Okay, I can add the other good news now. Yippee!
1) I got the final okay from my publisher on the phenomenal illustrator I wanted (and who, lucky for me, wanted to do this, too!) for the Scarleteen book. So, three cheers for the insanely talented Molly Crabapple and what I know will be her fantastic, whimsical and gorgeous sexual anatomy, safer sex and birth control illustrations (as well as the illustrated menstrual charting page we’ll do together which I know I’ll henceforth be using)! Dacia, thanks so much for introducing us to each other.
2) And on that note, pre-orders for the book have begun! So, now you can get your little tucases over to Amazon and pre-order the book — S.E.X.
I’m going to go ahead and give you a schpeal I’ll give again when the actual release happens, and that is this:
If and when you order a copy for yourself or the young adult in your life you adore, I ask you also consider ordering an extra copy to donate that extra copy to your local public, school or university library or your local GLBT youth group, young adult or teen shlter or community center. Getting good, inclusive young adult sex education into the hands of those who need it isn’t so easy, especially for the teens and young adults most at risk, for those who cannot afford to buy books on their own, or who would be in deep shit if their parents found a sex information guide in their bedrooms. If every library and YA community center could have one for teens to use — with the sort of accurate, all-orientation, all-gender, feminist and friendly sex information we’ve always given at Scarleteen — I believe it’d make a substantial difference in our world and theirs.
So, if you’ve the means, please buy two and go deliver that other one to the library of your choice. Thanks much!
November 8th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Woooo hooo! Have you decided how one can obtain an autographed copy?
November 8th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Fabulous news, Heather. I will strongly encourage the librarians I know to order a copy. Unfortunately, my local library system (where I worked for nearly 5 years) won’t put a donated book on the shelf. They say it’s for cataloguing reasons, but it’s more about library politics and control.
November 8th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Balls! Do you know if that’s a common issue? And if so, if there’s some sort of protocol I should know about?
Seska: I think what I’ll likely do is do signed copies with bigger ST donations. However, for one of my closest friends to do one that way is just plain silly. :p
November 8th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
I’ve already planned the library donation, and I’m fairly sure my local will put it on the shelves. I’ll ask, certainly. Given the whole Pamie book donation thing, I can’t imagine it’s a common issue (deweydonationsystem.com). I’m glad you got Molly Crabapple!
That news I was waiting on? I got it, yesterday. *\o/* I’ll be home Friday & Saturday, so give me a shout if you surface. If not, the party will happen later.
November 9th, 2006 at 1:41 am
Oh, fish. Mazel tov! That is SUCH great news.
Not sure if I’ll be able to swing it THIS weekend or not: so feeling this last stretch, and totally racing against the clock.
But even if I can’t do the big drinky to-do, if you had time for a wee-er celebration, I’d absolutely buy you the cocktail of your choice.
Have a great sleep!
November 9th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Thank you SO much for encouraging people to donate the book to their local library.. I’m a librarian specializing in teens working in a public library and your book is already on my order list — but budgets are tight all over and some libraries may not be able to order it..
most libraries have their own policies on adding donated books (ours is “we don’t add anything older than 2 years and we don’t add it if we have too many copies already”- it costs us between $10-15 just to add a new title so it’s gotta be worth it, which your book will be!)
If you’d like to do some advertising w/ young adult librarians, lots have blogs, and you could consider posting to some of the many e-mail mailing lists dedicated to books for teens etc…
November 10th, 2006 at 9:54 am
Thanks for being a librarian, Liz!
Seriously, I’m all about doing whatever I can, period, to support libraries. They were my haven growing up, I love books, I cherish free speech and scholarship, and for the love of effing GAWD, I want kids to READ.
Thanks for the tip, btw! I’d love it if you emailed me.
November 10th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Congrats, congrats, congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so happy for you, and I cannot wait to read it!