WROTE BUT NEVER POSTED, 4th EDITION

This post was originally titled Some Cynical Thoughts About Skyping.

For the last hour, I have been struggling to complete a post on Virtual Author Visits (Skype, blog, chat, etc.).  This is a huge topic right now, the subject of much discussion amongst writers, and amongst the marketing and publicity folks within publishing houses.  There are some amazing things going on in the virtual world and also some frustrations.  I am finding the post I have written to be a bit cynical.  So, to publish or not?  Obviously, I've decided to share these thoughts.  Please realize that I am in fact a very happy person who loves books, authors, the publishing industry, and believes in author visits, in-person, cyber and everything in between.  That said...

At work, I routinely receive requests for authors to Skype or otherwise "virtually visit" with school or library groups.  With school and library budgets shockingly tight, it is not surprising that this is an appealing notion.  However, with no disrespect to the amazing, enthusiastic educational professionals who want to connect their students with favorite writers, I am running into three tricky assumptions about Virtual Visits:

1. Virtual Visits can be arranged quickly and it is hard to imagine an author who could not make time for such an appearance.

2. Virtual Visits should be very cheap, or probably free.

3. Virtual Visits will work with large, assembly-sized groups without particular preparation.

While, as a marketing professional, I always want to maintain happy relationships with educators and librarians, stepping back and taking a look at this from the authors point-of-view, I have these thoughts...

I should note that at this point authors are handling virtual appearance requests in myraid ways. Many offer free short (10-15 minute) Skypes with book groups, etc., and only charge for longer virtual sessions. (If you're doing this, please share your experiences--thanks!). There are authors who Skype for free, those who charge a fee or require minimum book purchase, and every possible permutation and combination in between. Some just find the medium challenging (shy!) and are nervous about charging because they are not sure they are any good at virtual appearances.  Others love the high-tech stuff.  In sum, there is a lot of experimentation going on.

*I think of the old saw about how authors, who work hard at their craft, are asked to give away their time and services in a way that other professionals (think doctors, nurses, lawyers, computer programmers, plumbers, accountants...) are not. Landscapers, for example, are not routinely asked to share funny stories, gardening tips, and give free advice via Skype because it will be "good publicity" for them (maybe you think they should?!).  The internet particularly lends itself to the "free" model.

*If an author's book is on the New York Times Bestseller List, and they are doing Virtual Visits to build goodwill or give back to their readership, free is cool. For writers with a day job who have to use vacation time to fit in Skypes during school hours, or must spend cash to upgrade computers to facilitate virtual promotion, free probably isn't feasible.  Also, there's that whole tricky thing about finding time to write the next book :)

*While Virtual Visits can be arranged quickly, students do not always read works of fiction not-for-a-
grade all that fast. Therefore, while a plan can be made in days, even hours, for an author to Skype with a class, I wonder if there might be a formula correlating the amount of time between scheduling a visit and the author's actual appearance with the amount of preparation teachers and students are doing for the event. In my experience, less tends to correlate to less. (Also, it is hard to keep the attention and interest of a large, semi-prepared group squinting at a stilted video coming through a sub-par internet connection slapped together for the quick occasion.)

So, where to go from here? How can authors build great relationships with schools and libraries, have successful interactions with students, and encourage readers to BUY THEIR BOOKS through Virtual Visits? I would encourage authors to develop a thoughtful, payment-worthy Virtual Visit program and protocol and then to stick to it.
 
Meanwhile, here are a few interesting third-party sites for those investigating Virtual Visit options.  Not endorsing any of them as yet but it's good to know what's out there.  Please do share your experiences or any other resources you may have found for Virtual Visits, such as Skype an Author and Teaching Books (NOTE: I had two additional sites listed here but they have shut down since I first drafted this post.)
 
So, was I too cynical?  I will close by reminding you what a happy gal I am.  Finished THE FARWALKER'S QUEST on Tuesday (loved it, especially the notion of "The Forgetting") and am halfway through the KATHERINES (artfully drawn protagonist and hilarious footnotes).

Want to read some posts from 2013? Check out what the Bookanistas are lovin' today!
 

An Awesome Author Evening at University Bookstore!

Just got home from a terrific Simon & Schuster author event. The Summer Lovin' Tour touched down at Seattle's University Bookstore this evening. Here are my TOP FIVE superlatives and one bad photo because I am probably the world's worst photographer.

Jessi Kirby & Morgan Matson
They are seriously so adorable (if I could only focus a camera)!
 

