions that ad...
Read more
David Trejo, February 2018
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