Dear friends, educators, and fans,

September is here again, and the good news is, I’m rapidly filling my calendar with school visits across the country. On these visits I talk about how I became a writer and how I research and plot my books. I also encourage students to READ, WRITE, UNPLUG and DAYDREAM. Frequently I get to conduct writing workshops that teach students how to use more vivid verbs and nouns and how to write creative stories. Visiting schools is my absolute favorite way to promote my latest children’s book, Skyriders. I will be visiting Seattle the week of October 9, Cleveland the week of November 13, and the Washington D.C. area November 27. I hope to schedule several visits to Florida, Texas and California in the spring, and in between I will be popping down from Steamboat Springs to visit schools along the Front Range.

I often get asked, “How do you choose what schools to visit?”

Usually a friend, a librarian or a young fan contacts me and suggests that I come to their school. Once I have what I call “an anchor visit” scheduled, then I reach out to school and public librarians in the area to set up a whole week of school visits. On these teaching trips I love getting know a place and meeting the people who live there. I had a fantastic time exploring Florida and Hawaii in the years The Neptune Project was on their state lists. I also truly enjoy getting kids excited about reading and writing. So, if you have a school near you that might want to host a teaching sort of children’s author, please let me know.

The bad new is, Barnes and Noble’s new policy to carry fewer middle grade hardbacks is hurting those of us who had new books out this summer. You can help your favorite authors by posting positive reviews on Amazon, BN.com and Goodreads. Even short reviews help trigger those mysterious algorithms that raise a book’s rankings. You could also call your local library and ask them to order a book. You can purchase a copy and donate it to a local school or Little Free Library. If you enjoy social media, posting on Instagram, FB or Twitter about a book you love always helps.

My husband and I enjoyed doing lots of hiking and camping in some gorgeous spots around Colorado and Wyoming.

BTW, I did survive making my skysteed and costume for Fan Expo (formerly Comic Con) in Denver. That was SUCH a fun day. I volunteered at the SCBWI booth where we offered crafts and talked about our books and admired the AMAZING costumes of the people flowing by.

By the way, SCBWI stands for the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. You should definitely join this organization if you are interested in writing or illustrating books for kids. SCBWI offers all sorts of webinars, conferences, and workshops on how to create stories and get them published for children.

In early September, I presented at the SCBWI Rocky Mountain Chapter’s wonderful Letters and Lines conference in Denver. 250 folks from around the region gathered to learn more about the kidlit publishing business from authors, editors, and agents. In my first presentation, we discussed how to find good literary agents and maintain positive relationships with them. I know a bit about agents because I’ve had four excellent ones (but I would like to point out that I’m still on my first husband)! I also conducted a world building workshop for fantasy and science fiction writers who want to create complex and believable worlds for their readers.

I’m off to Columbus, Ohio in November to present at the National Council of English Teachers’ annual conference. After visiting 360 schools (and counting), I’ve had a chance to see a wide variety of writing programs, and I’ll be sharing effective strategies from the schools whose programs produced the most capable and enthusiastic young writers.

When I’m not traveling and teaching this fall, I’ll be working on a coming-of-age story set in Cripple Creek, Colorado during the mining boom. I’ll also be looking forward to the paperback release of Skyriders in April, and the paperback release of its exciting sequel, The Sky King, in May.

That’s all my news for now. As my heroine Kiesandra Torsun would say, “Fly safe, fly free,” and have a happy autumn!

Warmly,

Polly Holyoke