Kate Angelella

Kate Angelella – Editor

Former S&S editor w/15+ yrs experience editing NYT bestselling & award-winning authors such as Nova Ren Suma & Kekla Magoon.

Overview

I've worked as an editor for over a decade. During my time at Simon & Schuster, I acquired and edited books by award-winning and bestselling authors, including the first original novels by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nova Ren Suma; and Margaret A. Edwards Award, John Steptoe Award, Coretta Scott King Honor, and NAACP Image Award recipient Kekla Magoon.


My clients have gone on to secure publishing deals with Big 5 publishers (some at auction!), sign with agents of their dreams and managers at big Hollywood talent agencies, and author bestselling and award-winning books.


Everyone has a story to tell; I want to help you make yours the best that it can be. My critiques are thorough and honest without compromising professionalism or compassion. I want to be your coach, your cheerleader, and your sounding board to help you take your next step toward achieving your literary dreams. I especially love working with voicey books that feature badass female protagonists (the kind that wield actual weapons and the kind whose “weapons” take another form, like a sharp tongue or clever wit), swoony romance (love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, and friends-to-lovers all welcome here!), body positivity, sex positivity, and books that blur the line between reality and magic in all its many forms.


Please note: I am a thorough editor who dedicates a lot of time and attention to your story. Due to the level of detail I provide, I am not the least expensive option; if you're looking for the cheapest quote, please don't inquire.


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"Any writer would be lucky to have Kate’s insightful, wise editorial guidance. In her time on the editing staff at Aladdin, Kate acquired and shaped books that launched careers of many industry stars, including the future #1 Indie Next pick author Nova Ren Suma and the multiple John Steptoe-award-winning Kekla Magoon. Kate has an eye for talent and a gentle, skilled hand at coaxing out the best from a writer."

--Liesa Abrams, Publisher, Labyrinth Road Books (Penguin Random House)


"Kate has a wonderful eye for what works in the commercial marketplace, with a talent for finding new, fresh voices and pushing them to be the best writers they can be. While at Aladdin, she shaped many noteworthy debuts, and her collaborative editorial process was appreciated and respected by her colleagues and authors. “

--Alyson Heller, Executive Editor, Aladdin Books (S&S)


“The whole thought of hiring a professional editor made me nervous, at first. But it was one of the best career decisions I have ever made. Kate’s enthusiasm for my story made me remember why I loved writing, and her spot-on edits helped me shape and hone my manuscript into something I am immensely proud of. She gave her critiques with a genuine kindness that made me feel completely at ease while also incredibly motivated. Kate’s edits gave me the push I needed, and I am so grateful.”

– Katharyn Blair, screenwriter at Marvel and author of THE BECKONING SHADOW and UNCHOSEN (HarperCollins)


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Services
Fiction
Chick Lit Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Magical Realism Middle Grade Fantasy New Adult Romantic Comedy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • BA, Drama (Ithaca College, 2002)
  • MFA, Writing for Children & Young Adults (Vermont College of Fine Arts, 2017)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2011 — Present

Kate has been freelance writing and editing since 2011. In 2015, she began her own full-time freelance editorial business. She offers comprehensive editorial work, providing in-depth, honest, and compassionate critiques.

Simon & Schuster Children's Books

May, 2007 — Jan, 2011 (over 3 years)

Acquired, edited, and wrote jacket and promotional copy for 30+ original novels and edited several popular bi-monthly series such as NANCY DREW, THE HARDY BOYS, & CHILDHOOD OF FAMOUS AMERICANS.

Portfolio

Fade Out

Nova Ren Suma

Life echoes art in this sassy, heartwrenching coming-of-age story from the author of Imaginary Girls.It’s summer and Dani Callanzano has been abandoned by everyone she knows. Her dad moved out, her mom is all preoccupied being broken-hearted, and her closest f... read more
Camo Girl

Kekla Magoon

A biracial student questions her identity in this contemporary novel from the author of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptor Award–winning The Rock and the River.Ella and Z have been friends forever, both of them middle-school outsiders in their Las Vegas subur... read more
The Time: 1968 The Place: Chicago For thirteen-year-old Sam it's not easy being the son of known civil rights activist Roland Childs. Especially when his older (and best friend), Stick, begins to drift away from him for no apparent reason. And then it happens:... read more
Struck

Roth, K.E.

Art Beholding

Clare Merrett

Fifteen-year-old Art wanted to spend the summer at home, with Dad, being normal. She does not want to be here, on Mum’s work trip, with her colleague and his sulky, identikit daughter.Worse, Mum has booked a place in the middle of nowhere that looks like other... read more
The Edee Story

Clare Merrett

Fifteen-year-old Edee’s world is full of new and different. Two weeks ago, her best friend, Lucie, left town. Nothing is the same without her.However, when Edee goes to pick up a pair of glasses, she discovers that ‘new and different’ have way, way more levels... read more
Burning Rose

Lavan, Lyndsey

Burying Eva Flores

Alsever, Jennifer

TRIUMPHANT at last, Ember has fought her way back from the evil witch’s curse and reclaimed her identity, her sense of self. Now she must stop Xintra from hurting the boy she loves, even as she uncovers the truth behind her mother’s dark, twisted past.˃˃˃ REJO... read more
She didn't fall. She was shoved. Getting shoved from the top of her high school’s social ladder is not something Candace Ellis sees coming. At seventeen, she has it all: friends, popularity and a delectable boyfriend. Through no fault of her own, she loses eve... read more
Keeper

Kim Chance

When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dea... read more
Enchanting The Fey

Rebecca Bosevski

The day Desmoree Shale was kidnapped and awoke naked on a slab in a Sydney morgue should have been the worst day of her life – but she’s not dead, barely harmed, and her would be assassin, Jax, is actually kind of… cute. Tempted by the idea of a mythical fairy... read more
Brought to you by the writers of the best-selling CUPCAKE DIARIES series… The new JUNIOR LIFEGUARDS series is wholesome summer fun for young YA readers! Dive right in with the brave, diverse girls of the Junior Lifeguards as they continue their summery adventu... read more
Junior Lifeguards are #brave and #strong. Join the squad!Catch up with the brave, diverse girls of the Junior Lifeguards as they continue their summery adventures on Cape Cod, where ice cream, miniature golf, and sand-between-your-toes combine with beachfront ... read more
Broken Girls

J. M. Ryan

She didn't fall. She was shoved. Getting shoved from the top of her high school’s social ladder is not something Candace Ellis sees coming. At seventeen, she has it all: friends, popularity and a delectable boyfriend. Through no fault of her own, she loses eve... read more
Menacing dark fantasy and heart-pounding suspense combine in the second book of this reader acclaimed supernatural series (The Gabriel Davenport Series) from British author Beverley Lee Gabriel Davenport has been remade from darkness. Now, he must adapt to sur... read more
OSHUN has everything a young pop star could ever want—fame, fortune, and beauty to spare. But there’s something dark inside of her, rising like the tide, fighting to be heard. Something that terrifies her. Because once she lets it out, she knows there’s no goi... read more
Senior year was supposed to be great—that’s what Ember’s friend Maddie promised at the beginning of the year. Instead, Ember Trouvé spends the year drifting in and out of life like a ghost, haunted by her parents’ recent, tragic death.At home, she pores over h... read more
Muriel Avenue Sluts

Maggie Hasbrouck

Seventeen-year-old Julia Turnbow’s mother gets paid to have sex; that’s just how it is. When Jules turns eighteen, she plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps and join the exclusive world of Philadelphia’s infamous Muriel Avenue Sluts. But before all that ha... read more
The Recital

Kyle V. Hiller

Everything changed after the first day of seventh grade. For Edith Solstice, it wasn't her height. It wasn't getting her first kiss. It wasn't harder classes, either, except for Pre-Algebra. The change was a magical one. Unfortunately.Edith didn't know magic w... read more
In a house built on truth something lays hidden. Beth and Stu Davenport moved to the English hillside town of Meadowford Bridge to give their young son, Gabriel, an idyllic, rural childhood. But in a single evening, the Davenports' dream is shattered by a hidd... read more
In Trouble at the Arcade, nine-year-old Frank and eight-year-old Joe Hardy discover trouble lurking at the local arcade and decide they make pretty good detectives—just like their dad!
Ned's classmate Portia Leoni won last year's Miss Pretty Face River Heights Beauty Pageant. But after Portia was accused of shoplifting dresses from a local boutique, her crown was taken away from her. Portia claims that she's innocent, but why would someone w... read more
Girl Meets Ghost

Lauren Barnholdt

A tween girl becomes a reluctant medium in this start to a hilariously haunting series.Kendall Williams sees dead people. Not only can she see them, she can speak to them…and they can speak to her. It’s that last little detail that really causes all kinds of p... read more
Maggie has discovered a kobold—a creature similar to a house brownie but with an evil bent. Her grandfather trapped a particular kobold thirty years ago to keep it away from Maggie’s father, but the creature has escaped and is out to punish Maggie's family. Na... read more
Mr. McGuire takes Maggie, Raphael, Fiona, and Hasenpfeffer to Scotland to meet one of his oldest friends, Sir Roderick Lachlan, who will conduct Maggie’s World Federation of Magic testing. Also at the estate are smarmy young house guest—Munro Wallace Shaw, his... read more
Nice and Mean (mix)

