Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 226
March 19, 2017
One Gay Character, One African American: Are you Just Covering Your Bases?
Recently, I read a post over at the Nelson Agency about the dangers of informing a first-reader at an agency or publisher that your manuscript has LGBTQ+ character or that it is diverse. This particular reader said that when he read things like this in a query letter, he felt like the writer was going […]
March 16, 2017
First Time’s the Charm
Don’t expect your first story to sell. Those are the words of wisdom that we experienced writers pass on to beginners. And I have to admit that my first manuscript is still just mine. And I have no plans to submit it. After all, I was new and it is pretty horrid. But then I […]
March 15, 2017
Expert Sources
Recently I came across an online discussion about reaching out to experts when we authors need to learn more about a topic. I was amazed at how many people assumed that they have to pay someone for information. That has never been my experience. In my research on the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), I came across […]
March 14, 2017
Revision: You Gotta Love It
So many writers I know want to rush through their revisions. If they get feedback from an editor, they are determined to turn the manuscript around in two weeks, three at most. Me? I want to give myself time to internalize the feedback. I also enjoy seeing the manuscript change and grow. Why rush it? […]
March 13, 2017
How Many Manuscripts Do You Work on at Once?
One of my writing nonfiction students has been struggling with which one of two topics to choose for her project. The problem is that she’s waiting to hear back from someone about Topic #1 so she wasn’t sure if she should go ahead and pursue Topic #2. I suggested that she pursue both. While she […]
March 12, 2017
Poetry, Writing in Rhyme and Word Play
Saturday I had the opportunity to attend a top-notch writing workshop put on by KS/MO SCBWI. The subject was poetry and rhyme and the workshop leader was Peggy Archer. Writing in rhyme is not natural for me. Part of it is my subject matter. Black Lives Matter, Race and Racism and the Zika virus are […]
March 9, 2017
Query Letters: Comparing Your Book to Another Title
One of the things that you need to do in your query letter is show the agent that you know something about the market. Many writers do this by comparing their work to a book that is already in print. As with everything, there is a right way to do this and a wrong way […]
March 8, 2017
Welcome to Sesame Street!
This is a great opportunity for any writer who can pursue it. Sesame Street Writers’ Room is a new fellowship opportunity from the creators of Sesame Street. Who is it for? New writers from underrepresented racial backgrounds. Sesame Street has always represented diversity on screen and this is a behind-the-screen opportunity for people of any […]
March 7, 2017
Query Letters: Connecting with the agent
A query letter is a business letter. Check. That’s easy and straightforward enough that most of us get it. A query letter is also the writer’s opportunity to connect with the agent. But remember, it is still a business letter. Did you hear the agent speak at a conference? Then say so. “When I heard […]
March 6, 2017
Theme: The Opposite of Preaching
Throughout March, I am taking part in ReFoReMo or Read for Research Month. In this picture book writing challenge, you read a wide variety of books and then read blog posts by various authors on how to use the mentor texts to improve your work. One of the books for last week was Jacob Grant’s Cat […]
