Mary's Minute: Event Advice, Part 2

Okay. Hopefully you've read Part 1 of my event advice, which covered the question "How do I get [x author] to come to my city?" Welcome to Part 2, which is actually made up of two parts.

Part 2.1: How do I find out about events?

 The absolute WORST feeling in the world is when you find out you barely missed an author event like I did when I moved to Dallas and I found out that Michelle Hodkin was here, but I didn't know it, but discovering author events is fairly easy if you put in a little bit of effort on a regular basis.

Every few weeks I check the schedules of the bookstores and libraries whose events I've attended before. For me, being a Texan, I look at three separate Barnes & Nobles, the flagship Half Price Books store, and the Irving Public Library, all of which are located somewhere around DFW; Blue Willow Bookshop, Murder by the Books, and one Barnes & Noble in Houston; and Book People, the Book Spot, and one Barnes & Noble in Austin. I also check the websites of a couple bloggers who keep up-to-date lists of events around Texas. Also, I generally know when the big festivals and conferences like YAK Fest, TLA, NTTBF, Texas Teen, Texas Book Festival, etc. are scheduled.

I have previously looked at author's websites directly to see if/when they were coming to visit. This method helped me discover events near me with Cassandra Clare, Elizabeth Eulberg, Meg Cabot, Richelle Mead, Emily Giffin, and others. This method isn't always foolproof, though, because sometimes authors' event lists don't get updated a whole lot, but it's a good alternate.

Keeping up with social media can also be a help. Fierce Reads keeps up with their blog and has a specific website for the Fierce Reads tours. Epic Reads now keeps a list of all upcoming events for Harper authors. Bloomsbury created tumblrs for this year's Boldly Bookish tour and last year's First Loves tour. Plus, all these publishers and authors regularly post their upcoming events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. You can also follow accounts for bookstores and libraries near you that host events.

Part 2.2: The event is scheduled, and I want to go. 

Now what?

Answer: find out as much information as possible

The first thing you NEED to do is check the event website. This is where you are going to find 90% of your information. I don't care if you're going to a one-author signing at a store or library or if you're attending ALA, BEA, RT, TLA, YALL fest, LA Book Festival, NTTBF, Texas Teen, etc: check. the damn. website.

If for some crazy reason you can't find what you need on the website, I'm gonna be brutally honest here: you are probably doing it wrong, whether you are not navigating the website correctly or (sorry) you might just be too lazy to check thoroughly. Store and library websites will give you as much info as they have. Festival and conference websites will give you everything in waves as they confirm more details, but they almost always have FAQ sections you can check. The info IS there. These places and organizations WANT you to attend their events; there is no benefit to them to hide event information.

If you're still having trouble, don't ask a friend. Either pick up the phone and CALL the store/library or EMAIL or TWEET the event organizers. Phone numbers, social media accounts, and other contact info WILL be listed on the website.

Talking to your friends, even if they are event pros, is only going to get you so far. Talk to the STAFF, and they'll be able to give you the right information for that event. It's literally their job to help you, PLUS if you are extra nice, they also might share some insider info!

Remember I mentioned the CRMs at Barnes & Noble? Great person to talk to because they're the one's who arrange author events at the store. Any manager is going to be a good choice. If it's a library event, the whole staff will know what's going on, but if you need the organizers, ask for the teen services team (for a ya event, that is). I can't tell you how many questions I've had answered just because I called a store (especially if it's an event I know will be super popular or in a city I'm unfamiliar with) or tweeted to the event, and a few weeks ago, author Kristin Rae called my library asking for info about Jenny Martin's Tracked launch!

If you're not a talk-on-the-phone person, again, feel free to utilize social media to interact with the store/festival/library/conference. Below are some examples of questions I had for this year's TLA conference. Even though this was my third year, I still had questions about the specific organization and I wanted to make sure my information wasn't outdated.

Please note, I always always always always always say thank you! Politeness will get you everywhere!

What kind of information do you need? 

Aside from the who, what, where, and when, the kinds of questions you need to be asking are:

1. Is this a registered event?
→If no, is there a ticket required to join the signing line? See question 2.
→If yes, does registration cost anything? If yes, are there any applicable discounts? Are there any "extra" events not included in registration that require additional purchases (ie the Texas Tea at TLA)?

2. How do I obtain a ticket/wristband/number for the signing line? When will tickets be available?
→sub-question: If I am unable to pick up my ticket in advance, can I preorder one to pick up at the event?
(^this is particularly helpful for events that are out of town!)
OR
Can I send someone to pick up my ticket for me?