Coolest cover secret: The spine under the hardcover jacket of Jessi Kirby's GOLDEN is actually gold. (Also, ask about her new surfboard.)

 Most Revelatory Food Obsession: Morgan Matson's literary relationship with corn-on-the-cob

 

"Could it be coincidence" or was Adele's James Bond cover song inspired by Shannon Messenger? Ooh. Hmm. Think about it.

 

Best "Can You Imagine": Kimberly Derting as a trucker-lady?

(Don't you wish you'd been there to hear that story?!)

New Fan-Girl Dream: To see one of Sarah Ockler's writing spreadsheets.

Really. Seriously. And you should dream this dream, too!

SIX SUPER THINGS ABOUT GROUP AUTHOR EVENTS - Plus an actual event!

I'm gearing up for some fun at the Tumwater Timberland Library  (7023 New Market St SW, Tumwater, WA / (360) 943-7790) this Saturday, April 28,  from 2-3:30, where I'll be on a panel with...

Melissa Meyer, Jennifer Wolf, Danny Marks, Megan Bostic, J. Anderson Coats, Helen Landalf and Kiki Hamilton.

So, um, beyond the awesome of spending time with such a great group of writers--and readers (come!!!), I was thinking about reasons I enjoy group author events.  Here are my top 6.

1. Serious shop talk.  Revision tips, works-in-progress gripes, business woes.  Luuuurve shop talk.
2. Less pressure and more fun. Even if the event turnout is low, we writers are in it together.
3. See how other writers structure their presentations and get ideas for improving one's own appearance plans.
4. Laughs.  Writing is a serious, lonely business. When we find ourselves in a room with Actual People, we writers tend to get giggly. In a good way.  Mostly.
5. Okay, in all honesty, I decided to list six because I'm a writer and I liked the assonance of SIX SUPER (sounds so much better than FIVE super, doesn't it?).  Yet, now, I'm stumped so, uh, that's my five.  Embarassing writer admission.  Well, at least I didn't rhyme!
6. Afterwards, we often partake of wine.  Or chocolate.  If the stars align, both! And, btw, the more the merrier so if you're an aspiring MG or YA writer or just an avid reader, come, chat, and celebrate with us!

Bookanistas: THE LIBERATION OF MAX McTRUE

Hey, Oregonians! COME SEE ME TOMORROW (April 13) at POWELL'S BOOKS at Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR (503/228-4651)) from 4:30-5:30 PM. Author Rosanne Parry, some talented young performers and I will discuss writing about the performing arts, sign books and all that jazz!

NOW, more importantly, the Bookanista business!

Kim Culbertson, the author of SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD and INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BROKEN HEART (don't you just love her titles?) has published a terrific e-book novella, THE LIBERATION OF MAX McTRUE. 

Recently, I've spoken to several authors who have chosen to make shorter, novella-length works available as e-books.  I'm getting increasingly excited by this concept because (1) it enables fans to read more without having to endure the sometimes very-long wait between traditionally published books and (2) it's a way for authors to share pieces that just don't fit easily into a full-length book model. Hence I found myself reading this e-charmer by Kim Culbertson..

MAX McTRUE is a boy you know--a seemingly ordinary boy who appears to be perfectly content with the course of his life.  Until one day: The day this story takes place.  Culbertson manages to be both achingly honest and brightly entertaining in her depiction of the enormity of the journey Max takes in merely hours.  You'll read the novella that quickly, too, and finish, maybe tearing up a bit, maybe smiling ruefully, but surely reflecting on what it means to be a teenager facing the challenge of "growing up."

Definitely at the top of my "downloads that stopped me from being an e-book skeptic" list. It'll be on yours, too.  Is there an e-book or two that got you excited about this mode of publication?  Lemme know!

And, for more Bookanista goodness, click along...

Christine Fonseca gives a shout out for REGRET

Carrie Harris swoons for STRUCK
Corrine Jackson cries heaps over STORY OF A GIRL
Katy Upperman delights in GRACELING
Tracy Banghart shares some CLARITY and PERCEPTION
Jessica Love cheers for THE SCORPIO RACES
Hilary Wagner hosts a Guest Post by Author Aaron Kato on YA Voice

Back-to-Business: BOOKSTORE SIGNINGS PART II - Some Statistics

In 2011, after almost two decades working in educational marketing for trade publishers, I moved to the "other side" as a debut author.  I also launched a group book tour project called Stages on Pages. While I benefitted from my experience supporting other authors' books, the learning curve was still steep. I want to share what I've learned in hopes that this helps other authors, as well as librarians and educators interested in working with authors.  Here's the first post if you want to catch up.  Today, I'm sharing some data from my informal survey on bookstore events (it's still open, so if you want to contribute (as a reader or writer) I'd BE THRILLED--just go here).

