Susan Hughes

Children’s book editor, story coach and mentor, consultant, and commissioned writer.

I’m excited to work with you on your picture book, chapter book, MG novel, or YA novel. Services provided: manuscript critiques, developmental (structural) edits, substantive edits; assistance with querying; and consulting. I also provide story coaching and mentoring services. I can help you whether you’re at the idea stage — or on your 1st, 10th, or 25th draft of your manuscript.

I also offer services to support educational content (K to 12), including writing and developmental editing.  

As well, I offer writing services. I’m an experienced writer of educational resources (language arts, science, social studies, and history), and curriculum-linked articles and stories. I also am the author of many traditionally published children and young adult books (fiction and non-fiction), .

Editing and writing (NF and fiction) subjects have included: Inuit teacher lessons, the Canadian suffrage movement, Catholic religious teachings, homes around the world, Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, South African wildlife preserves.

Editing and writing clients: Many first-time and experienced writers; various companies and organizations, including Canadian publishers (Breakwater Books, Portage and Main, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Pearson Canada, Nelson, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, Colleges Ontario, Teach, Inhabit Media, etc.), and US publishers and writing-editorial services (Words and Numbers, Houghton Mifflin, Reading Plus, Gallopade, Jump Start Press, Kirkus Editorial, Artful Editor, etc.).

Sample testimonials (editing, critiquing, story coaching)

“I hired Susan for story coaching services for the picture book I was writing. With her question-asking method and pointed guidance, she was able to help me find the heart of my story. She was encouraging and suggested different approaches, keeping at that narrative arc until I got it right. This all took time and patience, and if it wasn’t for Susan’s guidance, I would likely still be searching for the heart of the story! That manuscript became my first book contract in this long journey of writing for children I embarked on years ago. If you need expert help in writing, shaping, and chiseling your story into the best it can be, I highly recommend hiring Susan.”

– Thereza Dos Santos, author of Papa Was a Sea Captain (Owlkids, 2027); Canada

“I first worked with Susan on a picture book for which my publisher had hired her as an editor. I loved the experience so much and found her insights so helpful that I almost immediately reached out to hire her personally for help with a different picture book I had been playing with and tweaking for years. She “got” my vision and her feedback was, as ever, keen and easy to implement. A Canadian publisher just acquired my re-worked manuscript, so suffice it to say hiring Susan was worth every penny!”

– Carolyn Mills, author of picture books I Drove My Bed to Grandma’s House (Dancing Cat Books, tbp 2025), Grandpa’s Stars (Fitzhenry, 2023), The Little Boy Who Lived Down the Drain (Fitzhenry, 2017), and several novels for adults; Canada …

“One of my picture books Susan edited was successfully self-published and has sold several thousand copies. Another one has just been acquired by a publisher. I highly recommend Susan to anyone looking to move their writing to the next level.”  

– Yewande Daniel-Ayoade, author of Little Regent (Owl Kids, 2023) and What’s the Worst that Could Happen? (Amazon, 2020); Canada

“I would highly recommend Susan for critique services for any picture book … She provided very detailed critiques for two of my picture books. … One, Journey of the Midnight Sun, has been accepted for publication. The second critique was equally meticulous. I have edited that story and will be sending it to her for a second round soon.” 

– Shazia Afzal, author of Journey of the Midnight Sun Mosque, Orca, 2022; Canada

“I feel so fortunate to have found Susan at the start of my writing journey. She is a brilliant editor and story coach, a wonderfully generous person, and an accomplished writer of many genres of children’s literature. She helped me to develop and polish several picture book manuscripts, as well as a middle-grade novel and a chapter book. ..I could not have found my agent without Susan’s support and encouragement.” 

– Kelly Zhang; Canada; now represented by agent Hilary Harwell, KT Literary

“Susan is really amazing at proving in-depth manuscript comments of criticism, explanations, and suggestions, as well as a summary of the overall critique. In addition, some editors won’t touch a diversity manuscript because they are scared, but Susan knows how to edit and look at the stories at hand — not the disability of the character — as the story.” 

– Luda Gogolushko, publisher of Includas Publishing (www.includas.com), a press bringing diversity to readers (2019); US 

“As a first-time author and illustrator of a middle-grade graphic novel, I was both grateful and impressed with the level of insight and careful attention to detail that Susan provided in her critique. The suggestions she offered and questions she put forward were all carefully considered and made their way into an improved version of Once Upon Utopia. Thank you!”

– Rupy Bhogal; Canada

“I recently reached out to Susan for help with a middle-grade novel. I had lost direction with it and was stuck going forward. Her detailed, insightful and knowledgeable evaluation provided me with the direction I need to jump back into the project with invigorated gusto. Not only has Susan provided me with a roadmap of how I can turn this project into a publisher-ready manuscript, but she also gave me the encouragement I need to become re-inspired. Thank you, Susan.” 

– Michelle Kadarusman, author of Out of It ( Lorimer, 2014) and The Theory of Hummingbirds (Pajama Press, 2017); Canada