How can I get Neil Gaiman to make an appearance at my school/convention/event? Who do I contact, and how interested is Mr. Gaiman in such engagements?
Contact Steven Barclay at the Steven Barclay Agency. Tell him you want me to appear somewhere. Have him tell you how much it costs. Have him say it again in case you misheard it the first time. Tell him you could get Bill Clinton for that money. Have him tell you that you couldn't even get ten minutes of Bill Clinton for that money but it's true, I'm not cheap.
On the other hand, I'm really busy, and I ought to be writing, so pricing appearances somewhere between ridiculously high and obscenely high helps to discourage most of the people who want me to come and talk to them. Which I could make a full time profession, if I didn't say no a lot.
Several "why aren't you coming to my country then?" messages in. This one really is a frequently asked question, and I've answered it a few times, but it's worth repeating.
Most often it's because I haven't been asked
The European Tour for Coraline was put together by my literary agent's foreign rights person talking to all the European publishers of Coraline about when they were publishing and whether they wanted me to come and promote the book. Lots of them said yes, some said no. Sometimes a publisher doesn't want the expense involved in bringing me in, which is understandable.
Sometimes it's because, although I've been asked, I've already comitted to something else. (I was invited to two Australian Book Festivals in 2003, but invited at a point where I'd already agreed to be in other places, and I asked if they can invite me again for 2004.)
And sometimes I'll say no (or, quite often, Lorraine-my-assistant or Merrilee-my-agent will say no for me, and not even ask) because I can't go to every convention that asks. If I did, I'd never be home, and I'd get precious little writing done, and then nobody would have any reason to invite me anywhere.
If you've asked and I've said no (or someone said no on my behalf), ask again, in good time, for the following year.
Contact Steven Barclay at the Steven Barclay Agency. Tell him you want me to appear somewhere. Have him tell you how much it costs. Have him say it again in case you misheard it the first time. Tell him you could get Bill Clinton for that money. Have him tell you that you couldn't even get ten minutes of Bill Clinton for that money but it's true, I'm not cheap.
On the other hand, I'm really busy, and I ought to be writing, so pricing appearances somewhere between ridiculously high and obscenely high helps to discourage most of the people who want me to come and talk to them. Which I could make a full time profession, if I didn't say no a lot.
Several "why aren't you coming to my country then?" messages in. This one really is a frequently asked question, and I've answered it a few times, but it's worth repeating.
Most often it's because I haven't been asked
The European Tour for Coraline was put together by my literary agent's foreign rights person talking to all the European publishers of Coraline about when they were publishing and whether they wanted me to come and promote the book. Lots of them said yes, some said no. Sometimes a publisher doesn't want the expense involved in bringing me in, which is understandable.
Sometimes it's because, although I've been asked, I've already comitted to something else. (I was invited to two Australian Book Festivals in 2003, but invited at a point where I'd already agreed to be in other places, and I asked if they can invite me again for 2004.)
And sometimes I'll say no (or, quite often, Lorraine-my-assistant or Merrilee-my-agent will say no for me, and not even ask) because I can't go to every convention that asks. If I did, I'd never be home, and I'd get precious little writing done, and then nobody would have any reason to invite me anywhere.
If you've asked and I've said no (or someone said no on my behalf), ask again, in good time, for the following year.
