Samantha Knoerzer

Samantha Knoerzer – Editor

I am an experienced trade and education Editor who has worked with NY Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison, Daniel Kraus, and Mo Willems.

Overview

I joined the publishing world with an M.S. in Publishing from NYU SCPS, and have a passion for editing, writing, and illustration. I have over six years of traditional publishing experience in both the educational and general trade markets. My passion lies in children's books, from picture books to YA, and I have worked with numerous New York Times bestselling authors such as Lisi Harrison, Daniel Kraus, Tammi Sauer, and Mo Willems.


I have a keen sense of the market and would love to utilize my Editorial knowledge to help authors bring amazing new content to readers of all ages. I enjoy talking about publishing and am always willing to be a friendly ear for any parts of the process that you are more curious about. I am fond of providing thorough comprehensive and creative feedback, and I am happy to chat over a cup of coffee about notes or even just your favorite book! Working with me will provide you with a collaborative colleague, friend, and cheerleader.


Notable titles that I have worked on:

-The Ethan Fairmont series by ALA award winning author, Nick Brooks

-The Graveyard Girls series by New York Times bestselling authors, Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus

-The award-winning The Sky Over Rebecca by Matthew Fox, which won a B&N Young Reader of the Year honor

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction Comics Non-Fiction
Fiction
Comics & Graphic Novels Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Barnes & Noble Middle Grade Shortlist of the Year honor
Certifications
  • NYU SCPS: Masters of Publishing

Work experience

Union Square & Co.

Sep, 2020 — Present
Edits children's books ages 3–18, including The Ethan Fairmont series by ALA award winning author, Nick Brooks; The Graveyard Girls series by New York Times bestselling authors, Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus; and the award winning The Sky Over Rebecca by Matthew Fox, which won a B&N Young Reader of the Year honor.

W. W. Norton

May, 2021 — Sep, 2021 (4 months)
Edited and developed a variety of custom and original educational projects for high school and higher education.

N/A

Nov, 2020 — Present
Various freelance work.

Macmillan Children’s - Swoon Reads - Feiwel & Friends

Apr, 2019 — Present
Evaluated manuscripts for YA content of all genres and selected titles for publication consideration.

Macmillan Learning

Feb, 2017 — Nov, 2020 (almost 4 years)

Random House—Schwartz & Wade

Sep, 2014 — Dec, 2014 (4 months)
Shadowed an editor on children's books ages 3–18.

BiblioCrunch

Mar, 2013 — Mar, 2024 (about 11 years)
Created publishing content and oversaw the communication and connection of over 46,000 authors and 2,300 publishing professionals. I also managed the company's social media and events calendar.

Portfolio

Good Different

Kuyatt, Meg Eden

Scholastic Press

Editorial Assessment Query Letter Review
This Is for Tonight

Patrick, Jessica

Swoon Reads

Editorial Assessment
Heart of the Impaler

Delacroix, Alexander

Swoon Reads

Editorial Assessment
Mark of the Wicked

Bowers, Georgia

Swoon Reads

Editorial Assessment
Hullabaloo at Camp Croak! (Ghost Scouts)

Dolan, Taylor

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
Welcome to Camp Croak! (Ghost Scouts)

Dolan, Taylor

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
What's on Your Plate?: Exploring the World of Food

Stewart, Whitney

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
What Do You Celebrate?: Holidays and Festivals Around the World

Stewart, Whitney

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Some Days

Orloff, Karen Kaufman

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Your Alien Returns

Sauer, Tammi

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Your Alien

Sauer, Tammi

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Chicken Dance

Sauer, Tammi

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon

Lapin, Joyce

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Even Superheroes Have Bad Days

Shelly Becker

scholastic

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Caring for Your Lion

Sauer, Tammi

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Season's Eatings (Graveyard Girls)

Harrison, Lisi

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
Everything Interesting Keeps Happening to Ethan Fairmont

Brooks, Nick

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
Treasure Island (Children's Signature Editions)

Stevenson, Robert Louis

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Proofreading
A Million Little Monsters: Frightful Creatures to Color (A Million Creatures to Color)

Mayo, Lulu

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Proofreading
This Book Is Full of Brains: All Kinds of Brains and How They Work

Little House of Science

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Rare Birds

Miller, Jeff

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
The Sky Over Rebecca

Fox, Matthew

Union Square Kids

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Too Many Interesting Things Are Happening to Ethan Fairmont

Brooks, Nick

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont

Brooks, Nick

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
Scream for the Camera (Graveyard Girls)

Harrison, Lisi

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review
1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War (Graveyard Girls)

Harrison, Lisi

Union Square Kids

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading Query Letter Review

Samantha has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Azee A.

Azee A.

Mar, 2025

Samantha delivered on her promises, providing me fantastic insights on how to make my story better, and where it would fit best in the industry. I really appreciated that she gave me some ideas of similar titles, and was very fast, responsive, and accommodating throughout the process. This was m...
Read more
Samantha K.
Thank you, Azee! I cannot wait to see your book in print one day!
Dalten J.

Dalten J.

Sep, 2024

Samantha was awesome to work with. She was fairly priced, and gave me great feedback. I look forward to working with her more in the future.
Samantha K.
Thank you, Dalten! It was a delight to work with you. You have a great vision for your book. I look forward to reading the final story one day!

Most recent contributions

What common mistakes do authors make when writing their query letter?

One big mistake is querying the wrong agent. Sending your 90,000 word adult fantasy to an agent who specializes in literary nonfiction will only result in a rejection. This does not mean that you do not have an amazing story, but rather that that particular agent cannot best service that particul...
Read more

Which part of the book proposal do agents and publishers care about the most?

Of course the synopsis is important, but the most important part of a book proposal, particularly in nonfiction, is the why. Why is your book important to the market? What hole is it filling? And most importantly, why is your book salable and marketable in today’s market? Hope this helps!
Read more

How does personalizing a query letter increase its chances of success?

In my experience, personalizing a query letter shows a few things: Your interest in working with that particular agent. This increases their interest in your project and your agent-author relationship. Your knowledge of the market and targeted marketing. As a writer you don’t need to be a pro ...
Read more

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