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Picture Book Editing Services

Are you looking for someone to take your picture book to the next level? Do you want feedback on your idea? Or maybe you’re looking for Developmental Editing or Copyediting or Proofreading to help improve or polish your story? Are you writing in verse and really want your words to sing? I'd love to work with you!

Confession: My favorite genre to edit is picture books and children's poetry. I consider myself a picture book specialist and that is exclusively how I choose to spend my editing time.

My credentials:

• 27 years of publishing experience both as a writer and an editor.
• On the writing side: I'm the author of 15 original children's books published by Scholastic, HarperCollins, Henry Holt, Clarion, Quarto, and Little, Brown. They include picture books (fiction and nonfiction), board books, beginning readers, and poetry collections. Additionally, I have published more than 50 children's books as a ghostwriter or under my pen name, Amy Edgar, for companies such as Disney, HarperCollins, Scholastic, Quarto, Little Brown, and a handful of educational publishers.
  
• On the editing side: I've edited dozens of books ranging from board books to middle grade novels. I've worked for an agent representing children's book illustrators. And, finally, I've worked as a writer and text editor for adult book projects as well, including three titles for National Geographic Press.
  
• Since 2013, I've worked as a Mentor in the Children's Literature Fellow program at Stony Brook University. This role allows me to work with brand-new and developing picture book writers over the course of a semester. For me, helping writers learn and hone their craft is satisfying and inspiring work.
  

I excel at both developmental or big picture editing, as well as close-up line editing and proofreading. I'm a grammar nerd and have a knack for verse. I'm experienced, reliable, and I deliver on time.

Don't be shy! I'd be happy to discuss your project. All questions are worth asking. I look forward to helping you take your work to the next level.
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Developmental Editing

If you select this service, I would:
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-Write a thorough editorial letter providing in-depth feedback concerning elements such as plot, concept, characterization, structure, consistency, and style.
-Evaluate your story arc: is there a strong beginning, middle, and end with a compelling climax in the middle? I would use excerpts from your story to show you what I think does and doesn’t work.
-Assess both your story generally and share my ideas for how you might revise. 
-If you’ve chosen to write in verse, I will also share my general tips for this kind of writing. 

Copyediting

If you select this service, I would:
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-Give your entire text an up-close, redline edit.
-Be looking to help you improve voice, consistency, and word choice. During this stage, I ask myself questions, such as: could a better word be used here? Could this be said in a simpler or more compelling way?
​-Provide suggestions that you could adopt or reject or use as inspiration for thinking of a new solution. 
​-If you have chosen to write in verse, I would pay close editing attention to the rhythm and rhyme of each line.

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Proofreading

If you select this service, I would:
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-Look to correct all capitalization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
-Make sure each quotation mark and comma are in the right spot, etc. (I am a grammar nerd, so this is fun for me!) Your story would be ready to be designed for publication or submission to an agent after this round. 

Testimonials

​"Amy was a fantastic editor to work with. We edited three picture books in a short amount of time and had a lot of fun finishing those projects. Because she also publishes and ghost writes children's books, I found it easy to bounce ideas off of her, incorporating her own suggestions, and articulating the changes to the story in the most kid friendly manner. I would definitely recommend Amy for both writing and editing."
      —Alan Matkovic, self-published author, most recently of THE LONELY CLOUD in the Amazing Adventures of Alexander and Sophia series

To request a quote for me to edit your book, please fill out this form. If you are unsure about which service(s) to select, I would be happy to assess your manuscript and make a suggestion.