Write Back! Fan Mail is Good Business.

I usually don't respond to student telephone calls, texts, or Facebook posts. As a parent myself, I feel kids communicating with adults should happen with parent supervision. So, I avoided numerous calls from Isabella, until I received a letter from her parents.

She was working on a library book report about her favorite author. After purchasing King for a Day, the Story of Stories during the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, Kentucky, she'd chosen me for her report.

"My librarian says authors are better than movie stars, because they write the story." Isabella said in her letter.

Being a fan of librarians, I replied "I think librarians are better than movie stars, because they choose the books that fill the library." Isabella shared the letter with her class and school librarian. Within a week, I'd been asked to visit two schools in her district.

As an author and illustrator, answer fan mail—schools are a niche market.