Author Events: School Visits, Library Presentations, and Book Signings

Hello everyone!

So, once you’ve publish your book, you’re job is done, right?  Wrong!  Now more than ever, authors have to market their books.  A great marketing strategy is to book live events like school visits, library presentations, and book signings.

These sorts of interactions can by scary for authors, especially for the ones who hate public speaking or are introverts.  The following articles have tips for how to have positive author events.  I hope they help!

Tips for Authors:

“Organization & Preparation Tips” by Garr Reynolds

“How to Host a Successful Book Signing” by WestBow Press

Tips for Schools:

“7 Tips for the Perfect Author Visit” by Brad Herzog  (Authors, consider creating an event packet to give to give to schools, libraries, and other event locations to help stir up excitement for your visit – see point 4.  Trust me, as someone who’s acted since I was five, an engaged audience is way more fun than an apathetic one.)

Tips for Libraries:

“Publicity, programming and promotion – Arrange an author visit” by the Association for Library Service to Children

Happy writing and good luck marketing!

Katie

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How to Succeed at Writing: Working through Frustration

Hello everyone and happy Presidents’ Day!

While working towards my 2018 goal of editing my novel The Four Crystals from beginning to end, I hit a snag in completing my weekly goal.  Apparently chapters 3-5 heard me say I was going to edit one chapter a week and conspired to detain me longer than that.  If they weren’t essential to the plot, I’d show them who was boss and cut them.

Needless to say, feeling stuck is very frustrating.  It’s made me question why I torture myself with writing when there are other things I enjoy that require less effort.  When I get depressed with my own writing journey, I find inspiration from reading about what established writers do.

Below are a few articles which recently helped me.  I hope they also inspire you to keep writing.

In case you don’t have time to read them, here’s a quick summary: 1. Find a writing space, 2. create a writing routine, and 3. make yourself do it.  (They say it much more elegantly than I just did.)

“Mark Ellis – A Writer’s Life” by Mark Ellis

“10 Habits of Highly Effective Writers” by Robert Blake Whitehill

“Ten Ways To Succeed at Writing Without Really Trying” by Ruthy Logan Herne

Happy writing!

Katie