Tips for Moderating a Panel

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It’s always exciting when you’re asked to moderate a panel, especially one with writers. Here are some ideas to help you with planning and facilitating:

Planning

  • Once you have the topic, draft a list of questions. Make sure you have extras in case you have time. Be creative. Don’t has the ones that are always used.

  • Not every question has to be for every panel member. Mark which ones are for which speaker and which ones are for the entire group.

  • Review them with your panel and get their feedback.

  • Be familiar with your panelists’ biographies and books.

  • Have a quick meeting or send an email to your panel giving them the details (e.g. any pre-meetings, what to bring, and any logistics).

Moderating 101

  • Make sure everyone gets a turn in the spotlight. No one should dominate the presentation. And mix up the order. You don’t always have to move left to write down the table.

  • Keep time and keep the discussion flowing. (That’s when the extra questions come in handy if you have time to fill.)

  • Keep order. Hopefully, everyone is a professional, but you may need to step in every once in a while to keep the discussion moving. Barb Goffman and Ramona DeFelice Long taught me about signals. Each had a signal that she told the panel about. For an example, a knock on the table indicated time was up.

  • Grace Topping taught me to ask your authors to provide short biographies and as the moderator, introduce your panel. It allows you to brag on their accomplishments, and you can keep the introductions short.

  • Grace also recommended that moderators shouldn’t throw out a question to the entire group without specifying who should start. It often causes an awkward silence until someone volunteers an answer.

Wrapping it up

  • Always leave time for questions.

  • Make sure to ask the panelists what’s next for them.

  • Thank your panel, your hosts, and your audience.

  • Make sure that the audience knows if there is a book signing or any other instructions they need.

What would you add to my list?