Larissa Melo Pienkowski

Larissa Melo Pienkowski – Editor

IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY. Queer Latinx editor, literary agent, and sensitivity reader with 9+ years experience in adult/kids' genre fiction.

Overview

Hi, authors! As a literary agent*, editor, and sensitivity reader, I'm excited to share my editorial insight and years of expertise in the publishing industry to help you achieve your writing goals.


I approach editing as a dialogue. Rather than telling you what to change in your writing, I pose questions, offer suggestions, and shine a light on overlooked editorial issues to help you think more deeply about what you want to convey in your writing and how you might go about doing so. My goal is to work alongside you to strengthen your craft, preserve your voice, and amplify diverse experiences with understanding and compassion.


Before going into publishing, I was a social worker, which continues to inform much of my approach and my values throughout the editorial process. After earning my MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College, I began my publishing career at Beacon Press, Barefoot Books, and Dottir Press, and I gained experience in book acquisitions, editorial, production, publicity, and marketing before becoming a literary agent at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.*


For nearly a decade now, I've edited books by self-published authors and authors traditionally published at houses like Macmillan; St. Martin’s Press; Tor; Soho Press; Sourcebooks; Little, Brown; Hub City Press; And Other Stories; Dottir Press; Barefoot Books; and others.


While I have experience and passion for editing across genres and age groups, I have a soft spot for:


• romance and rom-coms;

• light fantasy and magical realism;

• women's fiction/book club fiction;

• horror, cozy mysteries, dark academia;

• historical fiction featuring stories, places, and time periods we don't often hear about;

• middle-grade and YA fiction;

• new adult/coming-of-age fiction; and

• adult literary fiction.


As the multilingual, mixed-race daughter of Brazilian and Polish immigrants, a proud member of #LatinxinPub, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am especially excited about working with BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, neurodivergent, and other historically marginalized authors.


Services I offer:

• editorial assessments

• developmental editing

• copyediting

• sensitivity reading for certain identities and experiences

• character assessments

• proofreading

• query letter and synopsis reviews

• nonfiction book proposal reviews

• nonfiction book indexing

• fully customizable editorial packages designed for your manuscript's particular needs


After I receive your query, I will work with you to learn more about your editorial needs and establish whether I will be a good fit for your work. I offer discounted package rates if you'd like to bundle together more than one editorial service (e.g., booking a developmental edit and copyedit in the same agreement), and I offer all returning clients a discount on future editorial services. I prioritize flexibility when meeting authors’ needs, so please don't hesitate to ask about your options!


*Please note that for ethical reasons, I cannot offer literary representation to anyone with whom I work in a freelance editorial capacity.

Services
Fiction
Chick Lit Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Cozy Mysteries Cultural & Ethnic LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction Social & Family Issues
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Bookbuilders of Boston Scholarship Recipient, 2019
Certifications
  • MA in Publishing and Writing, Emerson College
  • BSW in Social Work and Sociology, Simmons University

Work experience

Jill Grinberg Literary Management

Apr, 2020 — Present

Self-employed

May, 2015 — Present

Hub City Press

Dec, 2020 — Present

Tessera Editorial

Jan, 2020 — Present

Dottir Press

Aug, 2018 — May, 2023 (almost 5 years)

Portfolio

Winter's Orbit

Maxwell, Everina

Good Women

Hill, Halle

Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Must Love Books

Robinson, Shauna

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
A Rhyme & a Reason

Ik Jagait

After his separation from his childhood sweetheart Mahi, the headstrong but heartbroken Indo, gets involved with Jasleen, the free-spirited daughter of a wealthy, domineering family. But just ... read more
Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
A Norn in Bloom

Dahlberg, Jennifer Anglade

Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Permafrost

Baltasar, Eva

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
The Crocodile Bride

Pedersen, Ashleigh Bell

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Proofreading
Developmental Editing
Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
The Visitors

Stevens, Jessi Jezewska

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Quake: A Novel

Jónsdóttir, Auður

Copy Editing
Proofreading
The Hill

Bryan, Ali

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Pass with Care

Cooper Lee Bombardier

In this funny, lyrical, and piercingly insightful collection of essays and poems, trans writer, artist, and activist Cooper Lee Bombardier explores his experiences of gender and sexuality agai... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Proofreading
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Send Pics

Lauren McLaughlin

At first glance, the sleepy suburb of Jonesville, Massachusetts doesn't seem to have much going on. The teens at Jonesville High are itching for more, ready to escape the confines of suburbia ... read more
Developmental Editing
The brainchild of three women-of-color sociologists, IntersectionAllies is a smooth, gleeful entry into intersectional feminism. The nine interconnected characters proudly describe themselves ... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Following up Slut, her explosive 2015 play and guidebook for combating sexism and sexual violence, Katie Cappiello turns her perceptive eyes and ears to the lived experiences of young men as t... read more
Copy Editing
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness is a a picture book that invites white children and parents to become curious about racism, accept that it's real, and cultivate justice. “Quite frankly, th... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading

Larissa has 45 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Angela W.

Angela W.

Feb, 2024

Pinned
Selecting Larissa to copyedit my manuscript was one of the best decisions I have made on this writing journey, second only to the decision to get started at all! I found her edits to be thoughtful, insightful, and sensitive. In addition to polishing up the language, her edits were invaluable in helping me see certain plot and character inconsistencies and some verbal tics, as well. Her suggesti...
Read more
Larissa M.
Thank you so much, Angela! It was such a pleasure working with you and I can't wait to do it again in the future!
Jennifer D.

Jennifer D.

Jan, 2024

Pinned
Larissa is an excellent, intuitive editor who helped me improve my manuscript. She has a keen eye for both developmental and copy editing. She cares deeply about the story and the characters, and her feedback reflects that. She challenged me to rethink my characters’ arc, which made the plot more compelling and engaging. Larissa is knowledgeable about the current trends and expectations in the ...
Read more
Larissa M.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! It's always such a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to doing so again in the future. :)
Alexander C.

Alexander C.

Jan, 2022

Pinned
Larissa was absolutely wonderful to work with. From the first contact, she was easy to talk to, inviting, and excited about the work. I appreciated most of all the way she catered the edits to what I was specifically worried about rather than a one size fits all edit. She cut right to the heart of what I needed and certainly delivered when it was all through. Her feedback went above and beyond...
Read more
Larissa M.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Alexander! Loved working with you and would love to do so again in the future. :)
Allison O.

Allison O.

Apr, 2024

Larissa has an eye for storytelling and detail that will make your book better. I hired Larissa for a sensitivity read, and WOW - the comments she provided are incredibly comprehensive and thoughtful, and above and beyond what I was expecting. I know my book will be that much richer for having worked with her!
Larissa M.
Thank you so much, Allison! It was so lovely working with you and I'd love to do so again in the future. Happy revising!
Dominque F.

Dominque F.

Feb, 2024

Larissa was wonderful to work with. She gave me generous feedback and things that really showed me what literary agents are looking for in a book. Wonderful experience, would love to work with her again!
Larissa M.
Thank you so much, Dominque! I'd love to work with you again in the future. :)

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