Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 198

Crystal Kite: Time to Vote on Round 2

Hi Everyone.  I hope you’ll forgive the super-short post today but I have a book due and everyone in the household has been sick.  Everyone.  We are on the mend but I’ve got to finish proofing my manuscript. It is time to cast your 2nd Round vote for the Crystal Kite award. If you are […]

Writing Nonfiction: What to do when you’re stumped

Recently someone asked me how much research I do for a book.  Really, it all depends on the topic.  My current book, which I can’t discuss in detail just yet, is STEM title.  I have 142 sources but part of chapter 2 has been giving me a hard time.  The topic is full of medical […]

Reading Without Walls

I can’t believe that the month is half over and I just realized it is time for the second annual Reading Without Walls.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this program, author Gene Luen Yang challenges young readers, educators, librarians and booksellers to read beyond their comfort zone.  This can mean several things. […]

The Agent Search: Wait for a Good Match

SCBWI members have through this month to submit their work to Alexandra Penfold, an agent at Upstart Crow.  So I’ve read up on Penfold and I love so much about her. She represents fiction and nonfiction. She’s an agent and an author. She represents picture book authors as well as people who write children’s novels. […]

Theme: Telling a story to get your message across

I love it when I’m sitting reading a stack of books from the library and I come across one that does something especially well.  Recently, I read Liz Wong’s Quackers.  It is all about a cat who loves life down at the pond with the other ducks.  Well, except for maybe the water.  And eating duck weed.  […]

5 Minutes a Day: When It Looks Like Someone Ransacked Your House

I’m not houseproud but when someone who has never been here before stops by, I don’t want it to look like enemy agents were looking for the code key which, at the moment, is pretty much how it looks. Unfortunately, my son’s engineering study group is meeting here on Saturday afternoon. But I have a […]

Writing: Getting the Words Down NOW

I know writers who wander around waiting to trip over their muse before they actually write.  I have a book due the end of next week. When you have a deadline, you have to write.  Period.  You can’t wait for Ms. Muse to make an appearance.  Here are three different ways to make the writing […]

Revision: Taking Advice and Reworking Your Manuscript

On Monday, I posted about Kansas Missouri SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators) Agents Day. As part of this event, you got a paid critique from an agent.  Mine was with Adria Goetz from Martin Literary.  She critiqued Drip by Drip, Cave Below, a nonfiction manuscript about a cave. While she had positive things […]

National Library Week

Did you know that National Library Week started Sunday?  The theme this year is Libraries Lead. This is most definitely true.  It is no longer the library I loved as a kid but that’s okay because it has so much to offer. Our branch has been remodeled. It is bright and so well lit. There […]

Literary Agents: Seeking Representation

On Saturday, I got to attend the Kansas Missouri SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators) Agents Day.   Here are five interesting things that I learned.  Always include in your letter that you are an SCBWI member. This is a biggie and I always did it before I had any sales.  But lately?  I’ll […]