First I would just like to say how cool you are for keeping an updated online journal. One of the hardest things is to be a fan of someone and have to wait and wait for word about what they are up to or when is their next project coming out so kudos to you! Now my question. I was wondering if you could absolutly confirm or deny whether you are going to be at the Pittsburgh Comicon in April. Their web site has you listed as the keynote speaker, but then I saw and ad for the comicon and you were not mentioned at all which perplexes me. And if you are going to be there, do you have any info yet? Their web site is not very informative. In fact your Bio on it says, His new book for kids, Coraline will be out this summer. I just want to know for sure before I schedule off work, pack a car full of 5 friends, drive 6 hours and book a hotel room. Thanks so much!
Sulyn
I'm afraid not. I'd hoped to go and deliver the keynote address, but then learned I'll be in the middle of a European tour during the Pittsburgh con, so had to cancel, with regret, when I found out I wouldn't be there (which was some months ago, and they were definitely informed, so I'm surprised if they're advertising me as being there).
I believe that that weekend in April I'll be in Holland at the Elfcon, and I think that immediately after that I'm in Poland, but all things are subject to change. Currently from mid-April to mid-May I'll be in pretty much every continental European country (and a couple of Eastern European countries) with the exception of Germany, as the German publishers didn't want me). Lots of Scandinavian countries want me to come by later in the year, and I will if I can.
I will be a Guest of the San Diego comic con this year. I believe I'm a featured attraction (or something) at New York is Book Country. There are a couple of talks/signings at libraries this year, and that's really all I've committed to.
Hey Neil -
Not a FAQ, really, but I just wanted to make sure you knew, "Coraline" made Bookslut's list http://www.bookslut.com/columns/0103/sflibertine.htm for best speculative fiction. Congrats again on that and everything else!
~Mike
Book of the year, at that. How unutterably fun.
I am a student at a community college, and I have been nominated to compete in a theater festival. I was hoping you could tell me how to go about getting approval to use dialogue from your work in my performance at the festival. I am competing for a scholarship.
Write a letter to my agent, Merrilee Heifetz (you'll find her address over on the FAQs) and tell her what you want to do, and explain that it's not for profit, and I'm sure she'll say yes.
My saying yes automatically to not-for-profit student films of my short stories has now ended, I'm afraid, since someone without proper permission adapted something of mine recently (on which the rights weren't even available) and has entered it in all manner of film festivals and so on, which is a mess that's going to have to be cleaned up, and which also gave Merrilee the ammunition she needed to say "Now will you stop being so nice to these people? Next time it could be even worse!" and for me to sigh and allow that she had a point.
And this final one didn't come in through the FAQ line -- but seeing people have been asking forever when Neverwhere's going to be out in the US (and several people have sent me links to the pirated DVD on ebay, which proclaims on the cover that I directed it, which is an easy way to tell that it's bootleggd merch, for I did no such thing):
Hello Mr. Gaiman,
My name is Pamela Kipnes and I am the Marketing Manager for A&E Home Video/New Video. Through our deal with the BBC, A&E Home Video will release Neverwhere on DVD in a 2 pack set in June 2003. We are all very excited about this project, and I was hoping that you might want to be involved. If you were interested, I'd love to hear your thoughts on potential DVD bonus features, plus any other marketing or promotional ideas you might have.
I'll look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Pamela Kipnes
So I've replied, and we're starting to talk...