Ally Carter

Author

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Ally's Email Address

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Hi all,

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of comments from people looking for an email address for me.  Thanks.  I’m happy that you are invested in me and in the books, but I’m afraid I don’t have a public email address at this time.  I used to–several years ago.  But I took it down and I don’t anticipate ever putting it up again.

Why?  Well, the first and most obvious reason is time.  Email takes up A TON of time. 

First, you have the essential emails–like ones from my editor and agent and family members.  I usually sit down to do email first thing in the morning, and there are several days where I don’t get up again for hours.  Because that’s the business.  And business email comes before fun email every time.

To add another few hours a week or month on top of that (especially when many of the fan emails would include a phrase like HURRY UP AND WRITE FASTER!!!!!!!!) seemed pretty counter-intuitive.  Basically, everyone wanted me to stop writing the books long enough to read and reply to emails that told me that I needed to spend more time…writing the books.

So I took it down.

The reason I have absolutely no regrets about taking it down is that 99.9% of all email I received fell into one of the following categories:

 

1.  Will there be a movie?  Are you writing another book?  How many books will you write?  Or (as I like to call them) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS emails.

Frequent blog readers have seen them here in the comments section.  Twitter users have seen them on twitter.  And, yes, when there was an email address I got them there too.  All the time.  But if people will spend five minutes–just five minutes–looking for the answers to those questions they will find them.  That they don’t want/or aren’t willing to look, I decided, wasn’t my responsibility to fix.

 

2.  I want to be a writer emails.

As someone who taught herself how to write (more or less) I’m always happy to talk about the writing process, which is why I’ve dedicated a section of this site to that subject.  If you want to be a writer, you can find a lot of help right there. 

Plus, there are dozens of VERY GOOD websites dedicated to writing. I recommend .

 

3.  I am doing a school project and need help emails.

I know everyone thinks that it doesn’t take that much time for an author to answer 5 questions for their project.  But if 100 people think that a year, then it’s 500 questions.  Then it’s at least a week’s worth of work.  Then that’s a week that the new book doesn’t get any work…  And so on and so on.

Plus, to tell you the truth, the 5 questions were always the same questions.  That’s why those questions are answered here on the site.

 

4.  Spam or unnecessary emails.

In the years when I had a public email I also got–literally–hundreds of emails that served no purpose whatsoever.  They were forwarded messages about chain letters that would doom me to death.  They were mass emails like “so and so has a new profile picture on goodreads!”  “So and so wants you to be her friend on Friendzy”.  “So and so likes the color blue!  Do YOU like the color blue?”

They served no purpose other than to make me spend 10 seconds scanning and deleting them.  Hundreds of these, I got, folks.  And they got really old really fast.

 

5.  The “THIS is what you should do” emails.

It’s awesome when readers feel invested in the stories and the characters, but whenever I would get an email telling me what had to happen in the next book I had to delete that email IMMEDIATELY for both legal and creative reasons.  Legal, because if that idea ended up actually happening then they could sue me for “stealing their idea”.  And creative because, I’m afraid I have to make these decisions myself.  Sorry.

 

6.  The “I love your books” emails.

These, of course, were the golden ones.  The joy.  The best part of this business.  But to keep an email address up JUST to, basically, get bragged on didn’t seem like a very fair and just reason to do it.  I love that you guys love the books, but you don’t have to write to tell me that.  Just keep reading and referring the books to friends and you’ll be doing me the biggest favors ever.

 

In the meantime, I hear from readers every day.  All day.  Here, in the comments section of the blog, and on Twitter, mostly.  So if you want to say something to me, you can say it there.  I know because hundreds of people do so every week.  This is, again, why I don’t miss email.  And why I probably be sharing an email with the world again in the foreseeable future.

 

Thanks,

Ally

 

 

Comments

  1. i am a writter and i have been curious how you come up with character names. i have been trying to think of the most efficient way and im stuck. i just wanted to see if you had any tips. thanks a lot.
    Lily Dahlberg freshmen in highschool
    PS loved gallagher books so much

    Reply

    • Hi Ally!

      I am wondering if there is going to be a fourth/ fifth book for the embassy row novels, I know you will most likely think this is spam but I am dying to see how things work out for Alexie and Grace.
      🙂
      I adore your writing style and the tension you can put on someone with just a couple of words.
      It’s incredible, and as a (inexperienced) author myself, I look up to you when it comes to writing styles and techniques.

      P.S. I have fallen in love with the characters of embassy row. #Alexie.and.Grace.forever!!

      I hope you will respond, although you most likely won’t.

      Reply

      • Yes, I agree. In fact, you have became my favourite author and Alexei Volkov has became my favourite fictional character. Can you please write one more book?

        Reply

      • i hope so. I need help with a school project and i was going to ask

        -What her day to day life is like
        -What some of her other hobbies are
        -What helps her write (for example music or running)
        -And will she add to the embassy row novels

        Reply

    • It’s not the name that matters, it’s their personality that matters. First think of a suitable personality, then think of matching names. But no matter what name you choose, the reader wouldn’t pay that much attention in it.

      Reply

  2. Your second book of All Fall Down: Embassy Row is my all time favorite book. I love it. So does my friend Cathlynn. We are absolutely in love. We hope for a movie. And another book. It left us hangin big time??.
    We Give You Our Best Wishes And Luck!?

    Reply

  3. I love ALL Ally Carter books!! I can understand taking down your email that is not right to do that. I wish I could meet you. It would be AMAZING!!!!

    Reply

  4. I know I won’t have a huge impact on this situation but it would mean the world to me if you cept weighting Gallagher girl books because I finnished the series and I was so disappointed when I found out there where only 6. I was heart broken that has been my favourite series ever!!! Please at least consider it because I am lost without those books.
    Yours faithfully Jasmine Kirkby

    Reply

  5. OMG hi guys
    I agree with you.
    Would you be able to at lest make a sequel because it left me in suspense and I want to know all about what happens to Zack, Cammie, Bez, Liz, Macey and Preston. I need to know what happens next. Does Zack end up wanting to have kids? Does Macey and Preston get together? What about Bex and Liz? Do they get together with the black throne boys?
    PLEASE I NEEEEED TO KNOW!!!!!
    PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
    Please keep writing. Or at least a sequel.
    Yours faithfully Jasmine Kirkby.

    Reply

  6. Hey Ally,
    As I was rereading The first book in the Gallagher girls, I noticed in chapter 5 you mentioned that there were 14 “faces of the sophomore class”. So I was wondering if that was really true. Are the grade levels really that small? I always imagined there were more people. It’s just been bothering me and I was wondering f if you could explain. Your books are amazing, and I loved reading them. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Hi Ally Carter my name is Ali and I am a sixth grader and I love your Gallagher Girls series but I was wondering what happens next and I love reading so much and hate having to look for a new series and I just finished book six of the Gallagher series and I was wondering I you were writing another book or if you could give me some recommendations I love Greek mythology and books like the Gallagher Girls series ( I dont know what to classify them as. ) If you could please get back to me when you have time I am lost without a great book series. Thanks from Ali

    Reply

  8. Hi Ally I hope to be a really good writer like you and somehow put my most wild imagination into a good book. The main reason I am trying to get your attention and talk to you is because in my school and get an address to mail a business letter to someone/a company and I can’t find yours so I was hoping to get one but if you can’t I understand, I could try to find something else. If you could give me a response as soon as possible that would be awesome. Thank you for reading and seeing what I had to say.

    Reply

  9. Hello Ally,

    I love your Gallagher girls series! I really wish you would continue on with the story of Cammie, bex, Liz & maceys life once they have finished school at the Gallagher academy. Continuing the story with cool missions the girls go on. More about cammie & Zack. The circle deciding they need cammie for something else they didn’t realize at first putting her in danger again. I feel like there are so many possibilities to continue the story.. part of me wonders why you have not written anymore about them. They are my absolute favorite characters of any books I have ever read & I relate to cammie very much. I have always loved anything spy related growing up which includes trying to figure things out ahead of time, something cammie has always done. I have read all 6 books twice now, just finished reading the story again for a second time. I would absolutely love to hear feedback from you & if you would consider continuing this story of the Gallagher girls.

    Sincerely,
    Jade

    Reply

  10. I just came across this letter that my daughter wrote to you and I wanted to share it with you.

    Dear Ally Carter,
    My name is Katelynn Milam, I just finished reading the Gallagher Academy Series. I loved them. I went through every emotion humanly possible, from happiness, excitement and heart melting to anger and wanting to through the book (but I didn’t). I was hooked right from the start. I went up to my friend who has already read the books ranting about a chapter that I loved or hated, or something that happened. Thank you so much for writing these books, they mean a lot to me.
    Your #1 Fan—Katelynn Milam

    She has read this series several times and doesn’t seem to get tired of them. Thank you for giving her the continued desire to read. She loves it!

    Reply

  11. Hey Ally, I would like to say that you should really have Somme one make a movie for these books because I think they would be awesome.

    Reply

  12. Hey Ally,
    I love your Gallagher girl book and was wondering if you could tell me when (if you do) you write the next one so I will be able to continue enjoying them. I’m up-to United we spy.
    One of my favorite characters is Mr. Solomon, he’s so good at what he does and he makes all these cool profound statements.
    I don’t even know if you have finished the series yet because I haven’t finished reading United we spy yet. Thankyou soooo much for this special series.
    Thanks
    God bless
    From
    The Fox

    Reply

  13. Hello!
    My friend and I love your Gallagher girls series so much, that we were wondering if there were any Gallagher girl summer camps that we could attend?

    Thank you so much!