Preliminary Bookstore Event Survey Data

RESPONDENTS WERE: 75% YA authors; 25% MG an/dor picture book authors and,
OF THESE, 75% were debut authors and 25% multi-title and/or multi-genre authors (different breakdown)

NUMBER OF BOOKSTORE EVENTS RESPONDENTS ATTENDED THIS YEAR: 50% attended 4-6; 37.5 % attended 2-3; 12.5 % attended 7 or more.


Approximately 90% of respondents cited their launch or similar (e.g., hometown publishing celebration, etc.) as their most successful signing event, generally with turnouts around the 50 mark (1 author had over 100).

The most successful events respondents attended as audience members, were signings by Ellen Hopkins, Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, and other authors with established careers and multiple titles on the shelves.

In terms of authors' opinion of what qualifies as "GOOD ATTENDANCE" for an event, the numbers divided evenly between 15-25 and 25-50. One anonymous respondent (not incorporated in stats) felt 5 people was a good showing for a newbie author. Sadly, over 60% of respondents have been to 2-3  bookstore events with fewer than 3 attendees.

75% of authors said BOOKSTORE EVENT ATTENDEES were primarily local friends and family.  Two respondents added that some blog and twitter followers also came. ONE author cited bookstore outreach & publicity as the main way attendees were drawn to an event (more on this later).

FACEBOOK INVITATIONS were the #1 vehicle for publicizing bookstore events, though some authors also used Twitter and/or personal emails/newsletters. Most authors expressed uncertainty as to a truly effective method for spreading the word.

Many authors commented that, to a greater or lesser degree, they felt a responsibility for bringing in attendees for their events...

...an author has different marketing outlets than a bookstore. The author needs to do everything she can to promote the event. It's a lot of work, but is often the difference between 5 people showing up and 50. -- Beth Revis (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and the upcoming A MILLION SUNS)

I think that bookstore signings CAN be successful, but I also think that you've got to put work into them if you want that to happen. The bodies aren't just going to show up (unless you're Ellen Freaking Hopkins). If I'm going to sign up for a bookstore event, I'm also committing to help get the word out. Good bookstores will do their part, but it's my event and (hopefully) my royalties, so it only makes sense for me to put some work in too. -- Carrie Harris (BAD TASTE IN BOYS and the upcoming BAD HAIR DAY)

So, do you agree with the statistics? Have something to add or another question to ask?  Next week, I'll post on some ways I think this data can be interpreted or used--and I'm happy to incorporate suggestions you leave in the comments, too.  Let's get thinking about this!

Sunday book signing

As I gear up for the Stages on Pages book tour this fall, I am paying much closer attention to what goes on at bookstore events, particularly multiple author programs.  This past Sunday I had the pleasure of hearing Kimberly Derting, Lisa Schroeder, Mandy Hubbard, Cat Patrick, Eileen Cook and Suzanne Young speak at Third Place Books.  Three things I enjoyed about their program:

1. Nice focus question.  Each author took a few minutes to share a bit about the inspiration behind their latest novel.
2. Camaraderie & humor. The panel was friendly and lively with authors taking turns fielding and answering questions.
3. Prizes & treats. Who ever minds eating Jelly Bellies and having the chance to win free books or CDs? Not moi!



See my name in the middle?

It was also great to meet two amazing book bloggers: Sarah of Sarah's Random Musings and Candace of Candace's Book Blog, who asked me to sign this cool author autograph bag.  It's the first time I've been asked to sign anything (besides my own bookmarks). It felt very surreal...but nice!  


Of course, I couldn't resist getting some autographs myself.  So...without further ado, this month's giveaway is THREE SIGNED BOOKS--whoohoo!!!  Enter here!

THE HONORARIUM QUESTION #4: School/Library Appearances & Bookstores

Okay, let's admit it, not every bookstore signing makes you feel like a rock star. Weak turnout can happen for a variety of reasons and you've all heard the stories so I'm not going to enumerate them here. BUT school and library appearances can be a BIG HELP in making bookstore appearances more successful.

If you've got a bookstore signing lined up, on your own or with help from your publisher, offer to visit nearby schools and libraries so that, when you arrive at the bookstore in the evening, you've built buzz amongst area readers and educators. When you're at the schools, tell them about something special that'll be happening at the bookstore (give-away, secret, food) to give them incentive to come back for more.

