Middle Grade Novels

You’ve already accomplished something less than 10% of writers ever do—you finished the draft! 

That was supposed to be the hard part, but now you’re facing a new challenge:
what comes next? 

You’ve likely found yourself overanalyzing sentence structures and word choices. Maybe you’ve already revised and rewritten several scenes. Perhaps you even shared it with a few friends, and their comments were probably a mix of encouraging, confusing, and downright contradicting. You can tell your book isn’t quite there yet, but you aren’t sure what else to change.

Even the best writers get tangled up in this reality—you’ve worked so hard and poured yourself so fully into these characters and the world you created for them . . . but closeness can cloud perspective. You’ve spent so much time in your story that it’s hard to see what’s holding it back. 

This is where the right editorial support can change everything.

I'm Laura, and I'm here to help.

Middle grade can sometimes feel like one of the trickiest balancing acts in all of publishing, and for good reason. These readers are curious, sensitive, sharp, and honest—and also standing at a crossroads of innocence and growing independence. Writing for middle graders often means struggling with questions like:

  • Is this relatable and age-appropriate?
  • Is this emotionally rich without being too heavy or dark?
  • Is this strong voice and humor, or does it feel forced and inauthentic?

If you’re tackling this Kidlit category, I want to help you find greater clarity, structure, confidence, and fun in your revision process. One of my main goals as an editor is to help your book rise to a professional, publishable standard—so if it has the chance one day, it will be able to reside proudly on shelves alongside titles from the “Big 5” publishing houses. But even more importantly, I want to help you lean into your own authorial voice and draw closer to the heart of your story that is already there, just waiting to shine. 

Read more about me

Services I Offer

Each editing project receives a customized proposal after the manuscript has been reviewed. Please refer to the median ranges of the Editorial Freelancers Association’s rate chart for a general idea.

  • "I’m thoroughly impressed with Laura and her editing process. Somehow she was able to find those weak areas of the story, the parts I have been struggling with, and suggest the perfect phrasing or descriptions to create a more engaging story. She also included a summary of her overall impressions and further expanded on several of the suggestions made within the story, going into detail helping me view things from the reader’s point of view. I am so grateful to have come across Laura as an editor. I will definitely use her on all future projects. Her talent and eye for detail are something every writer needs to create a compelling story."

    Mitchel Maree

    Author of the Magic Cube series

    • Your book deserves to shine, and you deserve some help in making that happen.

    Ready to get to work?

    If you’d like to make my day and tell me about what you’ve been writing lately, click the blue button below to fill out a short contact form—no email list signup, I promise.

    Once I’ve read your response, I’ll follow up by email with a few quick questions. From there, you’ll have the option to chat with me about editorial service options for your book—either over email or in a free 20–30 minute video call. (Whatever feels right for you.)

    Tell me about your book

    “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

    - Louis Sachar