William David Thomas

Face to face

My target reading audience is kids roughly 9 to 14 years of age. However, I’m happy to talk to other folks – senior citizens, book clubs, or whatever – about the writing and publishing processes.

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Classroom Visits

I usually visit kids in 3rd to 6th grade, but I can tailor my material to upper-grade students as well. Presentations can range from 20 to 60 minutes, are audience interactive, and can include hands-on activities. I can speak specifically about any one of my books, or make one of these general presentations:

 

How Does a (non-fiction) Book Become a Book?

This goes through the steps from idea to research to outline, and on into editing, artwork, and publishing. 

 

The Fiction Writing Process

How I go about writing a book. This includes industry-standard procedures (which often mirror those taught in the classroom) and some of my own personal quirks.  

 

Getting to Hum

My first middle-grade novel, Hum, is scheduled for publication in the summer of 2024. After it’s in print, I will happily describe the inspiration for it, the research, the process of writing it, the many changes and revisions that occurred over time, and the struggle to find a publisher. I’ll read passages from the book as examples. When it’s in print, I’ll present a signed copy or copies.

 

To arrange a visit:

Please contact me via e-mail HERE. Please keep in mind that I am based in Rochester, New York, and as much as I'd like to visit classrooms in Maine, or Kansas, or Hawaii, I do have time and financial constraints.