About Me
Hi, I’m Michele, a former children’s
book editor with a passion for the
written word.
Michele Coppola Ames
Editor
I was a children’s book editor for ten years before starting my own business. I’ve worked at a number of large publishing houses, including Little, Brown; Simon & Schuster; William Morrow; Penguin; and Clarion Books.
Among the authors I’ve worked with are Frank Asch (author of the Moonbear series), Andrew Clements (author of the best-selling novel Frindle), Kitty Griffin, David Lubar, Roni Schotter, Marilyn Singer, and Jane Breskin Zalben.
I’ve worked on books for all ages and in a range of formats—picture books, chapter books, and novels—and I love both fiction and nonfiction.
Teacher
In addition, I’m a certified English teacher with a Master’s in Education from Fairfield University. I love to teach the craft of writing and work one-on-one with writers to bring out the best in their writing.
Writer
I’m a writer, too, so I wear both hats. I wrote the libretto for an opera based on Rumpelstiltskin that was performed in 2012 at Opera America in New York City.
I’m currently working on several projects for children and am represented by the Transatlantic Literary Agency.
Workshops
I offer workshops tailored to your specific needs—either in person or via Zoom, a digital platform used for “virtual” meetings. Workshops are interactive and may involve feedback from me on your work.
“Michele was my editor on several projects—fiction and nonfiction, picture books and young chapter books—including the best-selling Paths to Peace, a tribute to peacemakers around the world that went into 14 printings. She is compassionate, precise, and thorough as a reader and empathetic, focused, and careful as an editor. I would certainly recommend to trust "your baby"—your creative work—in her capable hands. I wish she was a full-time in-house editor again so we could collaborate together on shaping my books and bringing those projects into the world.”
—Jane Breskin Zalben, children’s book author and illustrator
"Michele was the editor of my book American Stew. She brought a unique combination of craft, creativity, and passion to the job to make the book readable, error-free, and clear. I felt throughout that she has an authentic love for good writing and for content that fulfills its purpose. She is professional, exacting, flexible, tireless, good-natured, and always encouraging. I hope we have the opportunity to work together again."
—Stephen James