It's
back to school time! I'm always inspired by this fresh start, and by the
promise of new notebooks to fill up with stories. I buy at least a dozen of
these at the beginning of the year.
This
time of year is also when I get a wave of Skype (that's virtual) school visits,
and in-person author visits. School visits are my favorite: I love talking to
educators and readers. There's just nothing better than talking about our
favorite books and writing new stories. Hurrah for school visits!
I'm
excited to be part of Tattered Cover Bookstore's Educator Night on September 5th and
6th. If you're an educator in the Denver metro area, consider signing up
and joining the fun.
I
love doing school visits so much, I even do a presentation on how to plan
author visits at book festivals and educator conventions. I thought I'd share
some of my tips and ideas, in case you are an educator looking for a place to
start:
Quick
tips for a successful author visit:
1.
Decide how big you want the event to be.
Consider starting smaller, with a Skype visit, or a short assembly visit
arranged by the local bookstore (if available)
2.
Build your team. It’s more fun if you get the
community involved—plus, that way you’re not doing all the work yourself.
Create a committee, enlist fellow teachers, parents, even kids.
3.
Think local for less expensive visits—and
kids love it when an author lives right where they do! I can attest to that :-)
Try bookstores or referrals from other schools for author names. Local book
fairs and festivals are a great way to meet authors.
4.
Collaborate with other schools for bigger, pricier visits. Plan far ahead to allow time
for fundraising and scheduling.
5.
Apply for grants or organize fundraisers. PTO, book fairs, book sales are great
fundraisers to get money. For travel expenses for the author, see if someone
can donate miles/points for flights and hotel stays.
RESOURCES
Authors who Skype for free (a list compiled by
author Kate Messner)
Skype in the Classroom (through Microsoft, not necessarily book
authors but any educational resource
Grants
for school visits (these are just a few I
found):
(You
can contact any business for a grant, really, but these have existing forms)
Want
me to come to your school for a visit..? Find out
more here, or email me at author-at-ftbradley-dot-com.
Any
educators or authors have tips or resources to share?
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