Sara Schonfeld

Sara Schonfeld – Editor

Experienced children's book editor at HarperCollins specializing in picture books up through teen.

Overview

Sara joined HarperCollins in 2019 after starting her publishing career at Penguin Random House. She works on picture books up through teen. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa with a dual major in English and Hispanic Studies and a minor in creative writing, including courses in children's literature, copyediting, and screenwriting. When she’s not reading (which is what she does most of the time!) she loves watching anything Marvel, kickboxing, or baking.

An author herself, Sara has an editorial style all about expressing the author's intentions and helping readers understand and access that vision. Her process is grounded in asking questions, and she enjoys working from editorial letters to margin comments down to line-edits.

PRAISE FROM AUTHORS:

"To the editor of my dreams, Sara: Every step of the way, you’ve been Charlotte’s champion. I am grateful for your gentle guidance and GIF-laden edits." -Katharyn Blair, author of UNCHOSEN

"Thanks to my extraordinary editor, Sara who championed this book from the start. You took the time to meet with me and talk about this book’s potential and how to make it even better, and that made me realize that you were the kind of editor I dreamed of. You worked tirelessly with me all the while honoring my writing and the story I wanted to tell. Thank you for bringing Zee and Elijah and Nellie’s story to life with compassion." -Ally Malinenko, author of GHOST GIRL

Services
Fiction
Middle Grade Picture Books Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Editing Children's and YA Books Across Cultures
  • Penguin Random House: Emerging Editors Program
  • Penguin Random House: Consumer Analytics Apprenticeship

Work experience

HarperCollins

Jan, 2019 — Present

Editor for HarperTeen and HarperCollin's children working on contemporary, speculative, rom-com, and some fantasy.

Penguin Random House

Sep, 2014 — Jan, 2019 (over 4 years)

Sara has 143 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jenny M.

Jenny M.

Oct, 2024

Sara is a wonderful editor. She gives helpful, detailed feedback in a way that is professional and honest, yet also kind and supportive. She offered great suggestions to elevate the humor in my picture book manuscript, as well as ways to help it stand out in a crowded market. She understands the market and her suggestions for my query were helpful, too. This was the second time I've worked with...
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Callie M.

Callie M.

Apr, 2024

Sara's creativity and expertise in publishing were exactly what I needed to get me to the next steps in my journey as a children's book author.
Allyson J.

Allyson J.

Apr, 2024

Sara gave some great suggestions on my query letter for one of my picture books. She sent her edits very fast and quickly communicated with me when I had questions. Thank you, Sara!
Callie M.

Callie M.

Apr, 2024

I'm a debut author and Sara has gone above and beyond to guide my projects. Her ability to craft a story has been invaluable to me.
Rebecca P.

Rebecca P.

Mar, 2024

Sara was prompt and gave very good advice. She knew the business and was able to use that to help me build a better manuscript for a short, rhyming children's book.

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