3. Do I need to purchase a book to attend? I'm gonna go ahead an answer this with another pro tip.

Pro tip: You may not need to purchase a book to attend the event (meaning the panel/q&a/reading part), but the purchase of at least one book may be required for the signing line. Also, it's a courtesy to the author for visiting AND the venue for hosting to at least purchase the front list title (aka the book being promoted). Event book attendance and sales are one of those ways publishers figure interest in an author. More attendees + more book sales = better chance [x author] will return to that store/library/city/state/region!

4. Is there a book limit? Is that limit per person (ie 3 books per person, period) or per book purchased (ie 2 books from home for every book purchased at the event)? Is there a limit to the number of books I can get personalized?
*I'm going to talk about this question in more detail in part three.

5. Are pictures allowed? Will they be posed (meaning attendees can go behind the signing table) or "on the fly"?

6. Where will I be able to park?

7. Do you anticipate a big crowd?
This is helpful if the venue holds many events, and the staff is experienced. They may be able to give you advice about how early you should arrive to get a seat or a ticket if they pass those out at the event itself.

TL/DR: Find out as much info as possible, and find it using PROFESSIONAL sources!

Stay tuned for Part 3! If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Mary's Minute: Event Advice, Part 1

I'm back for another edition of Mary's Minute! This time I want to take this time to talk about something I get questions about A LOT:

Event Advice

I moved to Dallas in late 2012, and I started blogging in December that year. Since then, I have attended 68 author events featuring hundreds of authors in six(ish) cities in three states (which actually isn't too many because I know my friend Katie of the Polished Page-Turners has gone to events in eight states! And in fact will be landing in Texas in about 12 hours to attend RT with me). I have attended press tours for best-selling authors and launch parties for debut authors. I have attended festivals and panels and individual signings at high schools, college campuses, city streets, public parks, convention centers, libraries, bookstore chains, indies, and even the dang Texas state capitol building. I have attended these events as a "regular" reader, blogger, moderator, and now, staff, which has allowed me to experience these events in different capacities. I started keeping an event page here on the blog 1. so I could share upcoming events with my friends and fellow book lovers, and 2. so I could always remember the events I've attended!

While I would never use the word "expert" to describe myself unless we're talking about sleep or cheese consumption, I do have lots of experience and a fair amount of general event knowledge.

Part 1: How do I get [x author] to visit my city?

Good question, and sadly, this is the one that is the most difficult to answer because a lot of it depends on SHEER DUMB LUCK.

First, I have to ask: is [x author] JK Rowling? John Green? Suzanne Collins? Rick Riordan? Veronica Roth? Stephanie Meyer? Best of luck to you, but honestly, these authors don't tour very much at all, and because demand for them is very high, you're in a crap shoot. I'm so sorry, but I have zero advice for you aside from telling you to find an event they'll be at, no matter where it is, and trying to attend. That's your best bet.

The biggest part of the puzzle actually is: does your city receive a lot of author visits? If yes, you're in good luck. It could happen quite easily! If no, I'm sorry to say, you're going to need to do more work, and sadly, I don't have much advice for that part. 

If your city DOES receive a lot of visitors, you can help get [x author] to visit by doing the following: checking their books out from the library REGULARLY. Share those books with your friends and family and encourage them to do the same. Tell your library you would be interested in meeting [x author]. Also, buy [x author]'s books from a local bookstore (preferably whichever one does events, be it a B&N, Half Price books, indie, etc). Ask to speak to their manager (preferably the event manager), and tell THEM you would like to meet [x author]. Pro tip: Event managers at Barnes & Noble are called CRMs. If you ask to speak to the CRM, you are more likely to be taken seriously. If you are still in school, talk to your school librarian to research a school visit with [x author].

Now, I do think it can be helpful to tell [x author] you are interested in meeting him/her at an event in your city, BUT I'm going to caution you here, as with any author interaction: Don't. Be. Annoying. Don't spam them with horribly spelled tweets and emails. No "[x authorrrr] I luv u plz com to Dalas bc u r my fav!!!1!!" Stop that. Be professional and friendly. Bonus points if you send AN ACTUAL LETTER via their publisher. Physical mail somehow always holds more metaphorical weight in addition to actual physical weight. Pro tip: Before you do this, check [x author]'s schedule. Have they visited your city before? How recently? If it was last week or even in the last year, they might not come back for a while.

If [x author] has a book coming out in a few months, this is a great time to try to reach out because BOOK TOUR! Most authors schedule the majority of their publicity events around book releases. It's a business thing. And again, if you can help your library or bookstore prove they've got numbers to back up interest, you can strengthen your case for your author visit.

So to recap, the best way to get your favorite author to visit: 

1. Pick a realistic author.

2. Be lucky.

3. Share their books.

4. Check out & buy their books.

5. Tell librarians & booksellers of your interest.
6. Check their schedule for future & past events.

7. Contact the author and/or publisher & tell them of your interest.

8. Be lucky some more.

Be sure to check out Part Two, which discusses how to find events and how to get the info you need to attend!

