AMERICA - OCTOBER 2005 - HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS ON DARREN SHAN!!!!

I know it's early, but I've already started getting requests for my American tour in October, so my publicist at Little,Brown has decided to start putting the tour details together! If you're interested in setting up a signing/book store event/school visit for me, then read through the following paragraphs VERY carefully and set to work as soon as you can!

I'll be touring in America from October 17th to October 31st. At the moment, we haven't chosen any specific places -- that's going to depend on where I'm invited!!

First, America, as you know, is a BIG place! I'm only going to be there for two weeks, so I'll only be able to cover a very small amount of it. What this means is, my publishers will try to send me to places where there's a lot of demand for me. Second, I don't charge to visit schools, libraries or book shops. This is great news for you lot, but it makes any visit quite expensive for my publishers, especially when you take flights and hotels into consideration. So, for reasons of time and money, it makes sense for me to do several events in one area before moving on to another.

What that means for YOU, the would-be visit arranger, is that if you write to my publishers asking me to visit your school, library or book shop, and it's the only place in your area interested in having me visit, you'll probably be told No Dice!

So, ideally, you need to unionise!!! The first step is to ask your teacher/librarian/book shop if they want me to visit. If they say yes, you or they should try to find out if any other schools/libraries/book shops in the area (or towns nearby) are interested in having me visit. When you have a list of several schools/libraries/book shops, your teacher or librarian or bookseller should write to my publisher at the following address, marking their letter or e-mail DARREN SHAN -- OCTOBER TOUR:

JENNIFER ABBOTS

LITTLE,BROWN & COMPANY BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

1271 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, 11-64b

NEW YORK, NY 10020.

jennifer.abbots@twbg.com

The person writing will need to be very clear about where you are located, how I'd get to your location, how many schools/libraries/book shops are involved, how many people there will be, etc. Also, if you can offer a really big event, you'll increase your chances of snagging me! For instance, rather than suggest I go to several schools individually, one after the other, your bookseller or librarian might get students from a few schools to come to their store or library at the same time. Or they might hire a venue, like a local community hall. Or, if one of the schools has a very big room or hall, students from a few different schools could maybe come there.

Basically, anything you can do to make life easier for my publishers, and to make it a BIG event, will increase your chances of being able to arrange a visit. Remember, I'm only going to be in America for a very short time and will only be able to go to a very few places, so you need to give my publishers an excellent reason to send me to YOUR neck of the woods, and not some other spot!!! The more work YOU put in, the greater the chances that I'LL come visit!!!!!

Of course, if you can't get other schools/libraries/book shops involved, your teacher/librarian/bookseller can and should still write to my publicist at Little,Brown -- she might get requests from others in your region that you don't know about, and be able to coordinate a visit herself!!!

There's no time limit, so don't feel like you have to rush. But the sooner you get your request in, the better. If we get the same sort of response we got the last time I came to America, we'll probably have most of the tour dates sorted out within the next few months! It's a case of first come, first served!!! I'll keep you all updated via future issues of the Shanville Monthly, letting you know how things are shaping up.

Finally, please do not write to Jennifer yourself. Only your teacher/librarian/bookseller should contact her. Of course, they can always include a letter or e-mail from you with theirs if you ask them!!!!!