Services Offered:

Editorial Assessment
Developmental editing
Line Editing
Copyediting
Proofreading
Author Coaching
Sensitivity Reading
Picture Books

Preferred Age Level & Genre of Expertise:

Picture Books—fiction, nonfiction (including biographical), and rhyming. Middle Grade and Young Adult novels in the sub-genres of sci-fi/fantasy, humor, contemporary, historical fiction, and nonfiction. Jenn is not a fan of romance unless you include plenty of snark and humor.

More About Jenn…

Jenn Bailey’s (she/her) debut picture book, A FRIEND FOR HENRY, won the ALA National Schneider Family Honor Book award (2020), is a 2021-2022 Virginia Reads picture book selection, is a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year (2020), and has garnered other accolades.

Her middle grade book, THE GHOSTLY TALES OF NEWPORT, is part of the “Spooky America” series and she has other works scheduled for publication — HENRY, LIKE ALWAYS (Chronicle, 2023); HENRY TBD (Chronicle, 2024); MEOWSTERPIECE: THE ART OF BEING A CAT (Magic Cat Publications, 2022); and THE 12 HOURS OF CHRISTMAS (Little Brown, 2023).

Jenn has been a professional editor and writer for the last 12 years and has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and her B.S. in Film/Screenwriting from Boston University.

Jenn offers deep and thorough assessments, targeting elements of plot, structure, pacing, characterization, and agency. In picture books she also focuses on word choice, flow, and readability. She has traveled the path from newbie writer to published author and understands that truly beneficial critique balances encouragement with straight-forward speaking. She knows the struggles writers have—with time, perseverance, and confidence—and is sure that she can help authors push through those, and any other issues, to find success.

Follow Jenn on Twitter.

Favorite Books:

- Young Adult Fiction:

• Tilt by Alan Cumyn

• How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

• Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

• Calvin by Martine Levitt

• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki

• The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

- Middle-Grade Fiction:

• Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

• Clayton Bird Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia

• The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy by May Winn Heider

• The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

• The Witches by Roald Dahl

• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

- Picture Books:

• This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

• I Need a New Bum by Dawn McMillan

• Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome

• Her Left Foot by Dave Eggers

• I Don’t Like Koala by Sean Ferrell

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Favorite TV Shows:

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Dreamland (Utopia in Australia), The Great British Bake-off, Ted Lasso, Star Trek (Original Series), Turner Classic Movies 

Testimonials.

“I can never thank you enough!”
- Jess Brallier — The Olphabet: “O” No! Alphabet Revolt

“Jenn is an absolutely amazing editor but she’s also an unbelievable coach. A coach brings out the best in you and Jenn did just that. Her sound advice had me thinking on so many different levels.  She challenges you to give your absolute best. Jenn completely dissected my manuscript from start to finish. Her time with me was never rushed but given the utmost attention. I’ve learned so much throughout my experience with Jenn and I couldn’t imagine any other editor, viewing my work. So if you want the best and nothing less, hire Coach Jenn Bailey.”

 - Morris E. Washington Jr. — 2022 SCBWI BIPOC Scholarship Winner

“This is my second time working with Jenn. She did such a wonderful job on our first book that I didn't look anywhere else and went straight to Jenn for our second book.

Jenn really cares about making the book as good as possible for kids. She gives very helpful advice in a kind way. Her feedback really pushed a good first draft to be a great final draft. She also has a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion to make sure that our book was respectful and thoughtful. We took 100% of her feedback - she is that good! I hope I'll get a chance to do a third book. And of course I'll be looking to Jenn again! Highly recommend!”
- Analiza Wolf — Asian American’s Who Inspire Us

“Hire the amazing Jenn Bailey to edit your work and polish your manuscript before submitting to agents and editors. Her advice is spot on. She will teach you how to tighten and mold your story to bring it to the next level. Jenn comes alongside to nudge and inspire you. Just like the 4-H motto, Jenn will make your best better. And besides being your biggest and best cheerleader, her joyful spirit will lift you up, along with your work-in-progress. I had a blast working with Jenn and the end result—my first picture book will be published Fall 2020.”
- Nancy Roe Pimm — Fly, Girl, Fly! Shaesta Waiz Soars Around the World

“Jenn Bailey is an outstanding editor and writing coach. Not only will she help you improve your story, Jenn will help you discover your own tendencies as a storyteller—what you do well and what you need to improve. She’s not just an advocate for the best possible version of your story, she’s an advocate for the best possible you. She’s warm, generous, perceptive, and stinking hilarious. Few editors are so adept at recognizing the heart of a writer's story. Fewer still care so much about a writer’s heart."
- Daniel Schwabauer — Legends of Tira Nor series

“Jenn's insights and advice have been invaluable. She was able to find the story amid jumbled chapters and put me on the way to writing a cohesive, and hopefully publishable, novel. She was both encouraging and critical, always allowing her well-honed professional honesty to guide her. I'd work with Jenn again anytime.”
- Scott Craven — Dead Jed: Adventures of a Middle Grade Zombie series

“Working with Jenn is getting the best of all writing worlds: writer brain, editor brain, and cheerleader brain. Because Jenn's a writer, she knows how to help me untangle my thinking when I hit walls or when I can't figure out why something's not working. As an editor, she can see my work from way up high and has an uncanny knack of cutting through the forest to help me find my story's trees. She's not a drill sergeant, though. Jenn pulls my best work from me, but she does it with heart. I would work with Jenn again without batting an eye.”
- Heather Beers