The Business of Novel Writing
Contacting Clare B. Dunkle

Unfortunately, I can no longer answer all of the reader mail I receive. I could put together a form letter to send to you, but I have a lot of respect for my readers, and I think that if you take the time to write to me, you are hoping that I will take the time to write a personal message back to you. A form letter isn’t personal, so it just won’t do.

I still intend to answer as much reader mail as I can, but if I can’t find the time to reply to yours, please remember that I was very happy to hear from you and that I would have written you back if I could.

Unfortunately, I cannot read your written work, such as a story, poem, or manuscript. To find out why, please read this page.

To request a signed bookplate, please follow the directions on this page.

I have put my very best publishing advice on the webpages of this section. Please read them all before writing to ask me any questions about book publishing.

Please note that I cannot advise you on whether or not you should use a particular agent, publishing house, or editor. If you write to ask, “What do you think of Publisher X?” I will simply tell you the truth: I don’t know. I cannot give further advice on self publishing, subsidy publishing, or book marketing, either. I am not an expert in this field. And I cannot advise you on legal or contract questions. You need to speak to a lawyer.

Many readers contact me in order to ask a question about one of my books, such as whether or not the book is being made into a movie. I have posted questions and answers on the following pages:

The Hollow Kingdom
Close Kin
By These Ten Bones
In the Coils of the Snake

I also have posted general questions and answers about my career on this webpage. And I have posted questions and answers about writing on this page.

Before contacting me, take a look at these pages to see if I’ve answered your question already.

To contact me, either use this form or email me: clare at claredunkle.com. If you are having trouble contacting me at the above address because the email keeps bouncing back to you, you might try my googlemail.com address instead. My username at that address is claredunkle.

If you are interested in arranging an author visit to a school, library, troop, or club, please click here for further information.

WHY HAVEN’T I ANSWERED YOUR EMAIL?

I still intend to answer as many readers as I can, but if you have not received an answer within two weeks of writing me, then I’m afraid that one of the following things has happened:

• I couldn’t find the time to reply. This has nothing to do with your email and everything to do with what was on my schedule during those two weeks;
• you filled in the form and forgot to fill in your email address;
• your email address is invalid;
or
• your email account has blocked my reply to you as “spam.” Unfortunately, the last problem happens quite frequently!

If you haven’t received a reply, please email me again from a different account and let me know it is the second time you are trying to reach me. Perhaps another email address will not be so picky, or my schedule will allow me time to reply to this email.

Or you may write to me at the following address:

P.O. Box 680284
San Antonio, TX 78268

This is a United States address.