    -Jenna

    Reply

  14. Hi Ally! I love your All Fall Down and Gallagher Girl series! They are so amazing even though I am only on Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover. I would really love it if you could write a short story or another novel for after the third All Fall Down book! Like about Grace’s life at the international high school and what she thinks of her now normal or so she thinks life. If you use my ideas I will promise not to sue you!! I also agree with writing a book about the lives of Cammie, Bex, Liz, Macey and Zach after Gallagher Academy! I hope you write more books soon cause I would be lost without them!
    Your greatest fan,
    Abbey

    Reply

  15. Hi, my friend and i love your books and just wish that they could be films.I have read all of your books and i wish there was more.I am not really a reader but your books really hooked me in , i have now moved on to read another lot of books Heist Society and so far i love it .
    love you soo much thanks for the great books xxx.

    Reply

  16. Hey Ally!

    I love your Gallagher Girls series so much! They are my most favorite bools i have ever read (and that’s A LOT of books). I am re-reading the books for the third time, and couldn’t help but notice that in the first book Cammie says she should write a book about the mansion and all it’s secret passageways, and I thought it might forshadow a book you would write in the future? But I understand you are probably too busy with others books and stuff so I was just wondering if you were actually thinking about it (even if it was only for a short time). If not, this time through the books i am hoping if i write down all the rooms that I can make a model of the mansion. I love the secret passageways so much. They are my favorite place in the Gallagher Girls books.
    Thanks Ally for all that you do, giving girls like me an amazing series to read, and helping us become better writers and Gallagher Girls!

    Your all-time #1 fan. (I know a lot of girls say that, but I am the only one who is right- Cammie) Abi

    Reply

  17. I love the Gallagher Girl books so much! I just finished United we spy. Can you write a book following that? Maybe it can be about Cammie and Zach’s kids and how Cammie runs Gallagher Acadamy. These are just ideas…..

    Reply

  18. i really hope that sometime soon you can have the embassy row series turned into a movie series. I absolutely love these books and I have probably read them each a dozen times.

    Reply

  19. Hey ally I’m a huge fan of your books. Gallagher girls would have to be my favorite probably because I share my name with the main character. I’ve also already read not if I save you first twice. You are the best author in the world so please please keep writing awesome adventuress books. Also please have all of your books, especially gg and not if I save you first, made in to movies they’d be a huge hit.
    Forever your craziest fan
    Camryn M

    Reply

  20. Dear Ms. Ally Carter:

    Hi! Currently I am reading your book “Not if I Save You First” by, well, you. The first time I saw your book was at our scholastic book fair. We were walking around, taking pictures of what we wanted to buy, when shiny red letters caught my eye. I read the bold words, and the tiny ones too. I knew I would like it!

    I like the letters at the beginning of most chapters. They give you a short and sweet insight on either the plot line or the chapter. This style is my favorite because it shows feelings that even a third person narrator wouldn’t really know. Like feelings, and time spans. An example being how Maddie feels about the letter situation. Not only are the letters beautifully written with feeling and childish beliefs, (I should know, I am the same age as Maddie.) they have their own unique style. I call this style the Mad Dog style.

    Speaking of the beautiful craft in your letters, the book also has some great craft as well. I haven’t really been able to visualize a story lately. Something about your simplistic, yet detailed writing gets me to imagine the characters, their environment, and their situation vividly. Your book is the first one I really cried while reading. Isn’t that an achievement?

    Now, I have not finished the book yet. I assume you know what that means. No spoilers. Please. But, I am about halfway through your story (pg. 138, to be exact.)and enjoy it a lot.
    Maybe you weren’t interested in what I had to say, but please don’t be a “Logan” and not write back.

    Sincerely,
    MaKenzie

    Reply

  21. Please make more embassy row books I read all of them in a heart beat and I need to know more I know that couldn’t have been the ending.

    Reply

  22. Dear Ally Carter,
    My name is Madison Brillhart. I really liked the book that you wrote called,”I’d Tell You I
    Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You.” My favorite character was Cammie Morgan. I liked
    her because she had a really get personality and I could really relate to her. I liked how you
    always described them in really good detail so I could picture them in my head. I don’t really
    read that much but when I started reading your book, I couldn’t stop! It had a really get storyline
    and their was always something happening in the book.
    One thing that I would change in the book is that Josh and Cammie would get together. It was
    sad when they didn’t get together and they both had to go back to their normals, boring lives.
    You should have ended the book on a good note and not a sad one. You should make a part 2 of
    it when they get together and live happily with each other. Cammie and Josh were meant for
    each other and they were perfect together.
    Overall, I really liked your book. I would definitely read another one of your books because
    you always put so much thought into them and make them worth reading. I liked how you put it
    into many different views from all the different people. You let the readers see all the different
    thoughts of everyone and I thought it was cool. You a one of my favorite authors and I hope I
    brightened your day when you read this.

    Sincerely, Madison Brillhart

    Reply

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