Illinois Authors

Frequently Asked Questions

Illinois authors have made and continue to make a significant impact on the literary world. The Illinois Center for the Book was established to preserve the Illinois literary legacy and foster an appreciation of our rich literary heritage, past and present.

The purpose of the Illinois Authors Directory is to provide a general resource about Illinois authors; highlighting a sampling of their published books and bringing the authors greater visibility. The Illinois Authors Directory is just one way the Illinois Center for the Book actively fulfills its mission: Nurturing and connecting readers and writers, and honoring our rich literary heritage.

DEFINITION

For the basis of the basis of this directory, an author is a writer, illustrator or photographer who has published a book with a valid ISBN.

ILLINOIS CONNECTION

An author may be eligible to be included in this directory if he or she meets at least one of the following Illinois connections:

• The author is or has been a resident of Illinois.
• The author writes about Illinois subjects of interest – Abraham Lincoln, Chicago Cubs, Flowers of Illinois, Pullman District, World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, etc.
• The author writes about Illinois, either actual places or fictional places specifically set in Illinois.

*Authors who have NOT lived in Illinois will only have those book titles listed in their author profile that take place in or are about an Illinois subject of interest. When submitting information, must include brief biographical information that shows the Illinois Connection of the author.

SELECTED TITLES AT YOUR LIBRARY

The purpose of the Illinois Authors Directory is to provide a sampling of the published hard copy books of Illinois authors.

Items INELIGIBLE for inclusion:

• Article publications in journals or periodicals.
• Thesis dissertations, archival material or unpublished materials.
• Plays or screenplays.
• Musical works.
• Audio-visual, electronic, digital or other non-print works not also produced and sold in print.
• Government documents.
• Edited or transcribed books.
• Anthologies – published books in which the author is a contributor of an article, literary work or chapter to a book with multiple contributors.
• Books without ISBNs or ISBNs retrievable by the directory code. Book titles and graphics are retrieved from online sources via the supplied ISBNs.

Please note that only one ISBN will be listed for each book title. Hardcover ISBNs are preferred. Paperback ISBNs are secondary. The different formats of the book title can be viewed by clicking on the ISBN of each title in the author’s profile.