Larissa Melo Pienkowski

LMP Editorial

Larissa Melo Pienkowski is a queer, mixed-race Latine professional book editor, sensitivity reader, and literary agent* for Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Larissa earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work and Sociology at Simmons College, where she wrote and performed poetry and edited a number of literary magazines. After earning her MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College, she worked with Beacon Press and Barefoot Books before becoming the assistant publisher of Dottir Press and a freelance editor. Larissa speaks Portuguese and Spanish and loves learning new languages. When she doesn’t have a book in hand, you can find her making pottery in her ceramics studio—or working on her own novel.

As the daughter of Brazilian and Polish immigrants, a proud member of #LatinxinPub, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Larissa is especially committed to uplifting and preserving BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, neurodivergent, and other voices and experiences that have been historically excluded from traditional publishing.

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For nearly a decade now, Larissa has edited books by self-published authors and authors traditionally published at houses like Macmillan; St. Martin’s Press; Tor; Soho Press; Sourcebooks; Little, Brown; Hub City Press; And Other Stories; Dottir Press; Barefoot Books; and others.

While she works on books across most genres and age groups, she has an abiding love for literary fiction; women’s fiction; book club fiction; romance and rom-coms (especially if they feature LGBTQAI2S+ characters!); light fantasy; magical realism; queer, feminist, and non-Western horror; cozy mystery; dark academia; feminist and subversive historical fiction; new adult/coming-of-age fiction; and middle-grade and YA stories across genre.

Larissa offers a variety of editorial services, including but not limited to:

• brainstorming calls, perfect for authors who want to talk through a blossoming story concept, need help getting unstuck on a plot point in the middle of writing, or have questions about the publishing industry;
• editorial assessments, a bird’s-eye-level edit condensed in a 12-15 page document that outlines recurring, big-picture craft elements that could use additional attention, provides suggestions for the author might effectively address these issues, and offers sample writing exercises for authors to continue to hone their skills;
• developmental editing, a comprehensive structural edit of the manuscript with specific in-document feedback, notes, and suggestions on plot, narrative arc, structure, flow, dialogue, character development, clarity, voice, themes, conflict and tension, any overarching and recurring grammatical issues, and other relevant elements of craft;
• character assessments, a developmental edit specifically focused on character development, arcs, and characterization;
• copyediting, a meticulous line-level edit and style sheet based on the Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, addressing grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, usage, inconsistencies, repetition, and endnotes/footnotes (if applicable);
• sensitivity reading to reduce and potentially eliminate stereotypes and inaccurate representation of specific marginalized identities and experiences, which includes in-document comments and a thoughtful, informative assessment of the ways in which the author handled issues of identity and identity-related experiences within the manuscript, as well as suggestions and resources for improvement if applicable;
• proofreading, the final edit of an already-copyedited manuscript for self-published authors, which involves correcting any remaining, newly introduced, or hard-to-see errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typesetting;
• query letter reviews, including detailed notes and comments on the hook, metadata, comp titles, content, voice, presentation, structure, and more, with an eye for what will make an author’s query stand out in an agent’s inbox. An optional synopsis edit can also be added on to this service; and
• customizable editorial packages based on authors’ specific manuscript needs, whether it’s a partial service or a discounted bundle of two or more services.

After Larissa receives your editorial request, she will work with you to learn more about your editorial needs and establish whether she will be a good fit for your work.

She offers discounted package rates if authors would like to bundle together more than one editorial service (e.g., booking a developmental edit and copyedit in the same agreement). All returning clients will receive a discount on future editorial services. She prioritizes flexibility when meeting authors’ needs, so please don’t hesitate to ask about your options!

*Please note that for ethical reasons, Larissa cannot offer literary representation to anyone with whom she works in a freelance editorial capacity.

Submit your editorial request to Larissa now >>

Email: larissa@lmpeditorial.com

https://www.lmpeditorial.com

Years in the field: 9
Years freelancing: 6