Prepare to Read Your Book!

Reading excerpts of your book to potential readers is a great way to

• Sell your book.
• Stay in touch with readers who know you.
• Introduce new readers to your work.
• Build word of mouth about your book.
• Find out what excites your readers and what doesn’t work for them.
• Let readers hear your literary voice.
• Establish relationships with local booksellers.

Before your first reading:

Identify candidate venues

• Open mic night at restaurant, bar
• Bookstores (see https://www.wordherders.com/category/bookstores)
• Schools
• Libraries
• Book clubs
• Civic organizations
• Special events of significance to your subject

Plan the Reading, Depending on the Audience

• Decide on background information
• Consider doing more than a reading, e.g. Maureen McQuerry hosted a scavenger hunt
• Choose the passages to share
• Add a costume or props
• Make sure you have a way to end the reading and “get off the stage”. “That’s all I have, I’d be glad to take questions” can be useful. Or, telling your audience “thank you for coming” always works!

Prepare a Press Kit

• Bio
• Contact information
• Sample Q&As or Tip Sheet about the book
• Press Release
• Photographs, including a head shot
• One Sheet or Sell Sheet
  • Title
  • Author
  • Genre/Price/# of pages
  • ISBN
  • Publication date
  • Synopsis
  • Formats available
  • Territories sold
  • Thumbnail of cover
  • Thumbnail of author photo
  • Reviews

Once You Have a Reading Scheduled:

Advertise

• On your Facebook page and other social media
• Blog
• Mailing list
• Contact the local newspaper(s) with details of the reading

Prepare handouts and/or swag for participants

• Bookmarks
• Postcards
• Specialty – e.g. relevant fact sheet for nonfiction

At the Reading:

• Make sure you talk to your host so that you know:
  • how and where the audience can (and can’t) buy your book (from you, at the counter, bring previously purchased)
  • how and where any book signing will occur.
• Take extra copies of your book to sell, either directly or through the event host, in case the host doesn’t have enough.
• Provide a sign-up sheet for people to add their emails for updates on publication dates and subsequent books (check with the host first to make sure it’s ok).
• Take pictures of the people who came – or a selfie with the audience in the background.

After the reading:

• Plan for downtime following the reading away from the venue or e.g. in an attached café or coffee shop; invite audience to stop by and/or join you.
• Post a summary of the event and pictures to the events page of your website.
• Post a summary of the event and pictures to your social media.
• Follow up with a thank you note, and an offer to come back in the future if desired. Share the postings from your social media or website with the host in case they can use them in their own communications.

Resources:

• Arranging Your Own Book Tour;  by Erica Verrillo; April 27, 2018
  https://writingcooperative.com/arranging-your-own-book-tour-6248c5b569d0
• 9 tips for successful author reading; by Alan Rinzler; November 19, 2009;
  https://alanrinzler.com/2009/11/9-tips-for-successful-author-readings
• How to Build a Rocking Author Media Kit: a 7-Step Template; September 28, 2018;
  https://blog.reedsy.com/author-media-kit-template