Julie Scheina Editorial Services

24/07/2024

As a kid, I loved reading historical fiction but hated dry history textbooks and most (equally dry) nonfiction. I wish I’d read more books like THE MONA LISA VANISHES and realized at a younger age how engaging, dynamic, and surprising nonfiction can be!

THE MONA LISA VANISHES is an exceptional example of how to make familiar topics and tropes (da Vinci, The Mona Lisa, the unexpected thief, the brilliant detective) feel fresh and accessible to modern readers.

If you’re a writer or reader of nonfiction, historical fiction, thrillers, or mysteries, check out this book for its:
* Short chapters, engaging art, lively writing, and cliffhangers that are accessible to readers of MG novels, graphic novels, chapter books, illustrated nonfiction, and beyond
* Rich physical details and emotions that build suspense and allow readers to envision themselves in the characters’ shoes (like sweating inside a storage closet alongside the thief!)
* Thoughtfully forged connections across seemingly disparate eras, from the Renaissance to turn-of-the-century Paris to the present

09/07/2024

07/06/2024

If you’re a writer or reader of middle grade adventure, historical, or fantasy (or if you read & loved THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE as a kid 🙋🏻‍♀️), you should read THE LAST MAPMAKER by Christina Soontornvat. I read this genre-bending novel recently and it quickly shot to the top of my recommended reading list for its:
* Compelling, flawed characters
* Rich yet succinct prose
* Exceptional balance of world-building, action, suspense, & character development
* Timeless, thought-provoking themes

Writers: if you’re looking to improve these areas of your craft, I recommend adding TLM to your list of books to read & study. (And you don’t just have to take my word for it—check out those stickers!)

03/06/2024

Congratulations to author Fiona Wong! Fiona's nonfiction manuscript, KAMOME, was selected from over 650 submissions as the Writer's Digest Ann Whitford Paul Most Promising Picture Book Manuscript!! I can't wait to see the inspiring true story of KAMOME on shelves.

31/05/2024

Celebrating 10+ years of Julie Scheina Editorial Services, LLC with a new website design for juliescheina.com. Here’s to the next decade and beyond of editing great books! 📚🎉🥰

02/01/2024

Happy 2024! Wishing everyone a cozy year full of love. (Thanks to Steve Emond for the beautiful artwork!)

29/07/2023

I'll be leading an interactive webinar with Free Expressions Seminars & Literary Services this Thursday, August 3 at 7:15 PM ET. In this workshop, I'll be sharing ten common roadblocks that could be between your manuscript and a yes. We'll be going through examples, writing exercises, and strategies to overcome roadblocks in your work, and there will be plenty of time for questions and answers. The link to register is in the first comment below if you are interested!

04/02/2023

Do you write fiction, nonfiction, or both? If you write nonfiction, what are your favorite resources for fact checking information? Do you have any to add to those Heidi Fiedler shared in this week’s letter from Your Editor Friend?

01/02/2023

When it comes to nonfiction, it’s important to be accurate. This week’s Your Editor Friend letter features advice for sorting out wacky websites from serious sources from my editor (and writer) friend, Heidi Fiedler: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

30/01/2023

“You can't put being in love on a scale. . . .Either you are or you aren't.”
― Jenny Han, We'll Always Have Summer

28/01/2023

Authors and illustrators, do you have any advice for those who are just dipping their toes into the social media waters? What hashtags or communities do you follow? How do you approach your social media presence?

25/01/2023

How important is social media for authors and illustrators? Are there ways to use social media without feeling overwhelmed? I answer an author-submitted question and share my recommended approach in this week’s Your Editor Friend letter: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

25/01/2023

If you’ve ever wondered how an experienced author approaches editorial letters, today’s This Creative Life newsletter from Sara Zarr, The Official is for you (with yours truly weighing in from the editorial side):

With special guest Julie Scheina of Your Editor Friend

03/01/2023

Happy 2023! Wishing everyone a year full of love and books. (Art by the incredible !)

31/12/2022

Is there a writing topic you’d like to learn more about or a question you’d like me to consider answering? You can submit topics and questions anonymously at https://youreditorfriend.com/ama/. I’d love to hear from you!

28/12/2022

Since posting the first letter from Your Editor Friend 52 weeks ago, I’ve covered a wide range of publishing and writing topics. This week's letter reflects on the past year and shares an update about moving forward: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

26/12/2022

“Listen to the trees talking in their sleep,' she whispered, as he lifted her to the ground. 'What nice dreams they must have!”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

24/12/2022

What recent line from a book has compelled you to read it again? Here’s one of mine, from Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: “It’s like walking past a mirror you’ve walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows you something else, something troubling and strange.”

21/12/2022

How can you strengthen your writing at the sentence and paragraph level? When is the right time to focus on these more granular areas? I share advice and tips in this week’s letter from Your Editor Friend: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

19/12/2022

“We all have forests in our minds. Forests unexplored, unending. Each of us gets lost in the forest, every night, alone.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Found and the Lost

17/12/2022

Is there one (or more) book about writing that you can’t live without? What’s on your wish list? I’d love to hear your recommendations and add some new books to my own list!

15/12/2022

Thank you to for posting this interview by Sangeeta Mehta with me and Susan Chang! You can read it here: https://www.janefriedman.com/before-you-hire-a-developmental-editor-what-you-need-to-know/.

14/12/2022

While I’ve read many books about writing (+ have many more on my to-read list!), there are some that I’ve returned to again and again. I share my top four books about writing in this week’s Your Editor Friend letter: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

12/12/2022

“Shake paws, count your claws.
You steal mine, I'll borrow yours.
Watch my whiskers, check both ears.
Robber foxes have no fears.”
― Brian Jacques, Mossflower: A Tale from Redwall

10/12/2022

Do story openings come easily to you, or are they one of the last scenes that you write? What advice would you give to an author looking for ways to make their story’s plot clear in the opening? What have you done when your opening pages lack conflict?

07/12/2022

How do you make your story’s plot clear from the opening pages? This week’s letter from Your Editor Friend answers this author-submitted question: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

05/12/2022

“‘Cats don’t have names,’ it said.
‘No?’ said Coraline.
‘No,’ said the cat. ‘Now, you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.’”
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

03/12/2022

Authors, what tips, tools, or techniques have helped you to tackle difficult revisions? Have you ever tried making a story checklist or grading your chapters?

30/11/2022

What can you do when you feel overwhelmed by a revision, aren’t sure where to start, or need to ease yourself back into your story and characters? In this week’s Your Editor Friend letter, I share a simple tool an author recently recommended to me: https://youreditorfriend.com/letters.

28/11/2022

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring