About Rebecca Weston Literary

Rebecca Weston Literary helps writers develop their stories into the best versions of themselves.

With fifteen years’ experience in the publishing industry, the first eight as an editor of award-winning middle-grade and young adult novels at Random House Children's Books, I provide expert edits and industry perspective. I offer a wide range of editorial assistance, from a gentle push in one direction or another to intense work on plotting, characters, and tone, to intricate line edits. Writers are welcome at any stage in their careers, from unagented, unpublished writers just starting out, to published, seasoned veterans seeking a fresh set of eyes. I tailor my edits to each person’s requirements, working to bring every manuscript to its full potential so that writers can feel confident as they begin the agent-query process or hand in that next draft. 

First and foremost, your story is your story. Every manuscript is unique and personal and is treated as such. Each round of edits begins and ends with a phone call so that you can get the most out of your editing experience.

About Rebecca

I am an independent book editor specializing in middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction in all genres, as well as memoir. Previously, I worked for eight years as an editor at Random House Children’s Books in New York City, where I edited middle-grade and young adult novels, focusing on literary projects with both broad appeal and a classic feel, as well as layered commercial projects. At Random House, I worked with many award-winning authors, including Jenny Hubbard, author of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book And We Stay and the William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist Paper Covers Rock; Susan Lynn Meyer, author of the Sydney Taylor Honor Award–winning novel Black Radishes and Skating with the Statue of Liberty; Rob Buyea, acclaimed author of the Mr. Terupt series and The Perfect Score; and New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, whose debut middle-grade novel, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill, received glowing praise. 

I grew up inside the world of books—Little House on the Prairie, Swallows & Amazons, Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Maine Woods by Thoreau, and the works of E. B. White, Jane Austen, and P. G. Wodehouse. My favorite memories from childhood are of playing outside, imagining myself as the characters from my favorite stories, and then exploring new worlds as I read myself to sleep each night. According to my mother, when asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said that I wanted to read. 

At Colby College, I studied philosophy and creative writing. I quickly discovered an affinity for mimicking the writing styles of different authors and was happiest when editing the writing of my peers. While attending the postgraduate Columbia Publishing Course in New York City, I received a job offer from Random House Children’s Books. There, I found my first literary home and made my childhood dream of reading for a living, and my newfound vision of helping writers develop their voices, come true.  

I am thrilled to be working now for my own company, Rebecca Weston Literary, where I spend my time doing what I love best: working with writers to help their stories become fully realized. When not reading or editing, I am most likely walking in the woods, sailing on a lake, or baking cookies.