Holly Lisle: Writer

Big, Wonderful News

Today, The Ruby Key and the second novel in the series sold to Orchard Books, a subsidiary of Scholastic. I’m thrilled.

The first books I ever selected and bought for myself were Scholastic books, back in the late 1960’s when teachers passed around little 4-8 page catalogs to each student. My mother usually gave me a dollar to pick out the books I wanted, and I usually managed to get three or four books for that, being even then both budget conscious and determined to get the best books I could for the money. I have wonderful memories of great books like Ciphers, Codes and Secret Writing, The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald, and many more.

I always wanted the girls in the stories I read to be heroic, smart, and the main characters in great adventures, and I am ecstatic to be able now to write the books I wanted to read back then.

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26 responses to “Big, Wonderful News”

  1. Chassit Avatar
    Chassit

    That’s incredible, Holly! I remember my favorite books were from Scholastic. The Animorphs series and the Goosebumps series were by Scholastic if I’m not mistaken.

    Reply
  2. Gabriele Avatar
    Gabriele

    Thanks Bettye,

    good idea to sell books in schools; that way also kids who don’t know books from home may start reading them.

    Reply
  3. Angelique Avatar
    Angelique

    Incredible news!! You must be thrilled 🙂

    Reply
  4. klharrds21 Avatar
    klharrds21

    Ah I see. I though Bloomsbury published in the US too. [Shrugs shoulders] You live and learn.

    Reply
  5. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Bloomsbury is the British Harry Potter publisher. Scholastic is the American publisher.

    Reply
  6. klharrds21 Avatar
    klharrds21

    Really, I thought Harry Potter was published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Is Scholastic/Orchard Books one of their imprints? I’ve never heard of it. I shall have to look out for it in the future.

    Reply
  7. Kaitiana Avatar
    Kaitiana

    Congratulations! What exciting news for you. Good luck in this new market. I’m sure you’ll do well! =)

    Reply
  8. Bettye Avatar
    Bettye

    Please, enlighten an ignorant German, what exactly is Scholastica? A publisher specialising in children’s and YA books?

    Yes, even better though Scholastic sells books in most of the schools as well as bookstores and various online sources.

    Reply
  9. heather Avatar
    heather

    Congratulations! That’s excellent news. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Gabriele Avatar
    Gabriele

    That sounds great!

    Please, enlighten an ignorant German, what exactly is Scholastica? A publisher specialising in children’s and YA books?

    Reply
  11. kalliope Avatar
    kalliope

    Congratulations! I’m happy to hear that we’ll get to see The Ruby Key after all. The old snippet you posted a while back was an effective and enticing teaser!

    Reply
  12. PolarBear Avatar
    PolarBear

    Cool. I didn’t really want to have to kidnap or bribe any children. (grin)

    Reply
  13. shay Avatar
    shay

    congrats holly, i remember seeing scholastic books in the school’s book club magazine, hope these sell well for you 🙂

    Reply
  14. Rick Avatar
    Rick

    Minor correction, Holly – Spiderwick is published through Simon & Schuster.

    Besides that – this is amazing news! I remember getting some of my favorite books ever from those Scholastic catalogues. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out.

    Congratulations on this. You deserve it.

    Reply
  15. joelysue Avatar
    joelysue

    Oooh, this sounds wonderful! Huge congrats! I can’t wait for my girls to read these (and me of course.)

    Reply
  16. arainsb123 Avatar
    arainsb123

    That’s marvelous! I’ll be buying your Ruby Key books for my two youngest siblings (and will read them myself; as Harry Potter illustrated, readers of all ages can enjoy good YA).

    Also, just to make sure you got my email a few days ago: I’m doing a giveaway to promote my newsletter, and one of the books I’m giving away is Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood, at my Website, http://andersbruce.awardspace.com/

    Reply
  17. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Distribution—They will be available in bookstores and other regular channels. Remember, Scholastic is the publisher of the Harry Potter books, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Artemis Fowl, Inkheart and Inkspell, and other series.

    Reply
  18. Mari Avatar
    Mari

    That’s wonderful news!!! Congrats, Holly.

    Maripat

    Reply
  19. Bettye Avatar
    Bettye

    (For those us us without elementary school-age kids of our own — I’ll do a lot to buy your books, but having kids is just too far.)
    Simple, adopt a teacher.
    Go to your local elementary school and volunteer to do a short program about being a writer (or any other subject you think might do) for the school.
    Offer to work an hour a week in the school library.
    These are all good advertising AND you get your chance to go to the annual Scholastic bookfair.

    Reply
  20. TinaK Avatar
    TinaK

    Holly, that is wonderful news. My daughter hits 6th grade this year and they still get the Scholastic book forms. We’ll be looking for your newest!

    Reply
  21. PolarBear Avatar
    PolarBear

    And I suppose the only way to get these great books would be to kidnap a couple of elementary school kids and bribe them to buy them for us, or are there other avenues available? (For those us us without elementary school-age kids of our own — I’ll do a lot to buy your books, but having kids is just too far.)

    Reply
  22. Bettye Avatar
    Bettye

    I’m a little old for the Scholastic program but when my kids brought home their catalogs I’d buy books for myself as well as them.
    A good story is a good story regardless of age bracket it is written for.
    Regarding childrens books here’s a question for all of you-
    Who is the protagonist in The Black Stallion?

    Reply
  23. PolarBear Avatar
    PolarBear

    I still have Codes and Secret Writings. What a great book.

    Congratulations! Wonderful news.

    Reply
  24. beckyb Avatar
    beckyb

    Congratulations!

    Those reasons you listed were the reasons I ended up in Fantasy & Science Fiction at the library as opposed to young adult. But if I can find it in YA I’ll read it, and I’ll definitely be reading your two and however many more are to come.

    It was actually a Scholastic catalouge book that got me STARTED writing–How to Write Scary Stories. I never actually did most of the exercises in the book, but it got me online looking for writing sites, and I found yours.

    I wish I could have gotten 3 books for a dollar. I just found work at the local pizza place to fund my book expenses…

    Reply
  25. TJ Avatar
    TJ

    That’s wonderful! It really wasn’t all that long ago for me, but I remember being all excited when we got the Scholastic brochures. I always wanted to order everything.

    Reply
  26. acoupland Avatar
    acoupland

    CONGRATS!

    These books should hit the Scholastic circular when my daughter hits 4th grade–perfect timing, in my mind. I’ll be looking for them in her backpack in a year or so.

    Reply

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