HOW do you get school gigs near a local bookstore? Check with the bookstore to see if they have relationships with local schools (clear with your publicity department first, if applicable). Be aware that if your book signing has been planned and funded by your publisher, it's generally considered proper etiquette to comp stops at nearby schools. If you are coordinating bookstore visits on your own (and paying on your own dime) it's a bit of a different story but, since you'll be in town anyway, I'd advise a reduced, flat fee without travel or expense charges.

In general, when you've got to travel to an appearance, it's great to try to maximize the marketing value of all that time and trouble. I know authors who aggressively pursue school visits to coincide with book signings, and authors who always ask host schools if they know another school that might be interested in a second day (especially if the visit requires notable travel). As with all marketing, it's best to keep your publisher in the loop and to be sensitive to your own limits in terms of how much marketing you can manage (or stomach) and still be doing your best writing.

I hope these honorarium posts have been helpful. Now I'm back to my own ms :)

Back-to-Business Monday: THE HONORARIUM QUESTION Part 3 - Promotions & Incentives

While connecting with potential readers (as well as with educators, librarians and others in the book community who are interested in you and your work) is an important benefit of the author or illustrator appearance, it is optimal to have your marketing efforts also get the most number of books into the hands of readers.  Here are a few ideas for moving copies.

• Consider appearing for a discounted fee (or even just travel/hotel expenses) if there is a bulk book purchase.  This can be beneficial for newer and even more accomplished authors to show their support for such programs as a community book distribution or a One School-One Book event.
• Ask your publisher if they offer a pricing discount to schools/libraries hosting their authors. If so, make sure that this discount information is provided to all hosts to encourage book purchases.  If you have a reading guide, link to a really good newspaper interview you've done, or other read-the-book enticements, make sure to provide this information to hosts along with book order details when you confirm an appearance.
• Create a special appearance benefit for groups having read your book.  For example, if you're going to speak at a school, offer to have a special session with members of their book group if they've read your book.  Or, offer a special talk tied to particular curriculum areas and with special "author secrets revealed" material for appearances at which all students will have read your book and are ready for a special, in-depth workshop.

Beyond the fact that selling books is good for your career, the more members of your audience have copies of your book, the more engaged they are likely to be in your visit.  There's just something cool about having a copy of a book written by someone you have seen or even met!  Obviously, the more books there are to sign, the more fun and energized signings will be as well.  Which brings me to the topic for next Monday: School Appearances and Bookstore Signings.

I'll finish her by noting that, as always, these suggestions should be considered merely starting points to get you thinking about the how and why of promoting your book.  Have you had a particularly successful author appearance, gotten a great appearance marketing tip from a website or writer colleague, or thought of another author appearance idea to share?  Please leave a comment so we can all learn from each other!

Back-to-Business Monday: THE HONORARIUM QUESTION PART II

First, a quick note: SEPTEMBER 12-18, 2010, is NATIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK.   Arts education embraces disciplines from dance, drama, and design to music, media and literature. Does your novel feature an artistic element?  Might be worth visiting the NEA website to learn more.

Now, on to the question of DISCOUNTING honorarium fees.  In general, I think consistency is very important in setting prices for appearances.  That, said, there are certain situations in which a lower honorarium fee or other accommodation may be warranted.

WHEN...

• It's local.  A lower fee (or waiver of travel/expense costs) can be offered to local or in-state schools and libraries as this is your "home turf" and requires less time on your part.  Some authors even consider offering single-presentations or part-day visits
• You have a new book out.  To launch a new book into the world and maximize appearances without seeming cheap, consider offering a lower-priced, new-title focused program for a brief, specific duration around your pub date.
• You're willing to go virtual.  To promote your book, consider Skype visits, online chats or other virtual type appearances which you can offer at a lower price.

HOW...do you present your fees to schools and libraries?  With budgets tighter than ever, it always helps to be flexible. So, whatever you decide to quote, you might finish with a phrase like "please let me know how this works with your budget" so that you leave the door open for them to give you feedback versus just never replying if the number seems too high to them. This is also gives you the opportunity to discuss their needs and suggest some of your lower-priced options if available.

IF...you really want to get exposure for your first (or a new) book and/or experience with presentations, you may want to discount for some period of time.  Just remember there's a notable cost to you in terms of time (aka foregone writing or work time), preparation, travel, and logistics (babysitter for kids, sub for your classroom, etc.), so think it through carefully.  Do the math to make sure you're not actually incurring costs to do appearances.

