FAQ
How do you pronounce Paolo Bacigalupi?
TeachingBooks.net has a recording of me saying my name: http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=13340
Can I order a signed copy of NAVOLA?
Yes! You can order here through Townie Books. If you would like it personalized, please put that information in the notes.
I'm working on a writing/research assignment for high school/college/graduate school, can I interview you about your work?Unfortunately, I get a lot of these requests, so I cannot accommodate them. I will say that there are many many interviews of me already published about my history, and about each of my books and their themes, motivation, and content, so with a little digging there should be more than enough information for your research. I promise, I wasn't holding anything back. There's no special secret answer you'll get from speaking directly with me.
Will you give me writing tips? Will you tell me how to write about climate change?
Sadly, I don't have any easy tips. We all have to find our own way into our stories whether they're about dragons or rising sea levels. That's part of writing, and it's part of creativity. Do research. Find the things that fascinate you. Write about them. Experiment. Keep writing.
I will say that for me, I do better when I write every day. Just a small amount, either a few hundred words, or else a short amount of focused time, even 25 minutes, adds up.
Can I send you my story for you to read and give me feedback?
I'm glad you've written something, but no, I don't read unpublished stories, or give critiques. There are many communities online and many teachers of writing that can give you feedback. Ultimately, the only feedback that matters is that of the editor who will accept or reject your story. Keep writing. Keep submitting stories. Learn from the feedback and keep writing some more.
I'm a researcher. Can I interview you about your work? Will you tell me how I should research or think about your work?
No. I don't do this.
Are you available as a public speaker?
I sometimes accept public speaking engagements. My preference is to do Q&A type events, or to be in conversation with someone, rather than standing behind a podium and declaiming.
Are you available to write a short story or article anthology/magazine/__?
It's somewhat unlikely? I typically write short stories for my own enjoyment. If you want to hire me to write one, I would have to be quite enticed. In general, a short story would have to satisfy some combination of the following criteria: 1) pay well 2) fun for me personally 3) focused on topics that match my interests/values/enjoyments 4) in collaboration with authors/editors who I know, like, and respect, and 5) have the potential to reach new audiences who haven't read my work before.
Would you read my novel? Would you consider writing a blurb for it?
I seldom blurb. The things I like to read don't actually overlap very much with the things I seem to write.
- Please do not send books to me that I haven't requested; they will be disposed of without being read.
Would you send me a signed photo?
No.
Will you sign books or bookplates if I send them to you and pay the return postage?
No, I no longer sign books or book plates via mail. It resulted in problems that I didn't anticipate, so I no longer do it. If you wish to purchase one of my books and have it signed and shipped to you, Townie Books in Crested Butte, Colorado can arrange it.
Is there an educator guide or study questions available for Ship Breaker?
Little Brown has created an official Ship Breaker_Educator_Guide. There are also several other study guides that independent teachers and librarians have created around the web. Googling should turn them up.
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