Hello! I'm Afoma.
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Books for Kids and Grown Ups

  • Book Reviews
    • Picture book
    • Chapter Books
    • Middle-Grade
    • Graphic Novels
    • Young Adult
    • Adult Fiction
    • Adult Non-Fiction
  • Book Lists
    • Picture Book Lists
    • Middle Grade Book Lists
    • Book Lists by Theme
    • Book Lists by Grade
    • Audiobook Recommendations
  • Join My Newsletter!
  • Go to the Blog
  • Summer Reading

Manuscript Services

Hello you! Congratulations on completing your manuscript! Writing a book is no easy feat and I’m honored that you’d like to collaborate with me on this journey. I prefer to work on children’s literature and adult non-fiction, but am willing to consider your work if it falls outside both those categories. Please find below my current rates:

Stack of books on the bed

Picture Books

Table of Contents

  • Picture Books
  • Chapter Books and Novels
    • Developmental Edit – $0.02/word
    • Comprehensive Critique – $0.03/word
    • Line Edit Only – $0.02/word – $0.03/word
    • Copy Editing – $0.01/word – $0.02/word

I work by the word count for novels and chapter books, but have a fixed price for picture books. I find word counts really finicky for picture books and they never encompass the actual creative work of editing.

So with picture books, I have a base price of $300 if your word count is under 300 words.

If it’s between 600 and 1,200 words, the cost is $400, and over 1,200 words, I charge from $500 or per word depending on the project — complexity and level of editing needed. This covers developmental, line, and copy-edits for picture books.

Chapter Books and Novels

Developmental Edit – $0.02/word

This big-picture critique is the best choice for writers who have completed a manuscript and aren’t sure how to begin a revision. I’ll read your full manuscript and provide a detailed editorial letter outlining your story’s strengths and weaknesses, along with suggested ways to improve. My critique will provide feedback on your story and plot structure, tone, character development, themes, clarity, consistency, and any other issues with your work.

A typical edit letter length is 5-7 single-spaced pages. Please note that this does not include line edits.

Comprehensive Critique – $0.03/word

I recommend this if you’ve already gone through a round or two of developmental edits and are looking for more thorough feedback and guidance to take your book to the next level – submitting to a publisher or self-publishing.

For this critique, I will also provide an edit letter plus line edits (in-line comments throughout the document, along with light proofreading). If you’d like to try this service, I offer a complimentary critique of the first 3 pages of your manuscript to give you a feel for my editing style before you book.

Line Edit Only – $0.02/word – $0.03/word

This is the most in-depth form of editing, in my opinion. I’ll provide in-line comments to improve character, plot, pacing, structure, and more, along with light proofreading. (This is not copyediting. To understand the difference between copyedits and line edits, check out this great article.)

Copy Editing – $0.01/word – $0.02/word

This usually happens after you’ve revised your manuscript using reader or editor feedback. I’ll assess your manuscript’s clarity, accuracy, and consistency at the sentence level. I’ll also check and correct issues with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and syntax while ensuring your manuscript is as clean as possible, without losing your voice, of course!

I’m excited to hear from you!

Afoma.

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Hi, I'm Afoma! Thank you for stopping by. Learn more about me here.

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Afoma
🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 🏴 🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In The House Swap, tweens Allie and Sage are forced together when their families plan to swap houses goes awry. Allie is a British girl living in the countryside and preparing to be a spy when she grows up. She’s also the (overlooked, she feels) middle child, stuck between a teen brother and a talkative little sister. 

🇺🇸 Sage is an only child in sunny California, growing up with parents who seem to be growing apart. She gets more worried when she discovers that only her mom will be coming with her to the English countryside. Both girls realize that they have more in common than they think and decide to help each other — Ally with Sage’s parents and Sage with being Allie’s friend.

