Greetings from contemporary fiction author, Deborah Vogts. This past year, I've tried to evaluate the moments in a writer's life. This month, I want to finish the series by considering how we spend our promotional time in regard to author events.
Author events can include anything from sitting in on a book signing, to holding a book event at a library, to speaking at a women's function or writing workshop. Once you decide what format works best for you (and whether you want to jump on the speaking bandwagon), you'll need to schedule time on your calendar for these events.
Questions you might ask yourself in regard to your time:
1) How much time will it take to schedule and promote author events?
2) How much time will it take from my writing to work on a presentation?
3) How much time will it take for travel?
4) How much time will it take to participate in the event?
As you can see, author events can be very time-consuming. I try to limit author events to once a month, unless I'm launching a new book release. At that point, I may schedule 3-4 events a month, depending on location and time away from home. And some months, I may decide to schedule no events, saving it for family time or for intense writing.
Okay, so how much time will it take to schedule an event? When I began to promote myself as a speaker, one of the first things I did was to sit down at the computer one afternoon and start sending out emails to those who might be interested in hosting me for an author event. I considered church groups, women's groups, schools, libraries, and book stores. I announced that I was scheduling my calendar and that I was available to do book signings, presentations, or whatever I was promoting to that person. It didn't take long before interested persons emailed back. This is the easiest way to fill your calendar. If you're unable to make email contact, use the phone. Be sure to keep track of your contacts, to use for your next book promotion.
Promoting Author Events can also be time-consuming. When you schedule an author event, remember to ask about promotion. Will they provide a notice in the newspaper or a newsletter? Will they make and send out flyers about the event? Even if they offer these things, take the time to double-check a week or two before the event to make sure it has been done. Then send out your own media announcement to the local papers and radio as an extra prompt. Be sure to announce the event on your blog, your newsletter, and on social networks. Some of my best promotional efforts have come from speaking engagements.
One handy tool I've found to help with presentations, is PowerPoint. It is an amazing invention that helps me stay on track with my speech as well as provide visuals for my audience--something that is always appreciated. Even if you do not have access to a projector or screen, having the presentation on your laptop can be very helpful to keep you on track. If you're going to be speaking a lot, you might consider purchasing your own projector, which is what I ended up doing last year. I found one online for a good price and have used it many times when one was not provided. I'll usually spend an hour or two working on a presentation, and then another hour reviewing the presentation before the event.
Obviously, the last two time considerations will depend on location and how far you're willing to travel. If I travel more than 60 miles, I request that my travel expenses are reiumbursed. If it's a local event, I do not request it, although it is sometimes offered. I'll also request to sell books at the event, which is another way to help with expenses. Another good use of your time is to schedule more than one event if you are traveling more than two hours. I do this quite often, and will try to book 2-3 events for one outing. I'll also try to arrange for a home hostess or stay with a friend if I'll be gone overnight. This sort of outing can be quite tiring, (at least for me), so be careful when scheduling multiple events.
For more tips on scheduling author events, please visit my author blog. Best wishes to you on your author marketing!
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Deborah Vogts and her husband have three daughters and make their home in SE Kansas. Visit her Author Website to learn more about her writing and her books in the Seasons of the Tallgrass series.
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