This guest post was written by Kevin Gerard, a fantasy adventure author whose books for young adults include the series Conor and the Crossworlds series and Diego’s Dragon. Follow him on Twitter.
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By Kevin Gerard
If you write children’s novels, school visits are an enjoyable and profitable way to promote your books.
With a little finesse and a lot of persistence, you can develop rewarding friendships with school librarians close to where you live—and if you dream like I do—all across America. If you prepare for and execute your school visits correctly, you’ll increase your fan base and make some good money while having the time of your life.
I write fantasy adventure novels for middle grade and young adult readers. Over the last eight years, I’ve travelled the country doing author talks at countless elementary and middle schools. I’ve spoken to every type of group you can imagine, from a dozen students in a single classroom to over 700 kids, all gathered in a huge auditorium.
The number of students and how many talks you’ll perform fluctuates with each school. I personally prefer a group of about 200, but I’m always prepared to do whatever the librarian requests. I’ve done one to as many as six talks in a row, but always with a preset time during the day to sell signed copies of my books.
I engage in a host of other marketing efforts, but I’ve found that author talks can generate significant sales if you work closely with the school librarian to prepare students for your arrival. Watch this video of Kevin speaking to students, and note the huge audiences!
Create a “Librarian Kit”
I’ve assembled a “Librarian Kit” over the years, which I send weeks before the date of my visit. It contains electronic files, including Jpegs of book covers, interior illustrations from the books, a customized price list students can take home to their parents, and various i-Movies or PowerPoint presentations about the books.
I also snail-mail a complete set of 12×18 inch book cover posters to the school. I get them at Costco—$3 apiece— and they look incredible.
Librarians can upload the book covers into their library computers, so the students see them every time they log in and work. They print copies of the interior illustrations and have coloring contests, which any student can enter. I work alongside them to judge the entries and award books, posters, or T-shirts to the winners.
The iMovies and PowerPoints are sensory wonders, brimming with illustrations, music, sound effects, and text, narrated by yours truly. By the time the students are exposed to everything, they can’t wait to show their parents the price list and ask if they can buy a signed copy when the author visits their school.
If you’re lucky and you find a librarian who’s passionate about her job and loves the kids she works with, she’ll go all out to help you sell books. I usually find a table set up and decorated especially for signing. I’ll bring 20 copies of every book and close to 50 copies of the first book in each series. In some cases, the librarian has taken pre-orders, so I know exactly how many books to bring.
Ka-ching, Ka-ching, Ka-ching
You’d be amazed at how many students bring cash or checks from their parents, sometimes to buy an entire series. I don’t allow credit transactions. I think that might be asking a lot from a parent, and I’ve never had one check returned in eight years.
Well, now that you’ve done all this good work and the big day is near, prepare yourself as best you can, and remember…
Be ready for anything. You have to adapt to any possible situation.
As I said, I’ve visited hundreds of schools, and I can think of three that are always prepared for my arrival. Everything is ready, all I have to do is show up, plug in, and go.
At the other extreme, I’ve arrived at schools where the multipurpose room is locked, the guy with the key is nowhere to be found, and the students are already lining up outside the door for the presentation.
Your projector breaks, your laptop won’t sync with the school’s A/V setup, your PowerPoint file gets corrupted, there’s too much light in the room, you find out you have 17 minutes to do your perfect 50-minute presentation.
Expect it all to happen and you’ll be fine, and don’t ever show anxiety. Remember, you’re a duck, serene on the surface and paddling like hell underneath.
Use This Handy Checklist
- Run through your presentation the night before, using your own A/V equipment. Better to find a glitch before you get to the school, and you’ll have a fallback in case their equipment doesn’t work.
- Find the school the day before your scheduled visit. There’s nothing worse than getting lost in a strange city with only five minutes to go before you’re supposed to begin your talk.
- Arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled start time. If it’s your first school visit, make it 60 minutes. Give yourself plenty of time to get set up, run through everything, and relax. You want to be at your best when the flag goes up.
- If you think you’re early, go to the school anyway. I learned that one the hard way—only once. I thought I had 40 minutes to spare, and when I arrived, I was 30 minutes late. Better to be early.
