4.7.10: Traditional Tours & Speaking Events: A Counterpoint
In mid-February, my co-blogger, Peg Booth ,wrote a smart post about the importance of speaking opportunities and instructed readers how to maximize these events’ potential. While I agree that there can be many benefits to such engagements, I want to clarify some misconceptions about tours and traditional events (readings & signings). I’m writing this more as a post for first-time authors and industry newcomers than veterans of either, so forgive me if this seems like old news.
The number of tours publishers send their authors on has decreased dramatically in the past few years. I don’t believe this to be a bad thing, even though many authors find this disconcerting. These days, full tours are reserved for authors who’ve already made a big name for themselves and thus have universal appeal or for authors/books with incredible regional appeal. Touring for the sake of touring simply isn’t cost-effective, especially when the local media (one of the primary forces driving locals to events) continues to shrink in size and scope. Furthermore, the most recent statistics I’ve heard cited say that only 1 in every 10 attendees buys a book at store events. And the main point in sending an author anywhere is to sell books.
Ok, Christina, so then what’s the point of touring and setting up events at all? (I’m afraid I’m going to start developing a Debbie Downer reputation between this post and my last one about the death of the print book review.) Here are a few tips to get the most bang for your buck whether you’re setting up a single event or a slew of them:
- Don’t discount the appeal of local events in an author’s hometown and home region. Besides negligible costs on the publisher/author’s parts, a local author usually has a built-in audience of family, colleagues, and general acquaintances. Event coordinators love to hear that an author’s got a mailing list or xx number of people who would be interested in attending. Furthermore, many local bookstores (especially the indies!) are especially proud of their own and tout local authors to visitors.
- The event format is where creativity really rewards. Frankly, the most engaging authors aren’t those who just sit and read from their books for half an hour straight. (Obviously, authors like Stephen King are the exception since his fans are so obsessed that they’d probably sit and watch him silently read a book to himself for half an hour.) With ever-waning American attention spans, the more interactive an event is, the more attractive it is to potential attendees. Q&A style and panel events are especially appealing, not only because different participants will surely appeal to different target audiences, but because these types of events offer windows into the authors as multi-faceted people. (I’d argue that these factors explain why specialized events such as luncheons and Town Hall events work so well in terms of both audience interest and book sales.) Having an author read from his book isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but it’s more appealing to incorporate a short reading as part of the overall event instead of the reading serving as the mainstay.
- Media is key in boosting event attendance, especially for authors on tour. As book coverage continues to decrease across the country, more writers and reporters are only allowed to consider authors who will have a direct impact on their readers; as such, an author whose book deals with Detroit and who also plans to do an event there qualifies as a double hit and has a greater chance at coverage. In addition to securing feature pieces, reviews, and interviews in local media outlets, authors can also have their events listed in print and online publications’ calendars and “About Town” sections.
So whether the author is traveling across town or across state lines for events, keep some of these ideas in mind to help maximize audience interest, attendance and sales!
Christina Mamangakis is a publicist at Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Before that, she worked at W. W. Norton & Company.
