FAQ • Corinne Duyvis

My first name is pronounced in English as “Cor-inn,” not “Cor-een.” If you want to approximate the official Dutch pronunciation, “Cor-inn-uh” can work, as well. My last name is difficult to pronounce for English speakers, so I usually go with the close alternative of “Dou-viss.” That’s “dou” as in “house,” and “viss” as in “miss.” Please avoid pronouncing the final syllable as “vee” or “vish.” To be honest, having had my name misspelled on countless occasions, I’m much more sensitive to misspellings than mispronunciations. Please note: it’s Corinne, not Corrine; one R, and two Ns.
Yes. Born here, raised here, never lived anywhere else, still have several fully functional windmills in the area.

Dutch is my first language. Since I had no English family or friends growing up, how I learned to speak English so fluently at a relatively young age is something of a mystery.

(I blame TV and Internet.)
The same way US authors do: I wrote a book in English, then contacted American literary agents by email until I found someone who wanted to represent me to American publishers.

With the advent of the Internet, your location doesn’t matter much when it comes to getting your book published. Many authors never or rarely meet their agents and editors. It can be occasionally tricky later down the line, when you’re dealing with contracts, taxes, and book promotion, but that’s about it.
It’s a Twitter hashtag I started in September 2015. It’s since taken off and become a common term in discussions of diverse representation in media. For more detail, I’ve put together an #ownvoices information/FAQ page.
I wish I could help, but the answer is no. My agent and editors are flooded in submissions already.

There is good news, though: You don’t need a referral to begin with. Many authors get published without any kind of publishing connections or foot in the door. Querying literary agents still works. The absolute best thing you can do for your book is to do your research about the publishing world and write a good, marketable book.
Unfortunately, no. I’m already dreadfully behind when it comes to reading books as it is.

I need to read books to keep up with the market; to see what my friends are writing; to learn from how other authors tackle certain genres or styles; to review or vet for Disability in Kidlit; to critique my friends’ work; to consider for a blurb; and, on rare occasions, purely for fun. I already struggle to stay on top of things, so the last thing I should do is add even more books to read.

I highly encourage you to find critique partners or a group. Having author friends is essential in this business, whether you’re looking for feedback, cheerleading, or both.
If you have a book contract and the book is up my alley in terms of genre/style/subject, I’ll definitely consider it. I’m particularly interested in supporting marginalized authors.

Please contact my agent with your blurb requests. And remember: if I turn it down, it’s almost certainly because of time issues, rather than anything else. I’m very sorry, but I wish you the absolute best of luck with the book. I’m very excited for you!
Perhaps! Contact my publisher; they’re in charge of these decisions.

If you contact me directly, I probably won’t be able to help. I only get a limited amount of copies for personal use, and sending them abroad (which is nearly always the case) costs an awful lot of money. I’d have to spend easily €30-50 of my own money for each requested book, which I can’t afford. Sorry!
If an edition isn’t listed in the “editions” section of the book’s individual page (or if no such section exists), it either means that no translation is forthcoming, or that I’m not yet supposed to talk about it.

Either way, the page will have all the information I’m able/allowed to give you.

If you’d like to see a book translated in your language, the best approach is to reach out to local publishers to bring the book to their attention and express interest in a local edition.
I co-founded Disability in Kidlit in 2013; it’s a resource that discusses the portrayal of disability in children’s literature via reviews, articles, discussions, and more. I’m still actively involved as a senior editor.

I was a team member of We Need Diverse Books from mid-2014 to early 2016; WNDB is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to promoting diverse literature in children’s books.

I coined the hashtag #ownvoices in 2015. It’s a descriptive term, not an organization or movement.

Although Disability in Kidlit and We Need Diverse Books are friendly and I’ve been involved with both, they have no connection to each other. Similarly, although both sites sometimes refer to #ownvoices, it is not affiliated with either.
This seems like a strange question, but having this answer out in the open can be useful for those seeking to promote diverse content or who want to be careful not to misidentify someone in an article or discussion.

I identify as a white, Dutch, cisgender, disabled/autistic, bisexual/biromantic/queer, atheist woman, and I use she/her pronouns.
I am flattered that people feel comfortable coming to me with these questions, and I sincerely wish I could help. Unfortunately, I can’t. I can’t suggest resources, I can’t help with diagnosis, and I can’t help with questions about problems or symptoms. I am not a doctor, therapist, or any other kind of medical health professional.

If anything I’ve written about has been helpful to you, whether it’s in an article or in a novel, I’m delighted! I really hope you’ll be able to find further help if you need it. But I’m just a writer talking about fictional representation and my own personal experiences; that doesn’t qualify me to be any kind of support for other, real-life individuals. For me to give you one-on-one advice would be irresponsible.

Please find professional help. If this is inaccessible or unsafe, there are many websites that offer advice and resources. They’ve been invaluable to me over the years, and I hope they will prove just as useful to you. I’m so sorry I can’t help further.
Depending on my schedule, I sometimes act as paid consultant for contracted books from major publishers with autistic characters. This can take the form of answering questions, discussing plot elements, or giving feedback on novels.

No matter the extent of my involvement, I won’t accept responsibility for accusations of poor representation. This subject is very subjective and I’m giving my personal opinion and advice, nothing more.

Feel free to contact me with details. The more time I have to provide feedback, the bigger the odds I’ll say yes.
Thank you for asking. Although I never want to dictate reviews or articles, a lot of people seem unsure about what words are or aren’t okay to use, especially with regards to disability or autism.

Autism: For both Denise and myself, feel free to use “autistic” or “with autism.” I’m fine with either term. That said, I prefer the former, so please don’t go out of your way to use person-first language. There’s also no need whatsoever to correct anyone else who uses person-first language to refer to either Denise or myself.

Disability: The same applies. Either “disabled” or “with a disability” is acceptable. I lean toward the former even more strongly in this case.

Other phrasing: I’d appreciate it if you avoided inherently negative phrasing like “suffers from autism” or “afflicted with autism.” Depending on context, phrases like “struggles with autism” may be fine, as Denise does in fact struggle with her autism throughout the book – just like she struggles with people’s reactions to her autism.

Conversely, seemingly positive phrases like “overcoming autism,” “inspiring,” and “high-functioning” are loaded terms within the disability community. I would ask people to consider those terms carefully and read up on the context.

The diagnosis of “Asperger’s” is no longer in use at the moment, and certainly wouldn’t be in 2035, which is the year the book is set. That means Denise should not be referred to as such. I do not use the term for myself, either.

If you’ve already used these terms, please don’t worry; I’m not trying to call people out. I’m delighted about anyone choosing to talk about the book in the first place! But since a lot of people have asked me about terminology, I thought I’d have my thoughts out in the open.
As of this moment, all my books are standalones; there is zero overlap in world or characters.

There are currently no sequels planned, either. I’m always open to the possibility of sequels or companion novels if I get an idea that works, but it’s not something I’m currently pursuing.

I have written a companion short story to On the Edge of Gone, however, which was released in the Defying Doomsday anthology in 2016 and reprinted in the Wastelands: The New Apocalypse anthology in 2019. The story, titled “And the Rest of Us Wait,” is set in a temporary shelter in the Netherlands and takes place during the same time period as On the Edge of Gone. The novel/story be read independently of each other, and any order.
Not at all. They offered a lot of freedom. They invited me to write for them, I came up with the story and pitched it, and we hashed out details together. It was a wonderfully collaborative experience.
It’s set in the regular comics universe. That said, it should be completely accessible to people who have only seen the movie(s).
It was intended and marketed for adults. That said, it’s just as suitable for teenagers.