Listmania Monday: How to have a successful book conference experience

While in the midst of the oh-so-hectic-and-fun TLA '13 conference, I started making a list of all the tips I wish I'd known ahead of time to make the most out of my experience. If you haven't attended a conference/convention before, these tips and tricks will hopefully help you map out your plan for tackling one. Trust me, it's so worth it!

1. Prioritize your schedule. Decide what's important to you, be it panels, signings, arcs or a mix of your favorites of each and let those take a higher priority over everything else. A signed arc from an author you don't know might not make up for you missing your favorite author or the arc of the final book in a series that you've been dying to get your hands on.

2. Wear comfortable clothing! No one cares what's on your feet, unless they're crocs, which shouldn't be worn under any circumstance EVER anyway. Wear comfy flats,  sandals or sneakers. Keep clothing relatively loose instead of form fitting. Dress nicely, but casually. This isn't a business meeting, exactly, but it's not a day at the beach either. Wear layers. Panel rooms are cooler (you'll be sitting for a while), but the exibit hall is warm (lots of bodies, lots of walking and standing).

3. Bring snacks and water. You may not have a lot of opportunities to eat or drink, except in line. Stay hydrated!! I didn't each lunch for two days because of the lines, but I didn't get mind because I drank lots of water. And when I did get hungry, I pulled out a granola bar.

4. Bring plenty of canvas bags and totes. Some booths provide cool bags, but they go early. Be prepared and bring your own. A large suitcase is also good to bring as you can keep it at a bag check and unload books there periodically. 

5. Bring cash. Most everyone only deals in cash. There are great deals (paperbacks as low as $2, hardcovers for $5!), but only if you've got the dough on you. This is especially true for the last day. SAVE UP for that because publishers don't want to ship books back home so they'll sell them off early and cheaply on the last day. So you should....

6. Bring your own books, if you can. You'll be able to save your money for new stuff instead of buying a second copy of what you already own. It also helps to prep books early. I was complimented several times for having my books post-it-noted early. I spent about an hour two days before the conference deciding which books to get signed and sticking post-it notes on the title page. Also, prep your books to be signed, whether in advance or in line, by flipping them all to the title page and having them open. It can be a pain, but it'll help lines move more quickly if you do it yourself instead of relying on someone else do it.

7. Arrive early!  Early birds get the best parking spots, places in line, seats in panels, and arcs!

8. Make friends with fellow attendees. Trade blog addresses and Twitter handles. You may want to print up business cards in advance for this. These people will help up blog readership AND let you in line with them if you're running late. Be kind and return the favor.

9. Talk to publishers at the booths. Tell them some info about yourself so they can make recommendations. Ask probing questions, and you are so much more likely to get more books. Ask for business cards, and follow up with an email asap letting them know who you are, reminding them what you talked about. This is good networking for future arcs OR if you are at all interested in the publishing idustry, be it behind-the-scenes or as an author. Trust me, they'll remember you and appreciate your interest and initiative.

          9a. Know your publishers and their authors. If you can be specific about the books a publisher has put out, they'll be so much more willing to help you out. If you know that an author has a book coming out with a publisher, but you don't see it, ASK. The worst they can say is they don't have it, BUT if you ask, they might have some copies hidden. They'll be impressed that you know who their authors and upcoming releases are.

          9b. Make a list (and check it twice! Sorry, I had to) of all those authors and upcoming releases ahead of time so you don't forget in the stress of the moment. If you can be specific and focused with what you're asking for, you are so much more likely to get what you want. Sometimes that means you get the book. Sometimes that means you don't, but the workers at the booth might tell you when they're going to "drop" the book, giving you an opportunity to show up a little early.

10. Don't be a jerk. No pushing, shoving, or name-calling. Publishers and attendees will remember you if you're cool or if you're a pain in the butt. You do not want to be the latter. Be patient and wait in line like everyone else. Speaking of not being a jerk...

11. Don't be greedy. There is no possible way you can get a book for you and your five closest friends or even just you and one friend. All the other attendees paid for their admission just like you. Sorry if your friend couldn't make it, but they should consider going to the next one. There are plenty of books for everyone, but not enough for everyone to have multiple copies. Share the book with your friend instead of grabbing two. If your friends are present, it's good to divide and conquer but that still doesn't give you free reign to unlimited books. Be sensible because you still have to carry everything all day (even with a bag check you'll be carrying a daunting quantity and it gets heavy fast) and possibly ship your books home at the end of the conference. The books may be free but shipping isn't!

12. Say the magic words. Please, thank you and sorry will get you a lot of credit with everyone, from fellow attendees to publishers and authors,  conference workers to security staff. You're all there for the same reason so be polite and enjoy the awesome trait you've got in common: a supreme passion for reading!!