Welcome to the Guestbook!
I’m always eager to read your comments about my books and stories, so please feel free to pitch in. Here are a few things for you to know:
1) I answer the messages here personally.
2) No message shows up here until I actually answer it to prevent spam and other inappropriate postings. So there will sometimes be a delay before your message posts, especially if I am traveling.
3) Teachers, a gentle request: Please do not have multiple children send me variants of the same message. A group email is much easier to respond to and not such a drain on my time. My thanks in advance for being alert to this.
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Hi Mr. Coville I don't think you remember but when you came to my elementary school, Oak Street, in 2008 I was sick so I signed the guestbook. I still love your books, great work. I need some advice. I know you're not supposed to comment on stories but I've been writing one that's been getting a lot of positive feedback and my mom thinks I should talk to a publisher. Should I go ahead with her idea? I'm a bit skeptical. Thanks.
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Ginny -
Nice to hear from you! It's hard to answer your question without more information. You say that you've been writing a story, but I'm not clear if you mean that it is a book, or something that would make sense in a magazine. Those would be two very different things.
One doesn't generally get to "talk to" a publisher. Basically you send in your manuscript and then wait for about a billion years (okay, not that long, but it feels like it) to get a response. It is VERY important to research publishers and carefully choose where to send your work, whether a story or a book length manuscript.
Here's the most important rule: money flows from the publisher to the writer. If a publishers asks you for money, turn and run in the other direction.
Good luck!
BC
Nice to hear from you! It's hard to answer your question without more information. You say that you've been writing a story, but I'm not clear if you mean that it is a book, or something that would make sense in a magazine. Those would be two very different things.
One doesn't generally get to "talk to" a publisher. Basically you send in your manuscript and then wait for about a billion years (okay, not that long, but it feels like it) to get a response. It is VERY important to research publishers and carefully choose where to send your work, whether a story or a book length manuscript.
Here's the most important rule: money flows from the publisher to the writer. If a publishers asks you for money, turn and run in the other direction.
Good luck!
BC