Meet Editor Courtney Stevenson
Courtney Stevenson joined HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2016, after starting her career on the agency side at Pippin Properties. In her time assisting Rosemary Brosnan, Courtney has been lucky to help with such amazing books as The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Ogre Enchanted by Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Newbery Honor author Rita Williams-Garcia, and many new editions of titles on the team’s rich backlist. On her own growing list are That’s What Friends Do by debut author Cathleen Barnhart and Summer at Meadow Wood by Amy Rebecca Tan. Courtney is looking for middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, particularly ones that tell compelling stories that she hasn’t heard before.
To find out more, follow her on Twitter.
***
How long have you been an editor, and what did your career path look like?
I actually started my career on the agency side but switched to editorial about four years ago, and have been happily at Harper Children's ever since. But in the earliest days . . . a LOT of internships!
What's your favorite part of your job?
Definitely the actual editing—but that takes up so little of the job! I also love seeing the covers come together and gushing about my favorite title on a list to anyone in another department.
What do you look for in a project to potentially offer on?
A strong hook, writing that makes me go "ooooh," and a plot that keeps me turning pages.
What do you look for in authors you'd like to work with?
Lots of ideas, a passion for their work, receptive to feedback. And while certainly not a "must," it does help to be good in front of crowds/screens.
Register for Wordsmith for a chance to meet with Courtney! Already registered but not yet scheduled for a pitch or consultation? Sign up here.