All of these honorarium posts are meant to help you give thoughtful, thorough consideration to what it means to charge for appearances, just like you do to other elements of your marketing plans.  Taking the time to do this in advance makes answering questions along the way much easier.

NEXT WEEK: Promotions & Incentives

Back-to-Business Monday: THE AUTHOR VISIT HONORARIUM QUESTION

As often happens around August through October, I've seen an uptick in author appearance requests. It's back-to-school time! Perhaps this is why a lot of authors have recently been asking me about setting and changing fees, particularly in light of the tough economic situation and the resulting financial difficulties for schools and libraries.  About a month ago, I began drafting a lengthy blog post about setting appearance fees to post this month.  But recently, I realized two things: (1) my posts are getting rather long and (2) I've got a September 20th revision deadline PLUS a slew of new freelance jobs. So, this month, all four Back-to-Business Mondays are going to be installments of THE HONORARIUM QUESTION. Hopefully, they'll be quick and useful!

THE HONORARIUM QUESTION #1: Coming up with a base number

First, please note that these numbers are are neither prescriptive nor absolute. They are based on both my experiences working for publishers and myriad conversations with individual authors and illustrators.  Setting your appearance fee involves many consideration and is, ultimately, a very individual decision and there are certainly folks whose numbers fall outside the ranges I'll note.  That said, in my opinion, a reasonable honorarium range for first-time and single-title authors and illustrators is between $500 and $1,000/day. Authors/Illustrators with greater numbers of in-print books, and titles with wide ranges of reading levels can consider going higher, say $1,200-$2,500/day. It is customary to quote appearance fees as a per-day honorarium PLUS travel and lodging expenses.

Select the range in which you fall, above, then consider:

• Number of books in print (and availability of paperback versus hardcover titles - this can affect the number of books sold at a given appearance as hardcovers are more expensive)
• Age range to whom you speak (Consider that authors of YA are often speaking directly to their book-buying readership while picture book creators write for young kids but their books are often purchased by adults)
• Number (and variety or types) of presentations you are willing to give for your daily fee

Once you've got a rough sense of what you will charge, give consideration to the following and adjust your fee if you feel this is warranted:

• What is the economic situation for your local area and school district (especially important if you have good relationships with local schools and appear fairly often locally)?
• Do you want to maximize appearance opportunities to publicize your book (lower fee) OR are speaking engagements a critical revenue-generator for you (higher, profit-margin-required fee)?
• Do you have a new book coming out this year or are there other time-sensitive factors that make your appearances (a) more in-demand or (b) more important for you?
• Are you an experienced speaker (perhaps a former teacher) and/or do you offer presentations with curriculum ties or other academic supports that add value to your appearances?

Hopefully, these considerations will provide a fairly easy formula for coming up with a number with which you can be comfortable. Next Monday: Discounting - When, How, If?

Back-to-Business Monday: AUTHOR, ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?

As writers and illustrators, the self we want to share with the public is our words or artwork on the page and not necessarily our physical image. So, the author photo is something to which many of us pay limited heed. In my years working in education and library marketing, I have run into a surprising number of challenging situations resulting from this situation. Here are a few fun ones (names omitted of course):

• Author with two head shots which barely seem to be of the same person (in one, he has long hair, in the other a bean shave) and no way to tell which is more current

• Author of children's books who sent me a lovely snap of herself surrounded by books--only problem is the book right in front of her has the word "sex" in big letters on the cover (not so hot for the children's library crowd)
• Author has obviously cropped a photo of herself with another person whose disembodied hand sits clearly on her shoulder
• No author photo can be found anywhere and author is reluctant to provide one (!)

Not to mention the myriad tousled hair, rumpled shirt, and laundry/household stuff in the background shots.

Here's my personal photo tale (it really wouldn't be fair to tell you about those others if I didn't have an embarassing story of my own): When my agent recently asked me to send my author photo along, the best I could do was to have my thirteen-year-old snap a picture of my in front of a bookshelf. In her inimitable, polite way, she said "it's a nice picture but the light is a little strong." (Okay, I'm at an age where pretty much all light is a little strong!) But, her comment immediately made me think back to the stories above and I realized this amazing truth:

It's GREAT to have a decent author photo.

