Sara Quaranta, Editor in New York, NY, USA

Overview

I’m a freelance editor who previously worked at Simon & Schuster, where I edited numerous books from New York Times bestselling authors and up-and-coming novelists. Some of my notable edits include Catherine Coulter’s #1 NYT bestseller Deadlock, J.A. Jance’s NYT bestseller Credible Threat, and Julie Clark’s debut novel, The Ones We Choose.

I am an astute line editor and pride myself on my ability to mimic an author’s voice and expertly trim manuscripts to make them sing. I also love to help spark authors’ creativity, create frameworks for novels, and flesh out storylines.

I love novels that make me cry or take me out of my comfort zone and am drawn to big-hearted book club fiction, compelling historicals, domestic dramas and family stories, layered romances, psychological and domestic suspense, and unputdownable mysteries. I am captivated by inventive plot lines and voice and adore quirky, unreliable characters and prickly protagonists who are unabashedly themselves.

Some of my favorite novels are David Nicholls' One Day, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, and Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians. When I’m not reading, I am an avid home baker of elaborate desserts, a very slow learner of German, and a die-hard fan of the Foo Fighters. Originally from outside of Chicago, I graduated from Northwestern with a BS in journalism and a minor in psychology and integrated marketing communications.

AUTHOR TESTIMONIALS

Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the FBI Series: “The most thorough line edit I've ever had in my professional life. … [She’s] a winner.”

Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author of the Stilletto & Oxford series: “[To Sir with Love] absolutely would not exist in its current form without the hard work, patience, and genius of my editor, Sara. She seemed to know what I was trying to do with the story better than I did, and somewhere amidst the pesky world of revisions, I uncovered not only the heart of the story but also a new friend in Sara. ... The most thoughtful editor, and I've had seven editors over the course of my career!"

Services

Developmental Editing

Editorial Assessment

Query Letter Review

Fiction

Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery & Crime Romance Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction

Languages

English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Certifications

Fundamentals of Copyediting and Proofreading from The City University of New York

Work experience

Freelance Editor

Self-employed

Mar, 2021 — Present

I branched out from traditional publishing in 2021 to embark on my career as a freelance editor so I could focus on the part of the job I love most—editing!—and leave behind the dreaded contract negotiations and sales pitches. I currently work with Big Five publishers, independent publishers, editing agencies, and former authors to turn my love of reading and editing into a fulfilling career helping authors like you.

Editor

Simon & Schuster

Mar, 2017 — Apr, 2020 (about 3 years)

Acquired and negotiated contract deal points for commercial fiction titles to grow hardcover and trade paperback fiction programs by 15% in 2021. Edited manuscripts for ten frontlist authors (a quarter of the fiction list). Brainstormed project ideas with authors. Established strong professional and personal relationships with authors, resulting in a 100% retention rate of inherited authors. Managed a list of forty-five front and backlist authors. Boosted sales (160K print copies) for two movie tie-in editions of Anna Todd’s After series, the first of which hit #6 on the New York Times trade paperback list, by managing metadata to optimize discoverability and ensuring movie tie-in repackage completion before reissue. Presented books at quarterly, company-wide sales conferences using data-driven, researched pitches. Wrote engaging copy, managed SEO for optimal selling potential, and generated and updated keywords and metadata. Developed reading group guides and author Q&As.

Intern

Folio Literary Management

Aug, 2016 — Mar, 2017 (7 months)

Wrote pitch letters for senior agent. Edited clients’ work for grammar, style, and formatting. Read and evaluated manuscripts and proposals and provided email feedback and rejection letters for queries. Compiled submission lists of editor contact information and interests.