Bookings
Dear Friends and Readers,
It’s time to accept, sadly, that due to ongoing mobility issues I can no longer come to schools, festivals, award ceremonies, book launches etc. in person. Please don’t think I don’t want to – it’s just not possible.
Thankfully I can walk for a while, talk to wombats (even if they still don’t answer), write— and do virtual talks and workshops; which I adore doing; as well as videotape whole speeches to send, with logging on for Q&A sessions afterwards.
Meanwhile the bush around me is beautiful and ever-changing, and I am deeply lucky that writing books doesn’t need me to sit elegantly at a desk all day long. But please, if you’d like me to speak, the video appearances work wonderfully.
I am able to do online talks via Zoom, Skype or another platform, about my books, or to give workshops on creative writing, essay writing and persuasive writing. These talks are charged at the standard Australian Society of Authors recommended fee of AUD $350 an hour. These can also be recorded for later use by your students, as long as it's only used for your school. If a talk is for a government department or agency that requires me to spend more than an hour filling in information in order to become an accredited vendor before it is possible to invoice you, my minimum fee is $400. To enquire further, please contact jackie@jackiefrench.com
If you have publicity or media enquiries, please get in touch with Emma Holifield at emma.holifield@harpercollins.com.au
Contact
Mentoring for Adults
For the reasons mentioned above, the amount of voluntary mentoring I can do is limited. As it currently stands, I have already allocated my time for the year (and possibly several more) to the University of QLD and to two emerging new voices who are showing exciting promise.
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If you feel you need my help (be it with reading your manuscript, editing, evaluation) my fee is AUD $262/hour.
Mentoring for Young People
If you need an idea for your story you badly need to think of it yourself. Help from me would mean that you don’t develop the brain ‘muscles’ that will make you a better writer.
Look at the advice elsewhere on the web site.
I can’t help make your story better either, partly because I am a writer, not an editor, but also because there aren’t enough hours in the day to fit it in.
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Professional Editing Manuscripts, Mentoring and Helping with Writing
Many requests come in each week to assess manuscripts or help authors to improve them. There are free tips under Writing Tips but individual help needs long and focused work. I do free mentoring through the University of Queensland, but otherwise I take on only on one mentoree a week, at $200 an hour for a book, or $75 an hour for 1,000 words.
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Hiring a professional proofreading editor costs much less ie about $70 an hour for correcting errors. The editing I offer will look at the structure, characterisation, theme, possible publication etc. ie it will also be a writing tutorial.
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You truly don't want me as a proofreading editor, and I don't offer to do this, as my spelling is terrible!
Help Getting Published
I can help teach the basics of writing, editing your work, and research, but I have no influence with publishers that would help to get your work accepted. My only advice is to look at publisher's websites to see their 'pitch day' to see when to send in your book for assessment, and what kind of work they are looking for.
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You can also try your local Writer’s Centre, who will have lists of what publishers are looking for in various genres, and can also recommend workshops for editing, re-writing and publishing.
A Plea to Teachers
There seems to be an increasing trend in giving Year 12 students a project where they need to interview a writer in-depth about how and when they write and much more, and have the author give a written response.
Please don't do this! You're essentially asking the author to spend two to three hours or even days answering the questions – an intense, unpaid teaching session.
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I love answering genuine questions from students, or even giving them advice via the phone, but the kind of assignment where the author needs to write tens of pages for the student isn't fair to the student, who usually isn't particularly interested in writing, or the author.
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If one of your students genuinely needs advice or guidance, I'd love to help, and without charge.
For all other questions, if you need to get in touch with me directly, please email:
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Mail
I may take a few weeks to receive mail, as we only have a once-a-week delivery.
I'm no longer able to send written replies to letters or enquiries – there are too many requests for me to manage. If you need a reply, please add a phone number or email address to your letter.
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I can send short replies to emails, but not when many parents and teachers have encouraged kids to write to me – I don't employ a secretary to answer my mail and emails, and can manage about 80 a day at most. Comments or even thanks for a copy of your book may also not be possible, no matter how much I adore it, though I will do my best. Apologies: I am only one person, with two tired hands.
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Please send any mail to:
Jackie French
PO Box 63
Braidwood NSW 2622
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For urgent enquiries, you may also contact Harper Collins during business hours:
HarperCollins Australia
Lvl 19, 201 Elizabeth Street
(PO Box A565, NSW, 1235)
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Tel: 02 9952 5000
Permission to Use or Copy Material
Under the conditions of publishing contracts, permission to use or adapt material must be sought from the publishers, not the author. Please contact the publishers rather than myself.
I'm also not able to give permission for any images to be used, as the artists and the designers who have worked on each book also hold the copyright for their work. They should be contacted directly, as well as the publishers.
If in doubt about whether you need permission to copy material, phone or email The Copyright Agency for free advice.
I do hold the rights for theatrical or film adaptations of my work, and so can give permission for those.
Book reviews and comments
These can only be arranged through Harper Collins, as there are too many requests for me to handle alone.
Requests for Book Donations and Book Sales
Unlike self-published authors, I need to buy the books I donate, and don't keep boxes of them or sometimes even a single copy of many titles. (Books tend to be borrowed). Boxes of books are also heavy, and I'm now unable to manage ordering them, carrying them, and packing them for donations. Postage is often almost as much as the cost of the books. Please contact Harper Collins above for donation requests.
My contracts also prevent me from selling my books, so even if it was feasible to attend, I can't run a book stall at your event.
Book Plates
Book plates are wonderful stick-on labels that are easy to post, and look good even if my writing is illegible. I can send book plates!
Questions for School Projects
Hopefully all the questions are answered in the About Me—FAQ on the website.
If there’s another question you really need an answer to, send it to: Jackie French c/- Harper Collins Publishers, PO Box A565 Sydney South 1235.
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It may take a couple of weeks for me to receive the letter, and another few weeks at least before it can be answered.
Copies for Class Use
I'm sorry, but I'm unable to help when there are not enough copies held in libraries for class use. I don't have any knowledge of library collections, and can't help with finding enough library books for a class to borrow. I know the lack of copies to borrow is a major problem, but it's not one I can solve.
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eBooks and Other Editions
Apologies, but I don't know of a way for an eBook copy to be shared by a whole class of students or more. Harper Collins may be able to help with this.
I'm not involved in the various editions of my books, and so can't help find rare editions or out-of-print books, or different ways eBooks might be used.
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I'm so sorry – I wish I could help with these, but they aren't areas where authors are normally involved unless their work is self-published.
