[Rowan offer]

Hello Mr. Korman,

First, I hope you are reading this in good health and that I absolutely loved reading your Swindled series when I was younger! Next, My friend recently published his first book and is currently selling it on amazon. We are both in our last year of secondary and were wondering if you had some tips on how to convince book stores and libraries to carry his book.

Best Regards,

Rowan

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Rowan,

First, congratulations to your friend! I know what a first book feels like.

But I know zero about marketing. My books -- and next summer THE FORT, #100, will be coming out -- have all been sold through various publishing companies that bought them from me. The publishers are entirely involved in sales and distribution, and I have nothing to do with it except for the occasional store signing/promotion tour.

My only suggestion is to try bookstores or libraries close to home, places where he might have memberships, or be known as a customer. Then you might offer them some sort of presentation display piece, holding the books, and stating that they are by a "Local Author." I don't know if that will work, though, as a bookseller would be concerned about a book that is basically unedited, unvetted, content unknown and perhaps might even be in some fashion unacceptable. He might also try to drum up some interest through publicity -- perhaps a local paper or radio or TV station.

It's a tough one. I'm sorry I really have nothing concrete to offer except my best wishes for the book and for the future.

                                                                                                                  -----Gordon Korman-----

 

[Macy Pelton]

     Mr. Korman,

My friend, Gabby, and I are from Sandy Creek Middle School. We are looking to publish a book. Do you have any tips?

Thank you,

Macy

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Macy & Gabby,

I presume your book is typed, one side of the page only, double-spaced, and thoroughly edited by both of you. That's a basic must-do. It's probably a good idea to have a qualified person read it first. By qualified, I mean a teacher, or a Mom or Aunt whose major might have been English or Literature. Someone to tell you if what you have is really a book. No writer can be a good critic of his/her own work. I always thought every word I put down was the perfect word for that sentence, and boy, was I VERY often wrong!

My advice is to go to your public library and check out a reference book on  Writers' Markets. Every publisher will be listed there. It will tell you the kind of material that publisher is looking for (so you don't send a book on baseball to a publisher of romance novels!) It will also tell you which publishers will read material that comes unagented (from the author instead of an agent). Many will not. It even has a long list of literary agencies in case you choose to go that way. I did, but only after I'd published several unagented novels.

I wish you tons of luck, and hope to be writing you another letter -- this one a fan letter -- one of these days!

                                                                                               -----Gordon Korman-----

[Shawn MacKinnon]

Hi Gordon, I just tweeted you a fun photo of us taken in the eighties. I’ve finally completed my first novel and I’m looking for a freelance editor who specializes in humour. I looked at editors.ca and didn’t find anyone in this field. Wondering if you have a recommendation, and I’ve love to know your thoughts on publishing vs self publishing vs agent / no-agent. 

best regards Shawn. 

[Shawn MacKinnon]

Hi Gordon, I just tweeted you a fun photo of us taken in the eighties. I’ve finally completed my first novel and I’m looking for a freelance editor who specializes in humour. I looked at editors.ca and didn’t find anyone in this field. Wondering if you have a recommendation, and I’d love to know your thoughts on publishing vs self publishing vs agent / no-agent. 

best regards Shawn. 

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Shawn -- we connected on Twitter, right? Hope you got your answers, and hope they were what you were looking for.

                                                                                            -----Gordon Korman-----