Services Offered:

Currently on hiatus

Editorial Assessment 
Developmental Editing 
Copyediting 
Line Editing 
Proofreading 
Query Critique
Author Coaching
Authenticity/Sensitivity Reading
Picture Book Critique

Preferred Age Level & Genre of Expertise:

Picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle-grade, and young adult contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, romance and romcom, mystery, adventure/thriller/suspense, satire, magical realism*, horror, or supernatural (think ghosts, not vampires or werewolves). If she hasn’t expressly ruled something out, just ask.

More About Jay…

Background

Jay Whistler (she/her) has over 30 years of professional writing experience and over 16 years of college-level teaching experience, including curriculum development. She holds an MFA in Writing from VCFA, an MA in Technical Writing from Bowling Green State University, and a BA in Written Communications from Eastern Michigan University. She has extensive freelance experience editing middle-grade, young-adult, and adult novels, picture books (including rhyming and nonfiction), and short stories, as well as extensive freelance experience editing technical documents for a variety of corporate clients.

Jay is the former Regional Advisor for Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Switzerland chapter.

She has experience presenting at conferences on the craft of writing and has been a submission judge for a number of high-profile writing contests and for literary journals. She is also an acquisitions reader for a literary agency. Jay is the author of two middle-grade non-fiction ghost story books: THE GHOSTLY TALES OF SAN ANTONIO and THE GHOSTLY TALES OF PUT-IN-BAY.

Picture Books

In picture books, Jay is comfortable with both fiction and non-fiction, and she can work with you on your rhyming manuscript as well. She also likes concept books as well as traditional plot-driven structures.

Authenticity/Sensitivity Reads

For Authenticity/Sensitivity reads, Jay is available for the following topics:

• childhood trauma

• sexual assault survival

• mental health/depression/anxiety

• suicide loss survival

• atheism

• Midwest living

• expat living

Jay is not the right editor for…

While she reads and appreciates many of the following genres, she recommends others to edit them:

• dystopian

• speculative fiction/fantasy

• graphic novels

• memoir

• faith-based YA romance

• paranormal (think mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves, mermaids, etc.)

• body horror 

• child/animal abuse as a plot element

• drug/alcohol addiction as a plot element

*If you are unsure whether your manuscript is magical realism, read this post about magical realism on Jay’s blog to see if it fits the definition.

Unsure about whether I am the right fit? Don’t hesitate to message me. If I am not the best editor for you, I will recommend one of my colleagues.

Follow Jay on Twitter.

Favorite Books:

- Picture Books:

• Anything by Maurice Sendak

• Anything by Shel Silverstein

• Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes

• Du Iz Tak? by Ellis Carson

• Vincent Can’t Sleep by Barb Rosenstock

- Middle-Grade Fiction:

• Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

• The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

• Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

• Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

- Young Adult Fiction:

• The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

• American Street by Ibi Zoboi

• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

• The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

• Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

- Adult Fiction:

• Anxious People by Frederick Backman

• Know My Name by Chanel Miller

• The Book of Longing by Sue Monk Kidd

• White Fragility by Robin D’Angelo

• The Library Book by Susan Orlean 

Favorite TV Shows:

Schitt’s Creek, Derry Girls, Barry, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Crown, Justified, Ted Lasso

Testimonials.

“My first choice was Jay Whistler. I knew she would appraise the [work] fairly, offer constructive evaluations and complete the job on time. Jay’s comments encouraged me to rewrite and improve the opening of my work-in-progress. For me, the most useful comment Jay made can be paraphrased as: If the protagonist can walk away from his/her problem, the reader can walk away from the book. I am grateful to Jay for reminding me of the importance in raising the stakes.”
--Ann Finkelstein, Ph.D.

“Jay Whistler is one of the best-read people I know. And is my go-to person if I have a grammatical question. She reads voraciously and more importantly, remembers details I have long forgotten. She has a deep understanding of story structure and a sly sense of humor. Her critiques are guaranteed to bring up points I haven’t considered before and she has a sense of drama that aids in all story telling. She’s a pleasure to work with.”
--Leslie Helakoski, SCBWI-MI Co-Regional Advisor

“I received a critique on my current WIP from Jay Whistler. As a member of the SCBWI, I am afforded many first-chapter critique opportunities at conferences. I’ve had six on this manuscript alone. I would put Jay at the top of my list for someone that I would reach out to in the future for editing. She is professional, concise, intelligent and not only talks a good game but can back it up. I recently had a large NY agency request my full manuscript and no doubt Jay’s tightening of my writing pushed me to the top. I can say with confidence that you will wonder how you ever got along without her.”
--David Stricklen, Author, Blackwater Pond series

 “Jay has a very sharp eye and awesomely keen wit. [She] is not shy and speaks her mind. Her vision for making my story better was inevitably on point, whether the issue was character development, voice, narrative arc or other critical story components. I can honestly say I wish we lived in the same city so we could form a critique group together. It would be amazing to have her eyes examining my work on a more regular basis. Writing is an insanely difficult endeavor in today’s marketplace where agents and editors are absolutely inundated with queries and manuscripts. Having Jay on your team would seriously boost anyone’s chances of being a published author. Call, don’t email. Get her while she’s still available.”
--Adam Taylor