Featured Work

Free Educator Resources

Access poetry lesson plans, coloring pages, a word search, and more on TeachingBooks.net.

Feature on kidpreneurs for Scout Life

From delivering flyers to creating a better 3D printer, these five businesses were started by kids or teens. I wrote about them for Boys’ Life magazine (now Scout Life), including where they got their idea and how they’re giving back.

Learn more

Feature on co-authoring for The Writer

Collaboration helps authors find new readers, bust creative blocks, better their craft, and increase accountability. I interviewed over a dozen authors to find out why and how they’ve teamed up on book projects.

View Project

A redhead wearing a blue dress smiles and holds the book Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems About Earth’s Colorful Creatures

Events & School Visits

My children’s books spread kindness and curiosity. I love connecting with writers of all ages and would be happy to develop a program based on your needs, whether for a school visit, poetry workshop, story time, or other event.

I’m based in Austin, Texas and open to in-person (travel fees may apply outside of Central Texas) or virtual events. For bookings through Authors and More, contact Carole Weitzel at carole@authorsandmore.com or 512-914-2596 for information on rates and availability. Or if your school participates in Project WISE, you can request an author visit from me!

Teachers, librarians and homeschool parents can also access the educator resource guide and other teaching materials for Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems About Earth’s Colorful Creatures on TeachingBooks.net. This book includes multiple curricular tie-ins for ELA and science.

“Susan Johnston Taylor came to our Roots Austin Summer Camp Program to read and describe details about her book, Animals In Surprising Shades. The kids absolutely adored her and all the really unique animals she wrote about. They got to rediscover animals they’ve seen before, learn about all new animals and environments, and recall their favorite animals in the book! Afterwards, Susan gave the kids bookmarks and coloring pages from the book. Overall, it was an awesome experience for the students, and we can’t wait to have her back for more fun this school year!” -Lacey Parker, Site Coordinator at Roots Austin

“Our 2nd and 3rd graders at Holy Family Catholic School loved their Zoom call with poet/author Susan Johnston Taylor to discuss her brilliant new book Animals in Surprising Shades. Poetry, zoology, artwork … it has it all in one clever package! Taylor spoke to the students about first-, second-, and third-person voices and used her poems to show examples. The students especially loved getting to know her during a question-and-answer session!” -Laurie Dunlop, Librarian, Holy Family Catholic School, Dale City, Virginia

“Susan Johnston Taylor is a writer’s writer. Her time in the trenches–selling a book on her own before finding her ‘write’ match agent is inspiring. She has know-how and get-up-and go and makes both her excellent Canva classes and writing journey shares perfect for keynotes, breakouts and more. At The Writing Barn, where she has taught numerous times, writers comment on her marketing knowledge, her approachability and her enthusiasm for picture book–fiction and non-fiction is unparalleled. Susan is an incredible addition to any conference line-up, solo-speaking series or more. Her star is on the rise.” -Bethany Hegedus, Author & Creative Director/The Writing Barn

Topics I Cover

Writing & Revision

As Ernest Hemingway said, “the only kind of writing is rewriting.” This important step is sometimes skipped, so I’ll show examples of how my writing has changed through multiple versions. I’ll also share revision tips students can use to improve their own writing. Aligns with TEKS standards including ELA.3.11.C and ELA.4.11.C. (Geared towards 3rd grade and up.)

Poetry of Pop

Explore short sections of lyrics from popular songs to examine the rhyme scheme in Hamilton, metaphor in Olivia Rodrigo’s music, simile and apostrophe in Taylor Swift songs, and more. Aligns with TEKS standards including ELA.4.9.B. (Geared towards 4th grade and up.)

Point of View

Why might an author choose the first-person “I,” the second-person “you,” or the third-person “they”? How does telling a story from different perspectives change the reader’s experience? We’ll look at examples from fiction and nonfiction picture books. Aligns with TEKS standards including ELA.3.10.E. (Geared towards grade 3 and up. Version also available for adults writing kidlit.)

Use Your Neuro-spicy Superpowers in Writing

Many neurodivergent writers face challenges like rejection sensitivity and difficulty finishing projects. But they also bring super-charged creativity, empathy, and grit, all ingredients that can make great writers. Hear from an author with ADHD about how her wildly imaginative brain contributed to her Crystal Kite Award-winning debut book Animals in Surprising Shades and how she persevered through hundreds of no’s. (Geared towards grades 3 and up. Version also available for adult writers.)

Book Marketing Groups

Debut groups and other book marketing groups can help broaden your reach, provide support and camaraderie before and after your book release, and share strategies. But how do you find a group? And what does it take to start your own? I share tips and strategies from founding PB Spree and participating in two other book groups. (Geared towards adults creating books for kids, teens, or adults.)