Mailing/Emailing an author
Many authors and illustrators maintain a website with instructions on how to contact him or her. Other authors let the publishers handle all contact information for them.
The easiest thing to do is Google the author's name, to see if they have a personal site. Read through the site to see if there is a "Contact" page. The author will state his or her preferred method of receiving letters or email.
If that doesn't work, you'll mail the letter to author's publisher. Some authors are published by several publishers. If your letter refers to a specific book, use the publisher of that book. A Google search should take you to the publishers page. Find the children's area of the website, and look up your author. There should be instructions on how to get a letter, or maybe an email, to that person.
Authors who are no longer living: write to the publisher. You should probably include a small note saying why you wrote the letter, even though you know the author passed away. A long time ago, I worked for a children's publisher, and part of my job was answering fan mail to Roald Dahl, who had recently died. I also answered William Steig's fan mail, even though he was still alive at the time--he was just too old to write back himself!
Have fun! I hope some of you get a response from your (still living) author!
The easiest thing to do is Google the author's name, to see if they have a personal site. Read through the site to see if there is a "Contact" page. The author will state his or her preferred method of receiving letters or email.
If that doesn't work, you'll mail the letter to author's publisher. Some authors are published by several publishers. If your letter refers to a specific book, use the publisher of that book. A Google search should take you to the publishers page. Find the children's area of the website, and look up your author. There should be instructions on how to get a letter, or maybe an email, to that person.
Authors who are no longer living: write to the publisher. You should probably include a small note saying why you wrote the letter, even though you know the author passed away. A long time ago, I worked for a children's publisher, and part of my job was answering fan mail to Roald Dahl, who had recently died. I also answered William Steig's fan mail, even though he was still alive at the time--he was just too old to write back himself!
Have fun! I hope some of you get a response from your (still living) author!