School Visits

I’d love to present at your school, library, scout meeting, or reader group! My rates are reasonable and worth it, honest–just look at some of this feedback:

“Thank you for your presentation today. You made the steps to publishing so clear with your demonstration. The children not only could easily understand the concepts by the way you presented them, but you really got them engaged by including them in the presentation. A few of the students that were randomly chosen have a record of getting negative attention, but today they got to share positive attention with you. At least one student whose name was pulled is very shy, but she participated in front of everyone, and the students helped her when she got confused, so there was real school spirit generated. As I hoped, with your background, you are not just an author but a good presenter able to keep the attention of many students who have a wide variety of interests. Good writing does not always mean exciting speaker, but in your case it did. I’m sure the students had fun. I know I did. I was so happy when you started pulling names and had them wear the hats – and when some of the students really got into it and hammed it up, yet stayed within your perimeters. It was a happy activity with learning embedded, the best kind.” -Denise, Librarian at Sacramento City Unified School District

I’ve got half day rates ($375 up to two presentations) and full day rates ($725 up to four presentations, plus lunch) not including travel, with free travel fees within a 90-minute driving distance. There are many ways to help fund an author visit, including grants, so don’t dispair! Take a look at some funding ideas from Scholastic here. Contact me for specifics and details on what I do and how I do it. There are lots of choices!

If you’re a budding author looking for feedback on your manuscript, my rates for a written critique are $125 for up to 10 pages or 1,200 words for a picture book, early reader, or chapter book [manuscript only, no art]. It includes one follow up email where you can ask questions on the written critique. I’m encouraging and fair. But please know: if you’re looking to hire someone to tell you that your manuscript is perfect, I’m not your man. I’m going to be honest with you because I want you to succeed. I’ll be looking at it from a publishing perspective as well as a storyteller’s…I’ll give you overall impressions as well as specific feedback on what I think you’ll need work on in order to get it published.

To contact me for an author visit or a manuscript critique or any other questions: