Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 76

Don’t Vaguepost When You Pitch

One of the hardest things to get right when we create a Twitter pitch or a query letter is the level of detail. Twitter pitches are limited to 280 characters. Queries need to come in under a page. When every keyboard click counts, it can be hard to tell what to include. As a result, … Continue reading Don’t Vaguepost When You Pitch →

Which Book Is #1?

Last week, my husband sent me an article about the Brooklyn Public Library celebrating it’s 125th anniversary. In celebration they took stock of the 125 most borrowed books. Not surprisingly, #1 was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. That is consistently one of my favorite books! Here are the top ten most checked … Continue reading Which Book Is #1? →

3 Things to Do When the Series Parameters Are Vague at Best

Earlier this week I started working on a new project. Admittedly, I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to the guidelines when I took the job. I was in the middle of another book and I knew the dangers of losing my focus. Suffice it to say that this one was giving me fits and … Continue reading 3 Things to Do When the Series Parameters Are Vague at Best →

Creating the Introverted Character

Yesterday I saw an article on creating introverted characters. I was super excited to see something that might as well have said “Creating Sue as a Character.” The reality is that I am a gold medal introvert. I can interact. I do interact. And then I am DONE. So I clicked through and saw . … Continue reading Creating the Introverted Character →

Saying Yes: How I Built a Career in Children’s Nonfiction

I didn’t graduate from college planning to become a writer.  I loved working in archaeology but took a new job at the university when it became clear that the department in which I worked wasn’t going to be around much longer. I didn’t much care for my new job.  One day I was paging through … Continue reading Saying Yes: How I Built a Career in Children’s Nonfiction →

5 Places to Look for a Critique Group

As writers, we spend much of our time working in isolation.  Focusing on a piece of writing, its easy to loose perspective.  What works?  What doesn’t?  After a while, it is really hard to tell. That’s where a strong critique group comes in handy.   Paid critiques are great but a critique group gives you … Continue reading 5 Places to Look for a Critique Group →

3 Reasons You Need a Critique Group

I don’t understand writers who don’t have a critique group. Because, in truth, my critique group is essential. I adore these ladies. If you don’t have a critique group, I hope you’ll consider scour the bushes and finding one. Okay, that’s a joke. Tomorrow I’ll take about how to find a group. This post is … Continue reading 3 Reasons You Need a Critique Group →

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Something Different

I use a lot of stock photos here on my blog. Creative Commons 0 is a form of copyright that means you can use the photos any way you would like, free of charge. If you are in the need of photos like this, you can check out Pixabay which is my go-to source. But … Continue reading If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Something Different →

Self Care for Writers and Illustrators

Yesterday I had a book manuscript due. I turned it in about 3:30 for the win! In spite of this deadline, I attended a virtual yoga class. This was my first yoga class since I had occupational therapy for my wrist. Definitely a good idea and I will be doing more. Writers and illustrators need … Continue reading Self Care for Writers and Illustrators →

3 Tips for Creating the “Perfect” Author Bio

I’ve got a book manuscript due today. I made myself finish the last chapter before I went to vote yesterday. That’s a fact that is going to make its way into my bio for this particular book. When I’m doing, its going to sound like a had to finish my homework before I could do … Continue reading 3 Tips for Creating the “Perfect” Author Bio →