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| Deb Vanasse at book festival |
Once your book has launched, how do you make sure it
continues to get noticed? One way is to make author appearances. I’ve not
actually kept count, but my guess is that I’ve made over a hundred.
Here, ten tips for a successful author appearance:
·
If you’re going to solicit opportunities for
appearances, make sure you have a specific program to offer, one that dovetails
nicely with the goals and audience of the venue.
·
Be clear about the length of your program and
what it will entail. Attention spans are short. In terms of audience
satisfaction, less is oftentimes more.
·
If possible, coordinate with a single contact
person at the venue. Ask about anticipated audience numbers and demographics.
Make any equipment needs clear. For groups of larger than thirty, I generally
ask for a microphone.
·
Program fees will vary with the venue and the
extent to which the author is known. If there’s an opportunity to have your
books available for sale, that may compensate for there being no program fee.
·
If you’re bringing books for sale, make sure to
give the coordinator a list of titles and prices in advance. You might also ask
about preparing a flyer that can be circulated in advance—especially effective
for school programs.
·
Ask the program coordinator about how the
program will be promoted. Using social media, piggyback your own promotional
efforts onto theirs.
·
If you’re not entirely familiar with your
program, rehearse beforehand. If reading is involved, your practice should
include making eye contact with the audience.
·
Public speaking is one of the top all-time
fears. Fear conquering tricks include looking slightly above the faces instead
of directly at them. Engaging the audience with gestures and a small amount of movement
across the stage can also help to put you at ease. If you’re overly nervous,
join Toastmasters so you can practice speaking with confidence.
·
If sales are allowed, don’t hawk your books.
Mention them no more than twice, at the beginning and end of the program. Greet
people from your sales table, but don’t accost them. And don’t haul multiple
boxes of books into the venue. For all but the most popular authors, what you
can carry yourself, in a single load, is probably plenty. You can always keep
an extra box in the car in case you run low.
·
Bring business cards, bookmarks,
postcards—anything to help the audience remember who you are. If appropriate
for the audience, provide an opportunity to sign up for your e-newsletter.