🏄‍♀️ The House Swap is a cozy, charming middle grade book about family (history & secrets), new friendships, and navigating parental divorce. Reminiscent of the beloved movie, The Holiday, this middle grade book is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good reading experience with a touch of history, family drama, and characters you can root for.
I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and thro I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and through but the only historical fiction I’ll make room for (besides TJR) is middle grade historical fiction! I’ve read and loved so many in the last few years and here are some I recommend — including forthcoming & backlist titles!

Books mentioned:

A SKY FULL OF SONG by @susanlynnmeyer 
FAR OUT by @annebustard 
THE SECRET DIARY OF MONA HASAN by @salmahwrites 
IT AIN’T SO AWFUL, FALAFEL by Firoozeh Dumas
A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by @kealbus 
STEALING MT. RUSHMORE by @daphnekalmar 
HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 

You’ll see there’s a few extra in the cover picture too! 😉 What’s your favorite middle grade historical fiction? And do you particularly like them?
🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican paren 🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican parents growing up on Galveston, an island in the state of Texas. Her mom has undiagnosed PTSD from the death of her (Aniana’s mother’s) brother years ago in a storm back in their home country, so she doesn’t want her daughter near the water. Aniana’s father wants his daughter to pursue her passion and takes her to swim meets without her mother’s knowledge. 

🦴 But when Aniana wakes up one day with painfully swollen joints and other weird symptoms after swimming, their secret is exposed, and Aniana is faced with a new diagnosis that may threaten the one sport she loves.

🏝️ Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a tender, moving middle grade verse novel about disability, sports, family trauma, and standing up for your dreams. 

❤️This verse novel is excellently written and painfully honest about the challenges of bridging the culture and communication gap when a parent has unresolved emotional trauma. Ani does a fantastic job of standing up for her goals, and the ending is very satisfying.
Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I h Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I have so many that I’m making this a series! So excited to spotlight more of my favorites 🥰❤️
If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here are 3 exceptional MG options to put on your TBR this year 😍

Books mentioned:

HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 
FOUR EYES by @thirdrex 
DOODLES FROM THE BOOGIE DOWN by @stephguez 

Books shown in montage in order of appearance:
SUNNY MAKES A SPLASH
ALLERGIC
HOOPS
I often get messages from readers looking for more I often get messages from readers looking for more children’s books set in Africa (because I’m from & live in Africa). Unfortunately, there aren’t that many realistic, contemporary middle grade books or chapter books set here, but at least we have Atinuke! 🥲

Atinuke is a British- Nigerian author of chapter books and picture books who spent her formative years in Nigeria. Her stories are whimsical but realistic and focus more on the character and their family than they do on locale. I love her storytelling and I love that more kids are getting to see Nigeria through the eyes of her characters.
Middle grade books written in a unique format can Middle grade books written in a unique format can be hit or miss for some. Here are 3 (+1) of my favorite unique format stories done right!

Books mentioned:

WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY by @claireswinarski 
ANNIE’S LIFE IN LISTS by @kristinmahoneybooks 
LASAGNA MEANS I LOVE YOU by @kloshaughnessy 
THE NIGHT DIARY (which is written in letters in her diary to her deceased mom — voiceovers are hard!) by @veerawrites 

Do you love any stories written in multiple/unique formats? I’d love to hear!
🫁 the first own voices cystic fibrosis novel ✨

🐬 centers young Penny, a middle schooler with cystic fibrosis. Penny has to take digestive enzymes and do her breathing treatments to help her lungs get rid of mucus that affects her breathing. While her CF case is relatively mild-moderate, she still struggles with being chronically ill. 

🚤 One day a dolphin shows up in the lake near their house and Penny feels a strong connection with the animal. It turns out the dolphin (who Penny names Rose) is also sick and needs to return to her pod to get better. Penny may be the only one who can help the scientists take Rose back. But can she do that, when she feels so drawn to the animal?

🫁 No Matter the Distance is a beautiful middle grade verse novel about living with cystic fibrosis and finding belonging in community. Also starring an adorable dolphin and warm family dynamics, this book will appeal to kids who love animals, books about sisters, and stories about chronic illness and disability.
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