Readings

Tips for Authors for Connecting With Their Local Libraries

Sarah Moore — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 18:49:48 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Sarah Moore on 10/15/2018 6:49:48 PM

Utilizing your local libraries can be a great way to start small when creating awareness for your book and building a readership. Per library Executive Director Sarah Moore, public libraries love working with local authors to execute events for their communities. The best way to approach your public library, she says, is to reach out in person or through email or phone, and find out which staff member is in charge of programming. The staff person assigned to this task will depend on the size of the library. Larger libraries tend to have a staff member that is dedicated to programming, and some even have several programming staffers to cover various genres and age groups. Author readings and book signings at your local library can be very effective in engaging the community. Libraries will often advertise the events, add the book to their collection, and even sell the book for a set time frame, as Moore explains. One of the primary goals of local libraries is to make connections in their communities, and local authors usually generate a lot of interest.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Tips-for-Authors-for-Connecting-With-Their-Local-Libraries.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, video

How to Give a Good Reading - article

Molly Blaisdell — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 09:59:04 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Molly Blaisdell on 3/4/2017 9:59:04 AM

Authors want to engage audiences through readings. This is great way to make sales and to get more exposure for your book. One good reading can lead to another. To create a successful reading, you need to understand and control your emotional state. Many authors fear speaking in front of others, but there are some simple steps you can take to help you be calm and confident during a reading. First, think about the worst thing that could happen at the reading. You might forget to zip your fly. You may stumble over your words and everyone laughs. You smile and move on. Imagining the worst will help you overcome your fear.

Now you need to choose a selection to read. You want to choose choice spots in your novel that are full of dialogue and action. You can summarize transitions if you feel that they may not be easy to listen to. You can link together several short sections with these transitions. Engage your audience. Think about what emotions you are evoking in your listeners. You don’t want to jerk them around in a way that leaves them confused, laughing one minute and then hitting them with dark material to plunge them into despair. Make sure that there is a reasonable emotional arc to the selections you choose.

At the reading, you need to arrive early and check out the lay of the land. You don’t want any unwanted surprises. Get a sense of the room size and find out if there are other readers. If so, determine your position in the queue. Check out the sound system and get familiar with the microphone. It will help calm you if you are not fumbling in front of the audience with the AV equipment. Another thing you can do to help on the night of your reading is to salt the audience with a few friends. Some friendly faces may be just what you need to be comfortable.

When you step up to the podium, make eye contact. Find a comfortable posture and don’t pass up an opportunity to crack a joke. Spontaneous humor may put your audience at ease and make them more receptive to your material. Be polite. If you have some material that isn’t appropriate for children, be sure to mention it. When you launch into the reading, keep up the eye contact. Always take a positive attitude even if the audience seems bored. They may be distracted by things out of your control.

Finally think about what you wear to a reading. Avoid wild prints. Solids work best, especially for press photos. A colorful scarf or tie might be a nice splash of color but remember you want to showcase your writing, not your wild fashion sense.
Take this advice to heart and then go out there and “break a leg.”

Tags: article, fiction, Nonfiction

Tips For A Successful Book-Reading Event - video

Suzy Takacs — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Suzy Takacs on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Suzy Takacs, owner of The Book Cellar bookstore in Chicago, Illinois, talks about key tips for a successful book event.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsForASuccessfulBookReadingEvent.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Poetry Readings: Fighting Fear with Preparation - podcast

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Joe Kerschbaum, poet and author, offers tips for how to overcome a fear of conducting a poetry reading, including the importance of attending other readings and open-mic events and how to prepare effectively for your reading.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PodcastAsktheExpertJosephKerschbaumPoetryReadingsFightingFearwithPreparation.mp3

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, podcast

Poetry Readings: Fighting Fear with Preparation - video

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JosephKerschbaumPoetryReadingsFightingFearwithPreparationNEW.mp4

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, video

Poetry Readings: Where to Read & How to Arrange It - podcast

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Join poetry author Joe Kerschbaum to learn how to conduct a successful poetry reading, including location selection and other considerations.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PodcastAsktheExpertJosephKerschbaumPoetryReadingsWheretoReadandHowtoArrangeIt.mp3