- Kids are kids. They’re going to love you, but they’re still going to fidget, talk, joke, try to look cool, and do everything else kids do. I just stop talking and stand still when they start to get a little rowdy. They get the message.
- Be exceptionally nice to everyone you meet at the school. I mean syrupy sweet. You are representing yourself as an author of the best new fantasy novels around, and whether or not you get invited back will largely depend on the overall impression you make. From the receptionist to the principal, pour it on. They’ll love you!
- Send a personally written thank you card to the librarian who worked with you to arrange the visit. If they handled sales for you and you sold a lot of books, include a $10 Starbucks gift card. Trust me, even with just a thank you note, you’ll shine brighter than the sun.
There are other things I’m forgetting, I’m sure, but these are a good start. Remember that school librarians are the most overworked and underpaid professionals around. When you call them hoping to schedule a visit, bend whatever way they want. If they say they can’t talk, thank them very much and tell them you’ll call another time.
Good luck. Be persistent. Presenting to kids is the second best part of being a fantasy adventure author.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for sharing your success in marketing your book to schools. Your handy checklist is right on target, especially tips #3 and #7. Although I’m in a different niche, your post stimulated some ideas I can use.
Thanks Joan for allowing Kevin’s guest post. I’m off to share it.
Hi Flora,
Very nice of you to comment, and I’m glad some good ideas popped into your head. If I can ever answer a question for you, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Peace,
KG
One other thing – thanks for sharing my post – you’re the best!
Flora, isn’t Kevin’s strategy brilliant? What makes it so successful isn’t just the tips list, but his persistence and tenacity in following through with these visits, and his patience and preparation on how to deal with the dozens of things that can go wrong. Thanks for sharing this with your author clients and followers, Flora, and for stopping by to comment.
Originally I bypassed this post because I write non-fiction for adults (marriage & relationships), not fiction for kids. But a reference to Kevin in one of Joan’s subsequent posts caused me to go back and read the original post, and am I glad that I did! I especially appreciate Kevin’s focus on preparation; what makes the library visits so successful is the work that he does beforehand. A library kit? Genius! And the thank-you coffee giftcard to librarians afterwards is a touch of class.
I’m glad you went back and reread the post, too! Karen, you’e so right that these little details make all the difference. Kevin is tenacious. You have to be willing to go through all that work, hassle and sometimes disappointments before you find the pot of gold.
Hi Karen,
I’m glad you came back and read the post! Presenting to young readers is such a joyous experience. The big secret is that they think they’re having more fun than I am. The joke’s on them 🙂
It all comes down to one question – are you willing to do the work to make your books a success?
Onward!
Thanks, Joan for inviting Kevin to post this. I was wondering what legal issues one might run into and need to address beforehand. For example, I’ve been told that if one presents in schools in Texas you need some kind of certification or security clearance. Is this true or false? What about in other states?
Do you have to worry about state sales tax if you are selling books yourself? Sounds like a nightmare if you do. Or can you just ignore that?
Where does one locate lists of librarians, or do you rely on personal contacts in the communities?
Great and inspiring post. Thanks again.
Lois
Lois, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, so I’ll ask Kevin to return here and answer your questions.
Excellent questions, Lois.
Haven’t been to Texas, but I’ve done author talks at schools in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Mississippi. So far I’ve never had an issue with certification or security clearances. It wouldn’t surprise me to run into something like that, but I haven’t so far.
Unfortunately, you do have to worry about sales tax. I make it easy at the schools and price the books with tax included. I keep a spreadsheet of every visit and file my sales taxes every quarter. The only real nightmare is when you have to account for specific tax rates in different cities or counties within a state.
Locating lists of librarians? I Googled cities in a state by population, then Googled the school districts in each city I wanted to approach, and made extensive spreadsheets of my contact attempts for each school. (Did Joan say I was tenacious?) You need to keep track of what you’re doing; do they want a callback, did they ask you to email them, etc.
Hope I gave you some good insight. Please write if you have other questions.
