Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Julie Scheina
Julie Scheina Editorial Services, LLC
I am a former senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with over fifteen years of experience editing acclaimed and bestselling books for children and young adults. I have edited more than 200 titles across a variety of genres, from picture books and poetry collections to middle grade and young adult novels, and I bring this depth of experience and industry knowledge to every project.
Whether you are writing your first book or your fiftieth, if you choose to work with me you can expect: sincere respect for your creative vision; a thoughtful assessment of your work from an experienced editorial eye; and clear, actionable feedback to guide your next revision. I am honored that a majority of authors who’ve worked with me have chosen to work with me again.
I love collaborating with authors, helping to identify a work’s strengths and weaknesses, and ensuring that their vision is shining through from start to finish. Please visit www.juliescheina.com to see some of the books I’ve edited; read testimonials from authors, publishers, and agents I’ve worked with; learn more about the editorial services I offer; and contact me at julie@juliescheina.com if you are interested in working together. I also recently launched a free resource for writers, Your Editor Friend. The website has new letters from me every Wednesday with writing guidance, revision advice, and encouragement. I’d love for you to check it out!
Authors who have worked with me have called me “the very best kind of editor” (Suzanne Selfors), “my most valued editorial partner” (Margaret Stohl), “a fantastic resource of editorial wisdom for a first time novelist” (Kaia Moritz), and “everything I could have hoped for in an editor…her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before” (Cheryl Renee Herbsman).
Books that I have edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include the #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; The Lucy Variations by National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr; Iron Hearted Violet by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill; the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat; Lambda Literary Award finalist I Am J by Cris Beam; and New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop. Other clients include Bloomsbury Children’s Books (an imprint of Macmillan), Greenwillow Books (an imprint of HarperCollins), the Gernert Company, Writers House, and the Greenhouse Literary Agency.
SELECT TESTIMONIALS
“Julie Scheina is everything I could have hoped for in an editor – kind, prompt and responsive, and extraordinarily talented. She edits with a deft, yet soft touch. Simply by asking me questions (many, many questions!) she guided me to fleshing out my characters, their world and their story. She helped me see what elements existed only in my head that hadn’t made it onto the page. And she helped me more fully understand my MC’s arc, making it clearer how to hang the story on the scaffolding of that arc. What surprised me the most is how her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before. I highly recommend Julie Scheina’s services and would definitely invite her to edit my work again.”
—Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of Breathing
“Julie is my most valued editorial partner. I love that she can not only help me be my best narrative self, but also that I can specifically tell her the kind of read I am looking for, or what I am concerned about, and that she can give me a responsive read that answers all those questions. She has a wonderful depth of publishing industry experience, a commercial sensibility, and a love of craft that make her a unique partner for a writer. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
—Margaret Stohl, author of the Icons series and co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series
“It’s rare to encounter an editor with as much skill, enthusiasm, and dedication to her craft as Julie Scheina. She excels at respecting an author’s voice while suggesting the sorts of changes, large and small, that shape a manuscript into something outstanding. As an editorial colleague at a major publisher, I saw firsthand the ways in which Julie’s sensitivity, insight, and encouragement were central to the success of numerous bestselling and award-winning books.”
— Barbara Bakowski, Senior Copy Editor, Random House Children’s Books
“If I were to write my own book, I would be honored to have Julie Scheina as my editor. In the seven years she worked in the editorial department at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, she continually impressed me with her intelligent and thoughtful approach to the craft of editing, deep respect for writers, excellent communication skills, and professional poise. Her broad editorial range enabled her to work on a diverse list projects, including contemporary commercial fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and poetry and her first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry would be invaluable to writers as they embark on their careers.”
–Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
“I had the pleasure of working with Julie Scheina over many years on a variety of different projects. She always brought her very best to every job, giving authors the individualized attention each required, never approaching a manuscript with a one-size-fits-all mindset. The books she worked on were better for her effort, and the writers she worked with better authors.”
–Michael Bourret, Literary Agent, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
“Julie is an incredibly thoughtful and careful editor who understands how to identify quickly what an author is trying to do and help them do it even better. Her tastes are diverse, and she understands that different books (and authors) require different approaches. I always know that no matter what kind of manuscript I give to Julie, it will leave her hands in better shape than when she got it.”
