Literary agent specializing in children's lit. I edit and sell General Market (big NY houses) and Christian Market (Tyndale, etc.) books.
I'm an agent, publisher, and freelance editor with over 20 years experience in General Market children's books, and in books for all ages in the Christian market. Books I've edited have won major awards and one series has sold over a million copies.
If you are writing novels, I can help you
1) find a vibrant voice that will make your books sing
2) build rich story worlds that will draw readers in and hold them captive
3) create active characters your readers will love (even long after they finish reading)
4) plan and execute twisting plots that will surprise and delight your readers
5) weave in meaningful themes so your readers will finish your books with a satisfied sigh.
I also have tons of experience editing board books and picture books. With these I can help you with plot (or concept), character development, voice (rhyme and meter and words that wow!), page turns (pace), and theme.
And, after reading tens of thousands of query letters, I can tell you very quickly if your query letter is going wrong and help you shape a letter that will grab an agent or editor's interest and make them flip to the manuscript and give it a read.
I do work on adult nonfiction and novels, but my first love is the children's market. Great children’s books entertain and also teach. The best books show children how to love well, cherish beauty, and think deeply; and they give children the courage to live heroic lives. With every edit I do, I strive to help authors write and publish books that are excellently crafted--books that will entertain children and also encourage them to live large.
A boutique publishing company with an eclectic list, including YA fantasy, MG poetry, picture books, novels, and even nonfiction.
I have four writing courses up on Udemy that cover Voice, Plot, Punctuation, and Query Letters. I have over 7000 students enrolled who live in over 90 countries.
Specializing in children's books, I have a select few authors, including the award-winning and best-selling Hannah C. Hall and Taryn Souders.
--I have done editorial assessments for SCBWI conferences for years. I'm honest about how much work is still to be done, but I'm proud to say I've never made a writer cry. I always point out what the writer excels at, as well as pointing out which areas need improvement.
--I love doing developmental edits. I help writers see where their characters are lacking motivation, and show them how to find exciting plots that are driven by active heroes readers can root for. In these edits, I focus on story world, character, plot, pace, and theme. Story world, character, and plot all must work to pull readers into the story, good pacing at the scene level will keep the pages turning, and a solid theme will make readers finish the book with a satisfied sigh, then go looking for another book you’ve written.
--When I do copy edits, I focus on voice, which is the most fun thing ever. I help writers find places to use fresh metaphors and other figures of speech. I look at each word, thinking about how it sounds and about connotations. I concentrate on pacing at the sentences and paragraph level--are the sentences and paragraph within each scene working to pull the reader comfortably forward? I also look at descriptions—how effective they are, and how consistent.
--Proofreading is my least favorite edit. But a necessary evil. Here I look at commas, exclamation points, and interrobangs (oh, my!). I tell you how many spaces go around em dashes (none) and ellipses (both sides). All that jazz.
--As a literary agent I have gotten many thousands of queries and proposals over the last decade. I am well qualified to give you a query letter review, telling you what works and what doesn’t and helping you write the strongest letter your book can support.
--When I edit picture books, which I love to do, I look at all that I’ve listed above—I look at character, plot (or structure on concept books and nonfiction), voice, theme, pacing (page turns), descriptions, and so on. But I also consider what kind of opportunities the author has given the illustrator.
Souders, Taryn
Souders, Taryn
Apokedak, Sally
Yordy, Janine, Vandenburg, Charlotte Hill
Davis, Lynne Marie
Davis, Lynne Marie, Davis, Lynne Marie
Fyleman, Rose, Apokedak, Sally
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah C., Curtis, Stacy
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah C., Kearney, Brendan
Magnin, Joyce
Lisa Fowler
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah C.
Hall, Hannah C.
Hall, Hannah C.
Hall, Hannah C.
Hannah C. Hall, Aleksandra Szmidt, Aleksandra Szmidt
Hannah C. Hall, Aleksandra Szmidt, Aleksandra Szmidt
Hall, Hannah C., Szmidt, Aleksandra
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah C., Jatkowska, Ag
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah, Whitlow, Steve
Hall, Hannah C., Szmidt, Aleksandra
Hall, Hannah C., Jatkowska, Ag
Hall, Hannah C., Bolton, Bill
Souders, Taryn
Hall, Hannah C., Chernyshova, Anna
Miller, Rebecca LuElla
Miller, Rebecca LuElla
Matuska , Lauricia
Matuska, Lauricia
Fink, R. L., Wooten, Antony , Delhauer, James , Wilson, Samantha , Apokedak, Sally
Traci Waters, June 2022
Gina Pate, June 2022
Catharine Day, June 2022
Jake Wadsley, June 2022
Valerie Olmos, June 2022
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I have eight years of professional editing experience and a great work ethic. Together, we can polish your work into something spectacular!
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Specialist nonfiction editor with 30+ years experience. I've worked on everything from gardening to fashion and children's education.
London, UK