I love visiting schools and talking to kids. I have found that often librarians will buy sets of my books for their school library. And word of mouth between librarians is a great way to get your next visit scheduled. I love the idea of having contests at the school before the visit. I usually do contests while I’m there.
Sybil, thanks for stopping by and sharing this. Another idea is to specifically tell librarians, “If you know of any other librarians who might like this presentation, please feel free to pass along my contact information.”
Hi Sybil,
Nothing butters the bread like word of mouth recommendations. I have a half dozen regulars I use as references, too.
It’s always great when a set goes into the school library. Congratulations on your success with school visits 🙂
KG
Great article and spot on, Kevin! Thank you for sharing this valuable information to help other authors. For five years I traveled within my home state of WI doing school visits and found that this is a wonderful way to sell books, besides connecting with my audience which was wonderful.
I made over 400 appearances, which also included visiting classrooms via Skype as travel was really not an option for me. Skype is a great option for authors who may not be able to travel, as well as is a great option for school’s with a limited budget.
Like many of your excellent points, I’ve found that the easier you make it on the librarian/teacher the more likely they are to hire you, as well as spread the word about you.
I love your idea of the Starbucks coffee card with the thank you note. I always included some kind small gift as well, which I think goes a long ways in them remembering you.
-Barbara Techel
Author of “Class Act: Sell More Books to Schools through School and Library Appearances” and “Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog” children’s book series
Barbara, I love your Skype suggestion. So often, we forget about Skype. Thanks for contributing to Kevin’s great ideas.
Thank you, Joan! Skype is awesome.
Barbara –
I love that suggestion too (skype to a classroom). I mean, by now, classrooms are used to that technology and it’s a no-brainer. Another wonderful way to connect with kids! My dream is to do that in classrooms worldwide.
Christina Frei
Author of “5 Rockstars of the American Revolution”
Glad you liked the idea, Christina. It’s just one more way technology can put us right in front of our audiences, even a half a world away.
Hi Barbara,
I’m just starting to do skype conferences. They’re incredible! My problem is that I look at the screen instead of the camera – I’ll keep at it.
I went to Wisconsin when I was a boy, family trip. I don’t remember much, but I do recall that the outside of our cabin by the lake was covered with Daddy Long Leg spiders. Freaked me out.
Love the title, “Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog.” I’m going to check it out!
KG
How great you are doing Skype conferences, Kevin! I love them and agree they are incredible! It does take practice, but such a great tool we have as authors – and so great for schools with a limited budget. A win-win for all!
Ah yes, those Daddy Long Leg spiders! I don’t care for spiders either, but the Daddy Long Legs I can somehow tolerate… just a little. 🙂
Continued success to you!
Barbara
Hi,
Don’t really understand this post, but thanks for reading!
KG
Kevin and Barbara,
Do either of you know how the author of adult trade books on American history, civics, and/or journalism can visit high schools through Skype? Are high schools open to having authors, and who sells lists of the teachers’ e-mails? Also, Barbara, what is the URL of “Class Act”?
William,
I would almost think so. I would reach out to your local school and ask the question if they know of out of state schools that would be open to this. As well as google other authors in your genre and see if they offer it.
Here is the URL on amazon for Class Act. Thank you for your interest http://www.amazon.com/Class-Act-Through-Library-Appearances/dp/0980005264/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376846765&sr=8-1&keywords=Class+act+sell+more+books
Hope this helps,
Barbara
Hi William,
I think high schools would jump at the chance to Skype with you. Unfortunately I don’t know any organization that sells teacher email lists, but in our present day and age, I’m sure they exist.
Live long and prosper — ..
William, do not buy email lists. You have no guarantee the email addresses are current. But the bigger problem is that those people have not given you permission to email them.
I would go into some of the educators’ groups on LinkedIn and ask for their advice on how to let schools know that you’re available to offer a program.
Kevin –
Thanks so much for sharing this information. You really seem to be enjoying your work and that’s inspiring. So often, book marketing can seem tedious, and kids markets seem more volatile sometimes.
