Author Hotline

Check out this most wonderful online database out of the UK. The Author Hotline is a unique way for authors to connect directly with their readers and a great opportunity to support their work in schools. It is an online bank of author profiles that children can search through. It is being developed by CW4K, or Creative Writing 4 Kids, the company behind a website that enables children to create and publish their own stories online.

It will be launched for World Book Day on March 4th, 2010. Antony Lishak is the creator behind this project and he told me that the website will be accompanied by a resource filled magazine that will be sent to UK schools in September. What a great resource this is and it is absolutely free.

Ok, so the exposure to UK schools might not help us illustrators and authors in the US, you say? Not to worry. Antony noted that there are big plans for Author Hotline in the next few months and going global is one of them.

Here is what your profile page will look like:
 

You are able to list your book and answer a variety of questions that are geared towards kids. It was quite amusing to complete the profile with questions like: "What were you like at school?" and "What is your favorite word?" There are also other more serious questions that will help kids understand what we do as illustrators.

I found this site through the most wonderful Lynne Chapman's blog who is one of my favorite illustrators working today. When she wrote about Author's Hotline she noted: "The idea (for Author's Hotline) is that, either before or after a school visit, children can look up authors or illustrators and find out more about them. They can show their parents who they met at school and generally add value to the experience of the visit."

What a great tool for any author or illustrator. Check it out and sign up.

T.