Introducing Suzanne Elson, Our Newest Judge
- rateyourstoryweb
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
We are pleased to announce our newest Rate Your Story Judge - multi-published PB and MG author Suzanne Elson (Calm Down Counting and Haunted Pond) who will be giving Ratings and Feedback on fiction manuscripts.
In February, 2025, Suzanne signed contracts for three more picture books!
Rate Your Story Members get 18 Ratings and Feedback from published Rate Your Story Judges and Guest Gurus per Membership Year (January 7, 2025 - November 15, 2025) and MORE. If not a Member, you are invited to sign up here: www.rateyourstory.org/become-a-member
Q: What did you love about being a child?
A: I loved being in my own little world. I had and still have a very rich imagination. It wasn’t so much about friends, as it was about my toys, although I had solid friends. Because of that generation, children had an abundance of autonomy, so that was also great!
Q: What brought you to children’s books?
A: I started off having poetry and short stories published while completing my English Lit degree, then morphed into picture books because I had a very young grandson, so I started writing dinosaur stories for him. There was quite a period of time when he thought he was a T-Rex!
Q: What do you love about children’s books?
A: I love picture books that are funny and silly, with an underlying message. And illustrations that are so brilliantly connected. I still read the classics to my grandkids; Robert Munsch and Dr. Seuss. Those are the best!
Q: Share a little bit about your most recently-published book. How long was its path to publication? What did you learn from this experience? What is your favorite thing about this book?
A: My debut picture book that launched in March 2025 was published two years to the day of signing the contract. For some reason I wrote that one a little bit differently, and it got picked up pretty quickly. I had guidance from my amazing critique partners, but also some editors and agents along the way who helped shape it into what it is today.
I feel that I learned from people who know more than me in the industry, as to how each word needs to be needed, otherwise remove it. I’ve learned an awful lot about the publishing side of things as my publisher has been very hands-on and amazing, explaining every single step. I now have a full understanding of how picture books come about.
Although I find the ending of the book terribly funny, and I love that part, I am very proud of the backmatter. We did a lot of research with help from Anxiety Canada. I think that is what makes the book special, and it seems to be well received in the classrooms so far because of that.
Q: Share a little bit about another book you wrote and how you drew upon your interests or experience to research / write it.
A: I wrote my very first middle grade novel just over a year ago. For some reason I wrote it in six weeks (Just finished book two and it took me over 7 months!) Again, I was very blessed to have it picked up by a publisher pretty quickly. The book takes place at a campground, and I am obsessed with camping, in all seasons, so it was easy to imagine that I was the main character experiencing everything. I did pull from my knowledge of my niece, and stayed with them for about 10 days, so my MC could think like her, talk like her, dress like her etc. That definitely helped as I only have boys!
Q: What do you love about concept books?
A: I feel concept books are very needed. Though if you ask most children, I’m sure they would like to be read funny books, they do need to learn, and that’s where these books come in! If they are written in a humorous way, it’s a win-win!
Q: What does a story need to make it a favorite for you?
A: I do love humour, originality and quirkiness. But I also love a message that is hidden.
The books I would read over and over again are The Paperbag Princess, and The Lorax.
Q: Share a story that you love and why.
A: I know I am dating myself, but I’ve always loved the Lorax. The silliness of the words and the pictures are great for any child, but the message is wonderful. It’s all about the environment and man’s undoing. The story will never get old, and I think it evokes an important conversation once you’ve finished reading it.
Q: What is a common issue you see in the manuscripts you critique?
A: Well, I hate to say this, but if I am bored, whether it’s a picture book or a middle grade, then I know the children will be also. I critique for writing friends all the time, and I will share that almost all of them are amazing writers, quite possibly better than me, but if I find it bland, and would never pick it up again, then I think that’s a problem.
Q: Please share a Submission Tip with our Members.
A: Unfortunately there is no magic answer here. You need to do your research - research publishers and agents or wherever you would like to submit to. Query tracker is amazing, so is Twitter and the Internet in general.
It’s a long road, and you just have to ride it from beginning to end. So because of that answer, my submission tip would be do not give up, and try not to let rejections get you down. Most times they are not personal.
And definitely lean on critique partners for advice, for a lot of times they have information that you did not find yourself.
Q: Please share a Revision Tip for our Members.
A: Once you have done all you can do, and you have passed your work around to your critique partners, and anyone that is willing to look, do put it away. The beauty of looking at your work a month later with fresh eyes allows you to be objective, as it really does seem like someone else’s work!
And I always ask those reading my material to be hard on me. Fluffy nice comments don’t move my work forward :)
Q: Name subjects you would like to read about.
A: I love learning and I’m always googling the most bizarre topics. I will always love learning about evolution. I love learning about humans, who we are and how we came about. That is the adult side of me.
In children’s books, it would really just be the human experience, how to be more empathetic and kind, etc. Not just in regards to each other, our planet as well.
Q: Name subjects you would not like to read about.
A: To be honest, the only thing that I would be really bored with reading about would be anything math related. It’s just not what I ever had an interest in. And if you are talking about a picture book, I would have to say a book that is overly saturated in SEL. Sometimes those conversations are overdone, and could easily be discussed at home by your caregiver.
Q: Share something you wish we had asked you about, but didn’t!
A: I truly feel that these questions were incredibly thorough and covered everything to do with writing. A non-related question would be my family! But most people have one of those ha ha.
OK, to be fair, it would be about the rejection side of the business. But that really wouldn’t be a question, it would just be a discussion to share in general.
Q: Share a fun fact about YOU!
A: Being Scottish, I still have my strong accent. I only bring it out every now and then, but it still stumps people!
Suzanne had several poems and short stories published while completing her BA in English Literature, then took a break from writing to raise her three sons. Suzanne furthered her education, then taught ESL for 19 years. She is now on hiatus from teaching to write full time, mostly picture books and middle grade. When Suzanne isn’t writing, she’s creating new memories with her husband and boys, her beautiful grandbabies, and at a campground – if she’s lucky, all at the same time.
Emigrating from Scotland to Canada at the age of ten, Suzanne already had a thirst for reading. This love continued as she added writing to the mix, with short stories in high school and poetry in university. Pausing to raise her three sons and to start her long career as an ESL teacher, Suzanne resumed her writing during the quiet of the pandemic. She initially focused on picture books, but has recently made the switch to middle grade, and is having the time of her life- the spookier the better, especially if it involves anything camping! Though Suzanne has ideas for a YA novel, she is staying in the middle grade lane for now. Feel free to contact Suzanne if you have any questions about her writing journey.
You can reach her here: https://suzanneelson.com/
Great advice...I feel that I learned from people who know more than me in the industry, as to how each word needs to be needed, otherwise remove it.
I agree...critique partners are the best! And the more honest they are the better. Congrats on your continued success!
Congrats on becoming a judge and all your books!
Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to having you critique our work.
Glad you’re here with Lynne Marie, her cadt of RYS judges., and us authors who appreciate your critiques. Welcome and thank you.