I love your idea of pre-selling the program by having contests beforehand and sharing your video with librarians / teachers and sending them posters. How great that the kids come in ready to rock and roll with you.
I wrote a book about my favorite guys called the 5 Rockstars of the American Revolution. It showcases how cool the Founding Fathers are/were and how their choices can really help kids be rockstars too. I love speaking in front of kids and I’ll look forward to reaching out to librarians (I’ve only been talking to principals, PTAs and teachers – totally ignoring librarians!!!!).
Thanks for your generosity here. This made my day. Will share this article with others!
Christina Frei
Author of “5 Rockstars of the American Revolution”
Christina, your book sounds fabulous. What a great way to get kids involved in understanding the Founding Fathers!
Oh, and since you mentioned you track all your contact with places, one helpful hint.
I use CapsuleCRM for my lead tracking. It is really easy to use, it’s free (for the first 200 leads) and it almost makes lead tracking fun. Hee hee.
Spreadsheets are cool, but this is cool too. Check it out, y’all!
Christina Frei
Thanks for the great tip, Christina.
Thanks for the great advice! I have been wondering how to approach schools to promote Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of Shadow Hills and you just answered all of my questions. Looking forward to receiving the weekly newsletter.
Isn’t it great when you stumble across a blog post like this that answers all your questions about something you’ve considered doing but held off because you have too many questions? Thanks for commenting, Carrie. And good luck with the school visits. I hope you sell a truckload.
Kevin, this is just wonderful. What a terrific post! I have long wondered about how to approach schools, but you have done an outstanding job of explaining every issue. Plus, I really loved watching how the kids reacted to your video presentation; the hidden key giveaway was absolutely brilliant.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Melanie,
You are so welcome. Remember – when you cold call librarians you’ll get every possible response. Keep after it, though, sooner than you think you’ll be selling books and lining up visits!
Hi, Thank you for all of your wonderful information. I am so very new at this. I have written just a few children’s book and so your suggestions are very much appreciated. My first question to you is… how do I initiate that first contact with schools? Do you go directly to the school librarian or will she re-direct me to the principal or the district, or what? Secondly, am I reading correctly.. I can get paid for these presentations?? Sorry to sound so naive but I am getting very inspired by what is now, a vision in my mind of where I can take my kindergarten books. Thank you so much.
Elsa, I’m going to answer these questions myself, though I encourage you to contact Kevin on Twitter to see what he says. You have to start somewhere so call the school and ask who you need to speak to in order to arrange for an author visit. I doubt that Kevin got paid in addition to being able to sell books. When he says these are profitable speaking engagements, my guess is he is referring only to book sales.
Hi Elsa,
I always call the school office and ask to be put through to the librarian. If I get them I make sure they are the librarian (sometimes they’re not and you have to go through your spiel again, and then ask if they have a minute (librarians are very busy). You’ll get every type of response you can imagine.
Paid? Yes, I ask for an honorarium now, $300 for a half day and $500 for an entire day, but for years I did the author talks for free and sold books to make money. I do far fewer visits now that I’m asking for payment, but it is quite a lot of work and frankly, after all this time, I’m worth it 🙂
It’s scary making calls at first, but don’t give up. You’ll get more comfortable with time.
Awesome article! Thanks so much Kevin and Joan for helping us newbies 🙂
I loved this article too, Esther. Anyone can follow his step-by-step directions.
A great big thank you Kevin. I teach English in Alicante and I’ve written short stories with Spanish translation for children and adults. Also thanks Joan for part in helping us “DIY writers
From next month my books will be in the major book stores but I’d no idea of how to promote them until reading your terrific piece on contacting school librarians and using power point etc.
I’ll now upload your blog to social media and and my students. I truly wish you the very best of luck.
Thanks for spreading the word about this guest column written by Kevin. Good luck with the book, Noreen.
Awesome advice!
I am a first time author and I appreciate your advice.
Thank you.
Glad to help, LaShonda. This is one of my favorite guest posts.
This is an excellent article. Thank you. Book reviews help promote your book. Team golfwell does free book reviews > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html
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I’m glad you shared this link, Ric. Authors who read this will thank you, too.