The fact is, when I schedule an appearance for an author, the first thing I want to do is help the host publicize this event in the best possible way. I send along links to the author's page at the publisher website, the author's own website/blog/etc., high-resolution images of their book jackets and, if possible, an author photo. In sum, when you promote your work, despite our great literary aspirations, there are times when a picture can be worth a thousand words.

So, I set forth to learn more about getting a good author photo and I HAD ONE TAKEN.  In my next few Book Biz posts, I'll share some tips from folks I consulted, tell you about my photo shoot, and then... The BIG REVEAL (aka a picture of me not taken by one of my kids).

SCHOOL & LIBRARY APPEARANCES - THE ACCESSIBLE AUTHOR

Happy Friday! Like the new look of the blog? Despite the new background colors, I'm going to continue postings on the School & Library Appearance topic. Then, next week, I've got some cool book reviews and new stuff! So, to continue...

One of the best ways to get and/or increase appearance opportunities (volume) is to BE ACCESSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE. Schools and libraries often contact me requesting one of their top three author/illustrator choices. I reach out to these folks in order of the host's preference but, even so, the appearance frequently goes to the author who responds to my inquiry promptly and professionally.

Why is this? When schools and libraries begin to plan an author visit, they often have to consider grant application time lines or PTA budget deadlines for spending funds. They also have limited time windows for special events as their calendars are filled with testing dates, grade-wide field trips, etc. So, they cannot wait indefinitely to find out if an author is available.

For authors who are fielding appearance requests directly, it is also important to realize that it can be difficult for PTA parents, library assistants and classroom teachers to make that first contact with an author. So, if you can be accessible and responsive from start, you generate great goodwill and create an opportunity for positive and possibly ongoing relationship with that host and his or her community.

Another great way to be accessible is to provide information about yourself and your appearances that potential hosts don't have to surf the web to find (especially given the randomness of Internet searches). Don't wait for educators to seek you out. Develop a mailing list for a newsletter. This doesn't have to be fancy or high-tech--just a quarterly one-pager with information about yourself, books, recent praise for your writing or appearances, and a recap of your upcoming travels and availability. Author Deb Lund does a delightful job of this at her website, providing all sorts of ways educators and librarians can connect with her. And I so look forward to receiving her occasional, lovely newsletter updates.

Being responsive can be tricky when you're also juggling writing deadlines and perhaps work and family commitments. So, it is worthwhile to take a few minutes to create an "Accessibility Plan." If you provide a link so folks can contact you via email, set up an auto-reply letting them know when they can expect to hear back. Put basic appearance FAQ answers on your website to help folks along. Mark your calendar with weekly blog-check and email-follow-up dates to be sure you're keeping up with correspondence. And start building that mailing list!

MAKING SCHOOL & LIBRARY APPEARANCES A STRONG PART OF YOUR PROMOTIONAL PLATFORM, PART II--VOLUME

Let's just jump right in to our topic today: How does one generate or increase appearance requests? In response to the question of how he got folks to vote for him, the late Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill said something to the effect of "Well, first, I ask."

ASKING works at several levels. For first-time authors new to appearances asking means reaching out to personal contacts and the local community, and offering presentations to develop credibility and refine presentations. Think beyond your home area by considering all travel (will you be near your old high school or college, visiting a teacher-friend out-of-state, etc.?) an opportunity for book promotion. As your experience increases, ASKING can involve applying to speak at conferences and events. Again, target venues based on your platform and seek out opportunities for places where you will drive interest & book sales. Is affordability an issue for some of the schools interested in booking you? Here's a link to a great tip from Alexis O'Neill courtesy of Tina Nichols Coury's amazing blog. 

Asking also means updating your web presence so that visitors to your sites are aware of your travel plans. Be sure to include an easy, one-click link to your calendar of upcoming appearances so that folks in places you'll be visiting are more inclined to try to reach you. For the tech savvy, holding contests for signed books, Skype visits, and other online promotions can raise awareness of your appearance availability. 

SETTING OPTIMAL PARAMETERS may be more important than you realize in terms of establishing a positive relationship with potential hosts and making sure that all expectations are met. Key parameters are:

-PRICE. In setting your honorarium, consider your level of experience, publishing credits, geographic region and target audience(s). Factor in the hazards of value pricing--the less folks pay, the more they want :) Be consistent and describe WHAT hosts will get for your price. The majority of authors with whom I work, quote an honorarium in terms along the lines of $X per day for UP TO THREE (or four) one-hour presentations.