–Steven Malk, Literary Agent, Writers House
Email: julie@juliescheina.com
More information: View PDF file
Years in the field: 17
Years freelancing: 10
Julie Scheina
I am a former senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with over fifteen years of experience editing acclaimed and bestselling books for children and young adults. I have edited more than 200 titles across a variety of genres, from picture books and poetry collections to middle grade and young adult novels, and I bring this depth of experience and industry knowledge to every project.
Whether you are writing your first book or your fiftieth, if you choose to work with me you can expect: sincere respect for your creative vision; a thoughtful assessment of your work from an experienced editorial eye; and clear, actionable feedback to guide your next revision. I am honored that a majority of authors who’ve worked with me have chosen to work with me again.
I love collaborating with authors, helping to identify a work’s strengths and weaknesses, and ensuring that their vision is shining through from start to finish. Please visit www.juliescheina.com to see some of the books I’ve edited; read testimonials from authors, publishers, and agents I’ve worked with; learn more about the editorial services I offer; and contact me at julie@juliescheina.com if you are interested in working together. I also recently launched a free resource for writers, Your Editor Friend. The website has new letters from me every Wednesday with writing guidance, revision advice, and encouragement. I’d love for you to check it out!
Authors who have worked with me have called me “the very best kind of editor” (Suzanne Selfors), “my most valued editorial partner” (Margaret Stohl), “a fantastic resource of editorial wisdom for a first time novelist” (Kaia Moritz), and “everything I could have hoped for in an editor…her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before” (Cheryl Renee Herbsman).
Books that I have edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include the #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; The Lucy Variations by National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr; Iron Hearted Violet by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill; the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat; Lambda Literary Award finalist I Am J by Cris Beam; and New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop. Other clients include Bloomsbury Children’s Books (an imprint of Macmillan), Greenwillow Books (an imprint of HarperCollins), the Gernert Company, Writers House, and the Greenhouse Literary Agency.
SELECT TESTIMONIALS
“Julie Scheina is everything I could have hoped for in an editor – kind, prompt and responsive, and extraordinarily talented. She edits with a deft, yet soft touch. Simply by asking me questions (many, many questions!) she guided me to fleshing out my characters, their world and their story. She helped me see what elements existed only in my head that hadn’t made it onto the page. And she helped me more fully understand my MC’s arc, making it clearer how to hang the story on the scaffolding of that arc. What surprised me the most is how her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before. I highly recommend Julie Scheina’s services and would definitely invite her to edit my work again.”
—Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of Breathing
“Julie is my most valued editorial partner. I love that she can not only help me be my best narrative self, but also that I can specifically tell her the kind of read I am looking for, or what I am concerned about, and that she can give me a responsive read that answers all those questions. She has a wonderful depth of publishing industry experience, a commercial sensibility, and a love of craft that make her a unique partner for a writer. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
—Margaret Stohl, author of the Icons series and co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series
“It’s rare to encounter an editor with as much skill, enthusiasm, and dedication to her craft as Julie Scheina. She excels at respecting an author’s voice while suggesting the sorts of changes, large and small, that shape a manuscript into something outstanding. As an editorial colleague at a major publisher, I saw firsthand the ways in which Julie’s sensitivity, insight, and encouragement were central to the success of numerous bestselling and award-winning books.”
— Barbara Bakowski, Senior Copy Editor, Random House Children’s Books
“If I were to write my own book, I would be honored to have Julie Scheina as my editor. In the seven years she worked in the editorial department at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, she continually impressed me with her intelligent and thoughtful approach to the craft of editing, deep respect for writers, excellent communication skills, and professional poise. Her broad editorial range enabled her to work on a diverse list projects, including contemporary commercial fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and poetry and her first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry would be invaluable to writers as they embark on their careers.”
–Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
“I had the pleasure of working with Julie Scheina over many years on a variety of different projects. She always brought her very best to every job, giving authors the individualized attention each required, never approaching a manuscript with a one-size-fits-all mindset. The books she worked on were better for her effort, and the writers she worked with better authors.”
–Michael Bourret, Literary Agent, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
“Julie is an incredibly thoughtful and careful editor who understands how to identify quickly what an author is trying to do and help them do it even better. Her tastes are diverse, and she understands that different books (and authors) require different approaches. I always know that no matter what kind of manuscript I give to Julie, it will leave her hands in better shape than when she got it.”
–Steven Malk, Literary Agent, Writers House
