HONORARIUMS: The amount an author charges is usually based on experience and publishing history. A well-published author may charge $700 to $2,000 for three or four presentations a day. Beginning authors who have published their first book may charge $200 to $300. Please have checks ready the day of the visit. If you need an invoice, let the author know beforehand. Some authors will ask you to sign a contract.

TRANSPORTATION: Local authors may be willing to absorb the cost of transportation or may ask for gas money. Authors who must fly will require a coach air fare ticket or reimbursement. However, some authors will absorb this cost if they are able to obtain five or more schools in one location.

LODGING: If you are hosting a local author who has a long morning commute, it is a courtesy to offer overnight lodging. This will also give the author an opportunity to sign presold books (see BOOKS). Some authors are comfortable staying in local homes, while others prefer a hotel. Be sure to ask. It is helpful, when putting the author in a local hotel/motel, to choose one that serves breakfast (many have free breakfast). It’s very difficult to speak on empty until lunch. It is also helpful if there is a restaurant within walking distance if the author has flown in for the visit and has no transportation. Most authors are reasonable and expect only clean and safe accommodations.

FOOD: Whether you serve potluck, order in sandwiches or drive to a nearby restaurant, always offer lunch to your visiting authors. Be sure to ask about dietary restrictions. Remind teachers to use lunchtime to get to know authors and ask questions. During the day, coffee, soda, and water should be available. A treat at the end of the day is really appreciated. After school, some authors are pleased to be invited to dinner. Others prefer to unwind and dine alone.

EQUIPMENT: If your author hasn’t told you what will be needed for a presentation, be sure to ask. Usual requests include: overhead projector, slide projector, and screen. Microphone standard or portable, depending on room size. A table, chairs, water. Chalkboard or easel with drawing paper.

PREPARED STUDENTS: Roll out the red carpet! An author’s visit should be a celebration for the children. An author hopes that the students will be familiar with at least some of his/her books. Students get the most benefit from a visit if the teachers or librarian have read and discussed the books as well as the role of the author.

Help the students formulate questions. An author can answer more questions if they are written out on cards. This is especially helpful for the young students. But be sure to put the student’s name on the card, so the child gets recognition.

Reinforce the joy of reading by offering the author’s books for sale. A personally autographed book is a treasure to keep forever. Whether or not an author gets another book contract is often determined by the author’s book sales record. So authors are always grateful when schools make an effort to offer their books for sale during a visit.

There are three different ways to offer books for sale:

• The school can order the books directly from the publisher at an author appearance discount. Some schools pass on the discount to the students. Others use the profit from the sales to pay for the visit of the next author.
  
  
• The school can arrange with a local bookstore to handle the ordering and the returns of the books and handle the sales themselves or have the bookstore personnel handle the sales. Some bookstores will share a percent of the profits.
  
  
• In some areas book wholesalers specialize in author school visits.
  The most efficient way to sell the books is to send an order blank home with the children, explaining that the author will be visiting the school. In addition, offer the books for sale the day of the visit. Authors can sign the presold books the night before the visit and those sold that day after the presentation.

AUTOGRAPHS: Ask the author if he/she has a bookmark or a predesigned sheet which can be duplicated with the author’s autograph. This can be distributed to all the children and gives everyone the opportunity to have the author’s autograph, whether they buy a book or not.

For more information or to arrange an appearance, contact us through the Writerinkville.com post office or e-mail us!