-AUDIENCE(s) I've made mention of this before but will say it again because I think it's useful. You may be an experienced writing instructor, a former grade school teacher, and/or just be very comfortable speaking to kids of all ages, BUT if you have not published a book for a particular age/grade group you should not offer to speak to this level because you are not the ideal author/illustrator for this host AND they are not going to buy quantities of your book. Similarly, given the amount of time it takes to prepare for an appearance, be honest about what type of presentations you are willing to do and avoid the "specially-designed" offer as so many times hosts aren't really sure what they want and this type of vaguary can result in mutual disappointment.

-AVAILABILITY. It's fine to do appearances only at certain times of year, days of week, geographical areas. Limiting options can actually encourage bookings as it takes some pressure off inexperienced hosts in terms of defining what it is they want you to do. One author with whom I work strongly encourages midweek school visits (no Mondays or Fridays) for optimal energy from student audiences.

Setting parameters also helps you clarify the type of school and library appearances you truly want to do.  This can contribute greatly to another critical objective: BALANCING promotion, commitments, and writing goals.

From asking, we move on to ways to make yourself accessible to potential school and library hosts--that'll be Friday's post.

An Interview with Kim Norman of Author Visits by State

Another hectic week.  Hoping things will calm down soon and I can finish editing my SCBWI Conference notes for posting here.  But, by way of apology, here is something I know you'll find useful.  I recently discovered author-illustrator Kim Norman's blog, Author Visits By State, and was delighted by the practical, straightforward organization as well as the entertaining and useful content of such postings as her 12/6/09 answer to the question, "Why do authors charge fees for school presentations?" So, I just had to get in touch with Kim and learn more.

SWK: When did you start your AUTHORS VISITS BY STATE blog, and what inspired you to do so?

KIM NORMAN: I kept hearing from educators at the schools I visited who said they wished there were some sort of quick resource for perusing a list of authors. If it were based on the author's region, that would be helpful information, too. I looked around and didn't find anyone else doing it exactly that way, (authors who specifically visit schools, listed by region or state), so I decided to compile my own list. I started the list by seeding it with about 40 or 50 authors with whom I am acquainted, and emailed a few others asking their permission to add them. Then it just sort of took off on its own. It seemed to go viral in the writing community for the first few months; I could hardly keep up with all the requests! I'm now approaching 700 links on the site.

SWK: What is the most typical way that authors or illustrators find you?

KIM: I think there are a variety of ways they find me. For the first couple hundred links, I asked folks to link back to the Author Visits blog, which quickly built its Google rankings, since the more links that lead to a site, the higher it ranks. (That's just ONE way that Google ranks sites, of course.) I didn't demand a reciprocal link; but did ask for one if it was possible.

SWK: What is the most typical way that educators and librarians find your blog? And do you publicize your site for educators in any way?

KIM: Hard to say. Sometimes it's from a "tweet;" sometimes from a link they've found on a state reading association site; often from those links I asked listed authors to add to their own sites. 

SWK: Have you received any interesting feedback about the author visit experience from teachers or librarians via your blog?

KIM: Not directly to the blog. After my own school visits, I always send a feedback form along with a thank you note for both the coordinator of the visit and for the students, (which I assume is often shared with the students during morning announcements. Educators seem to appreciate a teaching opportunity about thank you notes.) My feedback form asks the recipient of I can use their comments on promotional items, such as my website and brochures, and most people are fine with that.

SWK: What do you think is the most important thing an author or illustrator can do to develop the school and library appearance aspect of his or her promotional platform? 

KIM: I still believe the strongest promotion is word-of-mouth. So I think it's important for authors to apply to do presentations at educator conferences. Sometimes it can take a couple of years for someone to hire you after they've seen you at a conference, but they do seem to hang onto those brochures for a long time; they also share them with their colleagues. Another idea is for authors to promote each OTHER. I have occasionally swapped brochures with other authors, offering them to visit coordinators after my visit as someone they might want to consider for the following year. My friends do the same for me. 

SWK: I think it is amazing that you provide this listing service free of charge to members of the children's book writing community. Can you share a few thoughts on how this project has impacted you as a writer and as a member of this community? 

KIM: It has been fun receiving emails from authors & illustrators whom I revere, asking me to add them to my site. Also, I've gotten a bit of a reputation (deserved or not!) for knowing a lot about the school visit "biz." For instance, my agent directed one of her colleagues--an agent who has written some books of her own--to email me for advice about pricing her own visits...Regardless of my reputation as an "expert," I continue to evolve as a presenter myself. I'm always striving to add educational value to my presentations. I hope this makes me more attractive as a presenter, since educators can show administrators that I offer information students can apply to their own writing and testing skills. At the same time, I strive to make sure that my presentations are as entertaining as they are educational. A presentation that's chockfull of information is of no value if students sleep through it!

