Event Planning Ideas for Authors
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Book promotions and author events are often more than signings in bookstores. Authors need to be creative when planning their events. Here are some ideas for widening your scope.
Propose a talk or presentation for a club or group. Many social, book, and other organizations are always looking for guest speakers.
Recommend a workshop or presentation for your library or Friends of the Library. They may be interested in a panel discussion with multiple authors. A group of author friends and I wrote a murder mystery play for our local library that their staff acted out for “Murder in the Library.” We did an author discussion and book signing as part of the evening’s events.
Look for organizations that offer classes to seniors, youth, etc. Many want volunteers to teach a course or workshop on a variety of topics. I work in IT during the day, so I teach courses regularly on topics like Twitter 101, How to Use Instagram, Social Media for Authors, and How to Create an Author Platform.
Volunteer to write an article or a post for an organization’s newsletter or blog. Many will let you include your biography and publishing history.
Look for themes or hooks in your stories and target interest groups or clubs around those. Many have programs or newsletters with lots of followers (who already like what you’re writing about). My sleuth in the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries lives in a 1939 Sears Catalog house. There are several online fan groups, and one did an interview about my character and my research. I did a blog post for another group.
Reach out to clubs and organizations that you’re a member of (e.g. almuni, book clubs, service groups). Many are looking for interesting programming and are often willing to highlight a member.
Sometimes you have to be creative to get your books in front of readers. Think outside the box. You may be surprised with the results.
