Justin Brouckaert – Editor

My journey to building a career in the publishing world was anything but straightforward. Born in the working-class suburbs of Metro Detroit, I attended a small public university in Michigan before moving south to earn my MFA in fiction at the University of South Carolina. In 2017, I was hired as an editorial assistant at Aevitas Creative Management. I was promoted to associate agent within three months and was promoted to full-time literary agent in the summer of 2020. One year later, I saw the first book I sold as an agent hit the New York Times bestseller list.

Before becoming a publishing professional, I worked at a Burger King, a Detroit pizza joint, an Einstein Bagel Bros and a miniature golf course. I've also worked as a small press intern, tutor, journalist, high school soccer coach, adjunct professor, and university administrator. I hold an expertise in the publishing world despite always being something of an outsider in that world. It's this perspective, I believe, that makes me a trustworthy partner to help shepherd other people's stories into the world.

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I've worked on more than 100 books that have been published by "big five" publishers and prominent indies alike, including novels, memoirs, business books, parenting and health books, "big think" books, self-help, popular psychology and journalistic narratives. The writers who work with me find the process challenging but rewarding—I'm a conscientious editor always pushing clients to do more, do better and think harder. My style is hands-on and collaborative as I provide thorough and detailed "in-text" comments as well as lengthy editorial notes. At the end of the day, a good editor should be willing to sweat with an author to help him or her achieve their goals.

SERVICES

Query Letter Critiques

A good query needs to be intelligent, professional, clear and evocative in order to catch the eye of a time-strapped agent; a bad query will get lost in the daily flood of emails. For a flat rate, I will provide clear and detailed feedback on how to make your query letter shine.

Proposal Editing

Whether you're looking for a developmental edit or just an editorial assessment, I'm ready to help you develop the strong document you'll need in order to catch the eye of agents and publishers.

Novel or Memoir Editing

I know firsthand how difficult it can be to open yourself up to constructive criticism. When working with writers, I try to ask thoughtful questions and engage in substantive conversations with the author to help "unlock" a manuscript's potential. I also offer strong prescriptive feedback that helps writers highlight and develop the most evocative and compelling aspects of their stories.

NOTE: As a literary agent, I don't consider queries from writers who I've worked with in a for-pay editorial capacity, nor will I accept any pitches from writers who have queried me for editing services via Reedsy. In this matter (and others) I adhere to the AALA's (Association of American Literary Agents) Canon of Ethics.