Olivia Valcarce – Editor

I have eight years of experience as an editor split between Scholastic and HarperCollins, specializing in middle-grade and YA novels. I’ve worked on books by Victoria (V.E.) Schwab, Alan Gratz, Sarah Mlynowski, Yamile Saied Méndez, Robby Weber, and Ivelisse Housman. In addition to years as an acquiring editor, my experience generating IP concepts that went on to be published has helped hone my eye for books with kid—and publisher—appeal. I can help you get your project ready for a traditional publisher (whether you’re just starting out, prepping to sub, or in the midst of your publishing career), or help you elevate your work as you aim to self-pub.

I bring a commercial sensibility to the projects I work on, but ultimately, my goal is helping an author realize their vision, whatever that may be. I love to help identify the heart of what an author wants to communicate and how to make that sing on the page. I’m especially passionate about books that highlight authentic lived experiences that are traditionally underrepresented in trad pub; whether or not I share that background, I work hard to listen and understand how I can most effectively reflect the reading experience back to the author.

I’m comfortable taking a holistic approach to a first draft, or my sharp attention to detail to a manuscript that needs to be polished to a shine (I also have three years of experience as a proofreader for a major publishing house). No matter what, I take a collaborative approach, as I respect that sharing one’s art is a difficult thing to do. It’s always an honor to be welcomed into an author’s creative process—let’s chat about how I can be a part of yours!

Here’s what some of my authors from my time in traditional publishing have to say about working with me:

“Olivia’s sense of story structure and character development are strong, and her feedback is never prescriptive. Her observations always lead to the right solutions that many times were buried right under the surface, waiting for an expert eye to be found. She's always timely and responsive, and encouraging and supportive. I love, love working with her. She's an excellent story doctor!” –Yamile Saied Méndez, Pura Belpré award-winning author of FURIA

"Olivia took my books from good to great, and then from great to phenomenal. She's great with character development and structure, but what helped the most is that she listened to what I wanted to say with my book and helped me polish my vision rather than change it into something else. I can't recommend Olivia enough!" –Jazz Taylor, author of STARTING FROM SCRATCH (and pen name of Jessica Lewis)

"Olivia's attention to detail mixed with her genuine empathy and understanding of the complexity of story are unmatched. I cannot recommend her skills as an editor highly enough and will always be grateful for the nuance, depth, and clarity she helped uncover in my work." –Clare Edge, author of ACCIDENTAL DEMONS