Susan Johnston Taylor (she/her)

Illustrated by Sandie Sonke, Edited by Sandra Sutter at Gnome Road Publishing. Video editing by @bonniekelso.bsky.social & me.

Sadie & I are so excited to share the cover reveal for IF PETS WROTE POEMS: A PARODY COLLECTION unleashing March 10, 2026 & now available for preorder! 🐾https://bookshop.org/p/books/if-pets-wrote-poems-a-parody-collection-susan-johnston-taylor/b1ee85d77398728f?ean=9781957655659&next=t #poetry4all

I’m proud to donate a 1:1 Virtual Tutorial on Canva for Authors to a benefit auction for the @ndkidlit.bsky.social Scholarship at @highlightsfound.bsky.social! Bidding runs throughout the April 30. Details here: ndkidlit.org/product/11-v... #kidlit

🎨 Fundraising Auction spotlight

@sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social is offering a virtual tutorial on #canva !

Auction is live 4/15-4/30. Proceeds fund our #neurodiverse #kidlit @highlightsfound.bsky.social scholarship

👀 champ.ly/xSRrqf-V

#autism #mentalhealth #writingcommunity #adhd #ptsd #anxiety

Who else loves books AND musicals? ✨ I’m hosting a show tune open mic night at Birdhouse Books & Gifts in Austin on March 25, so it got me thinking about all the great musicals inspired by books. Do you have a favorite? What would you add?

Writers, friendly reminder that even Stephen King faced rejections for CARRIE, which went on to become a NYT bestseller! I'm leading a webinar tonight with SCBWI MD/DE/WV all about persevering through the passes. Join me! www.scbwi.org/events/MDDEW... #AmQuerying

Persevering Past Rejection: Tools & Tips to Save Your Sanity Every would-be author or illustrator has faced rejection in their quest to find a literary agent and/or land a book deal. Those passes can tear you down or propel you towards achieving your goals. Aut...

Writers, if you're in the query trenches struggling to land an agent, I know how hard it can be! That's why I'm presenting a webinar on Persevering Past Rejection: Tools & Tips to Save Your Sanity for the MD/DE/WV chapter of @scbwi.bsky.social. Register here: www.scbwi.org/events/MDDEW... #querying

#ATX friends, I'm debuting my solo cabaret Unsung: Celebrating Female Musical Theatre Writers on March 30 in Mozart's Loft & I'd love to see you there! www.showclix.com/tickets/unsu...

Writers, I donated a 1-hour Canva tutorial on Zoom to this auction to support LA Wildfire Relief! You can bid on it here: www.32auctions.com/organization... Also check out the 350+ other items available including editor & agent critiques, signed books & more. #kidlit #amwriting

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Takeaway from a performance workshop I attended yesterday that feels applicable to anything creative: "CONNECTION OVER PERFECTION." Yes!

This quote from Demi Moore at the Golden Globes last night really resonated with me as a creative: "You will never be enough, but you can understand the value of your work if you just put down the measuring stick."

On a recent visit to London, I stopped by the @poetrypharmacy.bsky.social and bought this vial of "pills" for writer's block. (It has slips of paper with inspirational quotes & lines of poetry inside.) What emotional ailment would you treat with poetry? #Poetry4All

This BEAUTIFUL #stem book by @sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social is both lyrical and informative. Great Christmas gift for the inquisitive child in your life! #PictureBook #KidLit

Thanks for including my Q&A for Stanford GSB in your year end roundup, @studyhall.bsky.social!

Congratulations to @gloriaamescua.bsky.social, @sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social, Lisa Gunsberg, and Nick Solis on getting to sign the party porch! 🎉

This WB tradition celebrates students who have had their books published, and we’re so excited to have celebrated them at the Barn recently.

Thanks SO MUCH, Carolyn!

Thought of a few more #ADHDhacks:

✅Pack a sleep mask & noise-cancelling headphones
✅If you wear glasses, bring a backup pair just in case (I brought a cheap pair that I only wear in a pinch)

So true! I once fell asleep in a hotel lobby in Prague waiting for my room to be ready & left my phone on the coach. 🤦‍♀️ Fortunately, I didn't even realize it was missing until a kind employee delivered it to my room (it also had my ID so they were able to find me pretty easily).

Here are of my travel strategies:

✅Using a packing list (and keep it updated)
✅Carabiner clipping key items like my phone to the inside of my purse
✅Doctor's letter for traveling to other countries with ADHD meds (check that country's guidelines first; some flat out don't allow it)

#ADHDhacks

ADHDers, what are your favorite travel tips? Getting ready for my first big trip post-diagnosis & hoping my executive function doesn’t let me down! #ADHD

So grateful to be part of @thewritingbarn.bsky.social community! ✨ From 2016, when I started, to 2023, when I published my debut book & joined the Writing Barn staff, this community and founder Bethany Hegedus have been so supportive. Here I am (finally) signing the Party Porch! #WriterCommunity

This is going to be a good one!

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Neuro-sparkly friends, I'm writing a listicle of podcasts hosted by #ND people for ND people. I'm subscribed to several for ADHDers (ADHD Chatter, #ADHD for Smart Ass Women, etc.), but I'd love your recs for podcasts for/by people with other diagnosis like autism, dyspraxia, etc. What do you say?

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Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! (An unconventional choice but nevertheless my pick one year in my early teens, because with a vegetable in the name, my baby vegetarian self thought it was a more nutritious choice.)

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Decided I'm at that stage of my (very eclectic) career where I'm now longer limited to a single page resume. This girl is ready for new challenges in 2025!

(And yes, I already stopped including my college grad several years ago, although one can still find it on LinkedIn if you're determined.)

Here’s to the two-legged & four-legged muses: The pets who keep us company, the critique partners who help us view our work in a new light, the mentors who see our potential even when we don’t, and everyone else along for this creative journey!

Wishing you light, love, and inspiration. ✨ #AmWriting

December’s cold winds blow in the last class & events of 2024! 🌬️❄️

Rebekah Manley’s DIY Publicity Kit webinar on 12/7 teaches writers how to promote themselves and their work with eye-catching details. We also have an exciting month of events lined up for members of our Courage to Create program!

Teachers & librarians! Want to Zoom with an author for World Read Aloud Day? Here's all the information about how WRAD Zoom visits work, plus a list of over 300 author & illustrator volunteers! katemessner.com/zoom-with-an...

PS If you're in Austin & you'd like a signed copy of my debut #picturebook ANIMALS IN SURPRISING SHADES, @birdhousebooksatx.bsky.social on Burnet Road still has some in stock!

Books make great gifts! ✨ Whether you purchase one of my books or not, I hope you’ll consider supporting local authors & indie bookstores this holiday season.

What book(s) are you gifting this year? Leave a comment & let me know! 📚

#shopsmall #shopindie #bookstores #writercommunity