Jessica Leader

Marina is mean. Sachi is nice. Marina is Barney’s. Sachi is Burlington Coat Factory. It’s bad enough they’re forced to coexist in their middle-school’s high-profile video elective—but now they’re being forced to work together on the big semester project. Marin... read more
Fiona Finkelstein tries her hand at making matches in this second book of the lively and lovable Not-So-Ordinary Girl trilogy.Fiona has proved herself as a ballerina, but she’s got other talents as well. Such as…matchmaking? Maybe. She sets out to start a club... read more
Fiona Finkelstein was born to be a ballerina—if she can get over her stage fright, that is. The first in the feisty and endearing Not-So-Ordinary Girl trilogy.More than catching fireflies, more than eating triple–hot fudge sundaes, and even more than waking up... read more
BFF Breakup (mix)

Taylor Morris

Brooke and Madeline have been best friends since they first met. And now they're going to be best friends in high school, then go to the same college where they'll be roommates, date—and marry—boys who are also best friends. Finally they'll live next door to e... read more
Objective: Be Selected to Present at Academy Day Process: Scientific Method Step 1: Formulate a Question What would it take to get Tiffany to notice Igor? Dorie is in science geek heaven at the National Academy for Gifted Youth's science program until she real... read more
Maggie Bean in Love

Tricia Rayburn

At the start of 8th grade, Maggie Bean is really, truly, 100% happy. She's successfully maintained her weight, moved into a beautiful house her family actually owns, and -- best of all -- fallen in love. That's right--love. The real kind, with actual dates, ha... read more
HAVE A SECRET YOU JUST NEED TO GET OUT? IS YOUR BEST FRIEND'S NEW BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHIRT A TOTAL FASHION DON'T? WANNA ANNONYMOUSLY TELL YOUR CRUSH YOU LIKE HIM? Save yourself the embarrassment and pass your secret through me, Samantha Carmichael. Drop your secre... read more
Devon Delaney cannot believe she's lying again. But the thing is, she couldn't help it. Her new boyfriend, Luke, is talking to his (gorgeous) ex-girlfriend, Bailey Barelli (!!!), every single day in mock trial. Devon couldn't just stand by and let him find out... read more
Ruby's Slippers

Tricia Rayburn

Ruby Lee has never downloaded an iTune, heard of Facebook, nor seen a video on YouTube. Raised in rural Kansas with her mom as her best friend, she’s cozy and content. But everything changes when she and her mom move to Florida to care for her grandmother, Nan... read more
The Summer of May

Cecilia Galante

Now in paperback, a moving novel of loss and resilience, told in a voice that is “sometimes humorous, at times heartbreaking, and always authentic” (School Library Journal).Twelve-year-old May lives with her grandmother, who is depressed about the absence of M... read more
The first in a fresh new M!X series about girls involved in the cutthroat world of modeling, acting and commercial castings!Brittany Rush is the face of Gotta Have It candy bars, the hands of Write On pencils, the hair of Knot Me Not detangle spray and the voi... read more
Twelve-year-old Maggie Malloy can make wishes come true. But she’s learned that people like magic better in storybooks than in real life, and longs to find someone who understands her power. When she’s forced to spend a year with her grandmother, Maggie discov... read more
Fake Me a Match (mix)

Lauren Barnholdt

It’s matchmaking mayhem when a school project goes awry in this “entertaining and enjoyable read” (School Library Journal) from the author of Four Truths and a Lie.Avery LaDuke is bummed when her (former) BFF, Sophie Burns, dumps her for the popular crowd. But... read more

Kate has 56 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Sara R.

Sara R.

Jul, 2023

I needed some open-ended creative coaching to get me out of a doom spiral and Kate was terrific! Clear, calm, totally pro about the publishing biz end of things but also really tuned in to the creative process. Highly recommend her!
Elodie C.

Elodie C.

Jun, 2023

So very pleased to have work with Kate! She was very professional and thorough and had so many great ideas to make my story better. Her edit letter was detailed and helped me structure the manuscript in a way I didn't think of. Our one hour zoom call was also very productive! Thank you Kate :)
Jennifer S.

Jennifer S.

Jun, 2023

Kate's feedback was incredibly helpful! She provided notes on the first 20k words of my novel to help me determine if I was going in the right direction, if my characters were well developed, and if I was starting in the right place. Her input was detailed and thorough. Highly recommend!
Katherine L.

Katherine L.

Apr, 2023

Kate is brilliant. She not only made my manuscript better, she gave me tools to make me a better writer going forward. I feel lucky to have found her and plan to use her on my future manuscripts. She knows what she’s doing. Don’t hesitate to choose her. No complaints. Only joy and a renewed sense of hope.
M.A. P.

M.A. P.

Apr, 2023

I enjoyed my experience with Kate. I was impressed with the quick responses and updates on the progress of the edit. She did an amazing job considering my manuscript was slightly larger than normal. She gave me the insights and suggestions (that I have been implementing) which I feel have elevated my story beyond what I could do alone. I especially like the follow up phone call to go over any q...
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