In 1983 Delacorte Books for Young Readers, under the leadership of George Nicholson, instituted a contest, the Delacorte Press Prize, to attract first novelists to young adult literature. According to the contest rules, these authors submit a completed manuscript to Delacorte Press where the editors and publisher, Craig Virden, judge each written work. In addition to declaring award winners, Delacorte Press publishes these prize winning novels in both hardcover and softcover, and gives the authors an option for their next book. Of particular interest to ALAN members is that Martha Moore is one of us, a high school English teacher who has long dreamed of becoming a writer. This is her story.
Some people dream of winning the lottery.
My dream has always been to write a book and see it published. In April of 1994, my fantasy came true when an editor from Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Company contacted me at school. The last bell had rung, and I was sitting at my desk staring at an avalanche of papers when the telephone call came. I'm the type of person who expects the worst. On the way to the English office, I wondered which of my two sons was in trouble.