Book Tours, The Best and Worst Readings, and Advice

I promised a post on book tours and how to book readings before your new book comes out. This is my third book, and I took very different approaches on my first two books – more for practical reasons (health and money both being limited at the time my second book came out) than logic or enthusiasm dictated – and I can share what I’ve learned and what I’m planning to do this time around.

This article on “The Worst Author Readings” makes some interesting points about audience commitment and how the author can ensure success. I’ve had enough experience with two-to-five person audiences to know that it’s about the most demoralizing experience a writer can have, but avoiding those kinds of readings is sometimes beyond our control, especially if you’re going to be in unfamiliar territory (i.e. a place with no family or friends) or an untested venue (like a museum.)

The article got me thinking about my “Best Author Reading” experiences. I was thinking about readings in little towns with wonderful audiences, like those reading in Bowling Green, Kentucky for WKU, or Fredonia, New York for SUNY Fredonia. These readings took some effort to get to – they were both in out-of-the-way locations – but great, enthusiastic hosts and smart, engaged students (and parties afterwards!) made the readings really worthwhile. One of my most fun unexpected readings was a night I went to go see Li-Young Lee read at a bookstore in San Diego, but he didn’t show and I ended up being asked to give a reading spontaneously with a young poet who had just had his first book out –  the terrific Jericho Brown. Some of the people in the audience ended up becoming friends of mine I still keep in touch with. Sometimes the company you keep – reading with friends, or beloved poets I looked up to, or going out to dinner with great people afterwards – makes all the difference. I’ve had great book sales experiences at “cons” – like Geek Girl Con and WonderCon – which might not seem like a normal place for poetry, and another great sales experience at an artist’s exhibition…The point is, the kinds of readings that are going to be best for you are going to be unique – some people are going to have a wonderful time at academic readings, others at coffee shops and bars, or comic book shops or art galleries. Where are the people that love your kind of poetry?

I would recommend taking readings where you’ll be able to read with poets you either love or are good friends with, too. Worst cast scenario, at least you’re hanging with people you like.

Questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not to take the reading:
–Can you afford it? If not, can they pay you enough so you can afford it?
–Is it an area with a known friend, family member, or otherwise supportive party around? Promoting yourself in unknown territory is an iffy prospect.
–Is it an area you’ve been to before, recently? There is such a thing as oversaturation (though a fifteen-minute drive can often make a difference in audience, I’ve noticed.)
–Talk to the contact person at the bookstore/library – those contacts are valuable because the people who work at bookstores and libraries are, God bless them, often the only link between you and as-yet-unknown readers. If they don’t seem interested, that’s not a good sign.

Next time: Part II – Things Authors Can Do To Ensure a Great Reading