I try to answer all mail from readers within a week of when I receive it. (I answer e-mail within two days.) My efforts to be prompt are sometimes hindered because instead of sending a letter to me, someone mails it to one of my publishers. Those letters are often not forwarded to me for many months.
Yesterday I received a letter that had been forwarded by one of my publishers. It was from two students at an intermediate school in Iowa, and the letter was dated Feb. 5, 2007! That is more than twenty-one months ago! I can’t imagine where it has been all of this time. Unfortunately, the kids were doing an author report and had sent me their questions.
I am sorry that these students never got an answer from me. There’s no use replying now. It’s far too late to help them with their report and they are probably not even students there any longer. I’ve learned not to answer mail that’s more than about three months old because too much of it is returned.
My mailing address is on my Web site, as is my e-mail address. If you want to contact me, please use one of those, rather than sending mail in care of the publisher.