Susan Stoderl
- Jan 31
- 2 min
What I Would Do Differently | Part 4: Too Much Benefit of the Doubt
I've had two major fiascos because I gave too much benefit of the doubt to people I hired. The first was getting a proper cover design made in a timely matter. I gave extremely detailed descriptions of the characters and their personalities, as well as submitted several examples of designs I liked. The designer spent two months and over six redesigns, and none of them come close to representing the book. Since I needed it, I ended up getting my money back, but I should have d
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 27
- 2 min
White Lady Ghost of Stow Lake—Another Fake!
“Sophia and Pedro, finish your tea and cookies. The tea house closes in fifteen minutes. Then we’ll go check out the Pioneer Mother statue on our way to catch our bus back to the hotel. It’ll be getting dark by then so we can see if we see any ghostly activities,” said their pink-haired author friend. “Cool,” said Sophia. “One legend says that the White Lady’s ghost makes her home inside the body of the Pioneer Woman’s statue—that they’re simpatico energy-wise. I wonder how o
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 24
- 2 min
What I Would Do Differently | Part 3: Who is Your Audience
My answer was “Uhhh…,” followed by some generalized answers based on why I wrote the story I did. It quickly turned into “I don’t know.” And that is something I should have known before I began writing my Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers series. I didn’t even question it until I began marketing the book. Hence, what I would do differently. Now, who is my audience? When you self-publish, you must submit the categories (genre and sub-genre) your book fits into. Booksellers use
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 20
- 2 min
A Sophia & Pedro Short-Short Story | Crocker's Nob Hill Ghost Gets Its Retribution
Sophia and Pedro take a tour of San Francisco's Nob Hill and Grace Cathedral with their pink-haired author friend. While they are touring the Cathedral, someone hands them a flier about the monthly Nada yoga sound bath. “Hey, this sound bath thing looks terrific. I’ve been thinking about taking yoga more seriously. When I listen to singing bowls on YouTube, they knock Zelda out within ten minutes. No more mischievous surprise attacks. Besides, my chakras need major cleaning
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 17
- 2 min
What I Would Do Differently | Part 2: Know Why You Are Writing
Knowing why you write before, during, and after self-publishing a book is important. The reasons why you write determine what story you tell and your chosen genre. It also tells you who your audience is, essential to marketing. I’m narrowing it down, and I published it in November. I merely fell into what I wrote and was lucky it is something I’m enjoying. My book series Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers grew out of a short story I wrote as part of a group healing process. It
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 13
- 2 min
A Sophia & Pedro Short-Short Story | The Case of the Golden Gate Ghost Busters
Sophia and Pedro are waiting at the Union Square stop for the Ghost Tour bus with their pink-haired author friend. "My guidebook claims that there are over one hundred fifty shipwrecks within a 950 square nautical mile area around the Golden Gate Strait, which lies between the San Francisco and Marin peninsulas. Some think it's closer to three hundred." "That’s a lot of potential ghosts!" said Pedro, looking up from his book. Sophia continued her mini-lecture. "The Golden Gat
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 10
- 2 min
What I Would Do Differently | Part 1: The Business of Writing
First-time self-publishing Author | What I Would Do Differently (a series). Part 1: The Business of Writing. Are you prepared?
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 6
- 2 min
New Sophia and Pedro Short Story and Lesson Learned
Introducing my second short story "A Celebration of Cultures: Pedro's Special Three Kings Day." The stories expand on the characters found in my middle-grade series, Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers. If you click on the picture it will take you to the story. Or you can click on this link: https://www.susanstoderl.net/short-story-pedro-s-special-three-kings-day This story is a lesson for a non-fluent Spanish writer trying to use Spanish phrases correctly. I asked my artist fr
Susan Stoderl
- Jan 4
- 2 min
Women Writers | The Poetry of Madeleine L'Engle
The quote in the image posted with this entry is from the preface of Lines Scribbled on an Envelope: and Other Poems (1969, Farrar, Straus & Giroux). The volume comprises forty-four poems, which are varied in their tone and subject. Some poems are very serious, some are questioning, some are of faith, and some are humorous. They are a reflection of Madeleine L’Engle’s day-to-day life. Another quote that resonated with me was in an article I read about what made L’Engle the wr