Making School & Library Appearances a Strong Part of Your Promotional Platform, Part I

Thanks to all who have asked for information from my April 11 presentation at SCBWI Western Washington. As I began editing my notes into manageable form, I came to the conclusion that the easiest way to convey this information is by posting it here at the blog in a few parts. So, let's begin with two ways to consider school & library appearances:

1. From a book promotion perspective, school & library appearances should satisfy one primary goal: To drive readers to your current books, past and future books, and to you as an author.

2. However, many authors have another important goal for School & Library Appearances: Income. For some authors, school visit honoraria payments make a significant impact on their balance sheets.

This is an important difference to realize as you make decisions about many elements of your promotional platform, including School & Library appearances. While not mutually exclusive, it may be useful to decide whether you are doing appearances primarily to generate maximum income OR for optimal book promotion and to lay groundwork for future books.  Though the nuances can be different, for both of these objectives, most authors and illustrators with whom I discuss this question have 3 concerns:

1. VOLUME: Scheduling more appearances and/or getting the right type of appearances (more, better "gigs").

2. QUALITY: Making scheduled appearances worthwhile for school or library host, students, and themselves and moving books and/or generating interest in future appearances (e.g., an enjoyable, mutually beneficial experience that does not end when the author leaves the assembly hall).

3. BALANCE: Maintaining a balance between handling self-promotion efforts, maintaining publicity commitments for your publisher, and managing editorial deadlines & new writing projects (having a writing life--and a life!).

These concerns are inter-related. By optimizing quality, for example, you can increase volume. By setting some parameters to create balance in your promotion-writing-living life, you are able to narrow marketing targets and more efficiently increase volume. And, an established, quality appearance program tends to organically generate interest and additional requests, diminishing the need to work on the issue of volume and helping the writer maintain balance.

Friday's post will cover concern #1: VOLUME.

Meanwhile, just finished reading the arc of Holly Black's WHITE CAT, due out next month. This is an amazing story about a teenage boy, Cassel Sharpe, his clan of conning "curse workers," and the complex relationships between memory, truth and dreams. Working his way through the twisting magical-mystery plot and settings ranging from an elite prep school to a pack-rat's chaotic house to Atlantic City, Cassel is a fascinating unreliable narrator--a liar who loves to lie yet at the same time may not realize the truth of his own identity. Keep your eye out for this one in bookstores May 4th!

The Business of Children's Books: Setting Your Fees for School & Library Appearances

I know that I've been discussing reading guides however, this very morning I had two authors emailed me asking how much they should charge for their school and library appearances. So, since I took some care providing answers, I thought I'd post a few highlights from my replies to them here.

SHOULD I CHARGE A FEE?
Almost all authors do charge for school and library visits, generally in the form of a daily honorarium plus travel and expenses (I recommend stipulating something like "up to 3 (or 4) presentations per day"). EXCEPTIONS: (1) If the publisher is paying for your travel and hotel for a book tour or other promotional event, standard protocol is to waive fees for any schools you visit in conjunction with a publisher-funded trip. (2) If you have reached out to a school or library (instead of them contacting you) because you will be in their area, it is typical to charge a reduced, flat fee and no travel expenses.

WHO DECIDES & HOW MUCH?
Authors set their own fees. The typical range is about $500-$1,000 for newer authors to $2,500 for established authors (some high-profile authors charge more). Though it's no guarantee, charging a fee tends to make the host (school/library) invest more in preparing for your visit--kids are more likely to have read the book, learned about you, prepared questions--making for a more successful event and better promotion for you. However, the more expensive you are, the more often you'll price yourself out of school budgets, so it's kind of a balancing act. It's useful to decide WHY you're doing school visits. Are they fun? Do you want to do a lot? Do you want to make school appearances an income source? Or just find an audience for your book? Do some research by visiting websites of authors publishing in your genre and/or whom you feel are at a similar stage in their career, to see what they charge and what they offer--and be sure to look at their event calendars, if provided, to get a sense of whether their program is yielding the type of appearance volume you would like to develop. TIPS: (1) Consider offering writing workshops or other more tailored programs to justify your fees. (2) Consider offering a discounted fee for local appearances or multiple-day appearances--people always like a "deal"!

Back to setting up appearances for folks, now. Let me know if you've got any questions!