Samantha Zaboski

Samantha Zaboski – Editor

Publishing industry and lit agency experience. 10-year editor of YA and adult contemporary, sci-fi and fantasy adept at strengthening voice.

Overview

*~March 2025 Update: Currently Booking for June~*


I'm a developmental editor and line editor with a decade of editing and publishing industry experience, and four years of literary agency experience.


I received my master's in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College and my bachelor's in Professional Writing from King's College, with a second major in Psychology. My master's program included coursework in manuscript editing, copyediting, book publishing, marketing, and publicity, taught by professionals active in the industry.


My editing style focuses on strengthening while maintaining voice. My comments and suggestions are framed not just to suggest what can change, but to explain why I'm suggesting a change. In this way, I aim to equip my authors with a deeper understanding of tactics for mastering voice, plot structure, pacing, and character development. Ultimately, my goal is to help you find the best resolutions that fit your vision, voice, and story.


FREE SAMPLE EDIT

I provide a free sample edit of first pages to determine if we'd be a good fit, so please don't hesitate to reach out with a sample so that we can start discussing your project.


SERVICES

~ Editorial Assessment: Broad strokes overview of what's working, what isn't, and why.

~ Developmental Edit: No-stone-unturned assessment of the manuscript aimed at guiding a revision that will make your manuscript stronger in every way.

~ Copyedit: Correction of true errors including grammar, usage, internal consistency, capitalization, and spelling.

~ Line Edit: Thorough improvement of overall storytelling, including strengthening voice, flow, pacing, and dialogue; plus, all the work of a copyedit.


GENRE SPECIALIZATIONS

~ Young Adult Literary and Contemporary Fiction, including coming-of-age themes

~ Young Adult Speculative Fiction including Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magical Realism

~ Adult Speculative Fiction including Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Magical Realism

~ Adult Literary and Contemporary Fiction


I am excited to work on projects featuring and celebrating LGBTQIA+ characters and manuscripts written by BIPOC authors.


I'm not the best fit for religion- and philosophy-heavy fiction, political satire, or animal allegory.


I'm currently not editing manuscripts with AI-enhanced text.


BACKGROUND

I worked for literary agent Lana Popovic, previously of Chalberg & Sussman, for four years. I read dozens of manuscripts with an eye toward improving each manuscript's saleability to publishers. For each manuscript, I wrote an editorial letter critiquing the story, outlining issues with plot, characters, themes, and overall narrative arc. I also fielded all of Lana’s queries, which required knowledge of the current market. Once manuscripts were ready to sell, I created submission lists of publishers for each project, as well pitches to editors at major publishing houses.


As publicist and rights manager for the University Press of Florida, I worked directly with authors to promote their books, pitch them to media outlets, and negotiate rights deals, including motion picture options.


I'm a reviewer for Shelf Awareness, where I review books prior to publication, staying abreast of the current market.


I'm happy to answer any questions you may have prior to working together. I look forward to hearing from you!

Services
Fiction
Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Fantasy LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Master's in Publishing and Writing (Emerson College)
  • Bachelor's in Professional Writing (King's College)

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2014 — Present

I specialize in fiction editing for both young adult and adult audiences, particularly in contemporary and science fiction/fantasy genres.

Shelf Awareness

Nov, 2017 — Present

I review adult, YA, and children's fiction and nonfiction books.

Lana Popovic (Chalberg & Sussman)

Sep, 2014 — Feb, 2018 (over 3 years)

Crafted editorial letters critiquing story, outlining issues with plot, characters, themes, and overall narrative arc, explaining what worked and what didn't, and always offering suggestions on how to resolve the manuscript's issues. Additionally, I read queries daily and created submission lists of editors at publishers for client manuscripts.
Together with Lana, I helped edit the following published books, all with fantasy elements:
-The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry (Penguin Random House)
-A Million Junes by Emily Henry (Penguin Random House)
-The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato (Harper Collins)
-The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube (Sourcebooks Fire)
-Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Berube (Sourcebooks Fire)

University Press of Florida

Jul, 2014 — May, 2020 (almost 6 years)

I worked at the University Press of Florida in various capacities. I began work as a publicist, marketing and promoting authors' books and events, pitching books for review and awards, and pitching authors for appearances, readings, and book exhibits. As subsidiary rights manager, I pitched, negotiated, managed, and tracked all translation, film/tv, audiobook and other rights deals. I also managed all permissions requests. My work involved continual communication with authors, media outlets, and bookstores, as well as with international subagents and publishers.

Samantha has 27 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Sara F.

Sara F.

Jun, 2023

Pinned
Samantha's work is top-tier. Her edit of my book is everything I could hope for: insightful, direct, and thorough. I understood all aspects of my book and my characters for having worked with her. While Samantha's inclusion of her positives of the book and, especially, her line comments denoting ...
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Matthew Francis J.

Matthew Francis J.

Mar, 2025

Samantha was a complete joy from start to finish! She helped me take my story i love so much and polish and refine all the smallest details to make it shine. Her dedication and passion kept me inspired and I can't wait to work with Samantha again for my next books!
Mariana L.

Mariana L.

Feb, 2025

Samantha has been absolutely incredible throughout the entire editing process. From the very beginning, she took the time to explain everything with clarity and professionalism, ensuring I felt supported every step of the way. Her keen editorial eye and insightful feedback elevated my work beyond...
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Chloe B.

Chloe B.

Jan, 2025

Our collaboration was done ahead of schedule! Very easy to work with and helpful through the editing process. This is my second time working with Samantha and I hope to continue working with her again.
Dan B.

Dan B.

Dec, 2024

Samantha is a dream come true for me as an author. She doesn't just offer an editing service, she offers a dialogue between you, the author, and her, the editor. This is invaluable; it creates a finished product that is exponentially better than if you simply received input from an editor and too...
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Most recent contributions

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