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, podcast

Poetry Readings: Where to Read & How to Arrange It - video

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Join poetry author Joe Kerschbaum to learn how to conduct a successful poetry reading, including location selection and other considerations.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JosephKerschbaumPoetryReadingsWheretoReadandHowtoArrangeIt.mp4

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, video

What Makes a Great Reading? - podcast

Jane Ormerod — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Jane Ormerod on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Poet Jane Ormerod describes her personal habits around preparing for a poetry reading, including scoping out the location ahead of time and reading the audience's mood to determine what she reads.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JaneOrmerodWhatMakesaGreatReading.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

What Makes a Great Reading? - video

Jane Ormerod — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Jane Ormerod on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Poet Jane Ormerod describes her personal habits around preparing for a poetry reading, including scoping out the location ahead of time and reading the audience's mood to determine what she reads.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JaneOrmerodWhatMakesaGreatReading.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Reading Your Poetry... or Performing It? - podcast

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Deliverying your poems to an audience can be done in a variety of ways. Published poet Joe Kerschbaum discusses the options and offers tips on how to pick your style.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PodcastAsktheExpertJosephKerschbaumReadingYourPoetryorPerformingIt.mp3

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, podcast

Reading Your Poetry... or Performing It? - video

Joe Kerschbaum — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Joe Kerschbaum on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Deliverying your poems to an audience can be done in a variety of ways. Published poet Joe Kerschbaum discusses the options and offers tips on how to pick your style.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JosephKerschbaumReadingYourPoetryorPerformingItNEW.mp4

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, video

Cross-Cultural Poetry - podcast

Jane Ormerod — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Jane Ormerod on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Poet Jane Ormerod describes how she leveraged her British heritage and culture to improve her poetry readings.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JaneOrmerodCrossCulturalPoetry.mp3

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, podcast

Cross-Cultural Poetry - video

Jane Ormerod — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Jane Ormerod on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Poet Jane Ormerod describes how she leveraged her British heritage and culture to improve her poetry readings.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../JaneOrmerodCrossCulturalPoetry.mp4

Tags: fiction, Poetry, Subscriber, video

Tips For A Successful Book-Reading Event - podcast

Suzy Takacs — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Suzy Takacs on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Suzy Takacs, owner of The Book Cellar bookstore in Chicago, Illinois, talks about key tips for a successful book event.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsForASuccessfulBookReadingEvent.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

Organizing School Appearances - podcast

Melanie Greenberg — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Melanie Greenberg on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Artist, illustrator, and author Melanie Greenberg has great tips for organizing your school appearances. She explains how she's amassed a list of 1100 schools and how she reaches out to them and manages the process of securing school visits. She also describes what is included in her school programs and even discusses her fees. If you've been wondering how to get started with school appearances or take this part of your writing business to the next level, this video is for you.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MelanieGreenbergOrganizingSchoolAppearances.mp3

Tags: Children’s Books, fiction, Subscriber, podcast

Organizing School Appearances - video

Melanie Greenberg — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Melanie Greenberg on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MelanieGreenbergOrganizingSchoolAppearances.mp4

Tags: Children’s Books, fiction, Subscriber, video

Women's Voices - podcast

Victoria Zackheim — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Victoria Zackheim on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Author Victoria Zackheim talks about her project "Women's Voices," which pulls women together for book events to across the country.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../VictoriaZackheimWomensVoicesALCWebinars004copy.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

Women's Voices - video

Victoria Zackheim — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Victoria Zackheim on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Author Victoria Zackheim talks about her project "Women's Voices," which pulls women together for book events to across the country.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../VictoriaZackheimWomensVoicesALCWebinars004copy.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

The Uniqueness of Women's Voices - podcast

Victoria Zackheim — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Victoria Zackheim on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Author Victoria Zackheim shares what she has seen as differences in the way men and women convey their feelings when it comes to book readings.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../VictoriaZackheimTheUniquenessofWomensVoicesALCWebinars004copy.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

The Uniqueness of Women's Voices - video

Victoria Zackheim — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Readings by Victoria Zackheim on 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Author Victoria Zackheim shares what she has seen as differences in the way men and women convey their feelings when it comes to book readings.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../VictoriaZackheimTheUniquenessofWomensVoicesALCWebinars004copy.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video