Sue Bradford Edwards, Children's Author, Book Reviewer and Writing Instructor - Page 2
© Sue Reichard
As for the benefits of joining the organization, they are many. Chief among them is education. There is so much to know in order to write and publish and this is one of the best ways to find the answers to your questions.
Then there is the networking. I met my first regular editor at a Society critique group. I've also had several writers I met through the Society recommend me to their editors.
If you want to be a professional, the Society really is a must in my opinion.
4.SR: You are also a book reviewer, how did you get started reviewing books? What do you do when you about books that are really terrible?
SBE: My first review was of Han Nolan's Dancing on the Edge. I pitched a review to my editor to review the winner of the National Book Award; this book won. Because it was an award winner and also time sensitive, it caught her attention.
Unless my editor requests a review of a certain book, I only review books that I like. I'm not out to pan another writer's work and with such limited space available to me it really isn't worth writing a bad review. Not when my goal is to turn kids on to all the great books out there.
5.SR: What is the best writing advice you have ever received?
SBE: BIC. Butt in chair. This is the advice Jane Yolen gives when people say they don't have time to write or can't seem to get a project done. And it really is excellent advice. If you want to be a writer you have to find time to write. Just talking about it or going to conferences isn't good enough.
And you don't have to have huge blocks of time to write. If you don't have hours, look for minutes. When my son was a newborn I worked for fifteen minutes at a time. And I was making sales. If you want to be a writer, put your rear in that chair and get to work!
6.SR: What advice can you offer struggling newbies?
SBE: Read everything you can in your area (picture book, ya novel, nonfiction,
