Texas Book Festival Update

2012 was another great year for the Texas Book Festival. Tons of authors, no rain, comfortable weather, lots of readers and book buyers, and much fun.

I'm one of three co-chairs of the Author Escort committee. We coordinate a huge number of volunteers who escort the authors from the Author Escort area to their events then to their book signings.

Last year we were located in a tent outside on Congress Avenue, right in front of the capitol. Problem was, it was so hot we all sweated and wilted. This year we were inside the capitol, which was great. The Speaker of the House generously offered his apartment. I don't think it's an actual apartment (I'm guessing here), but more of an area right next to the House Chambers. It was perfect. We had a large area for authors, moderators and escorts to gather with a kitchen, restrooms, chairs and tables, and a private elevator. I say, thank you, thank you to the Speaker for his generous offer.

In addition to my chair duties, I also got to moderate Steven Saylor's talk. Although I've read Steven's books, this was my first time to meet him. He's funny and sooo interesting. I just finished his latest book in the Roma Sub Rosa series, The Seven Wonders. This one is a prequel to his series set in ancient Rome and starring Gordianus. I definitely recommend it.

A really big thank you to all the volunteers, especially those who were the Author Escorts. And a thank you to all the authors who came. To the few who had to cancel because of the hurricane in the northeast, I hope you're safe and keeping dry.

If you didn't come this year, make plans to attend next year. There are books and authors for kids, adults and tweens. And if you want to volunteer and meet authors, remember to volunteer to be an Author Escort!

Reading to a Naked Audience

Remember the old advice that if you had stage fright when speaking in public, then you should imagine your audience naked? A bookshop owner in Germany has taken the adage to heart.

He plans to promote a new book detailing East Germany’s passion for nudity with a reading to a naked audience.

According to DW-WORLD.DE, “The event, set to take place in the north-eastern town of Pasewalk and hosted by the nude female model who adorns its cover, is scheduled for April 1.”

And, guess what – the event is sold out.

NOTE: Tomorrow, a fully-clothed Susan Wittig Albert is stopping by Straight From Hel on her blog tour for the latest in her China Bayles series, Nightshade. She’s going to talk about setting, specifically the fictional town she created called Pecan Springs. Stop by (with or without clothes) and ask questions or offer comments. And remember to sign up for the free book giveaway!

Even Writers Have To Speak

Writers in today's world learn to have two personalities. In one, we sit alone at our computers with only imaginary characters in our heads. In the other, we have to talk to real people and pretend we have a bubbly personality.

The good news is that the business side not only can be learned, it becomes easier with practice and experience. And while you may feel like you're the only one afraid of having to get out and publicize your book, you're not alone. I tend to be an introvert when it comes to one-on-one situations. I think it's that way with a lot of writers. I do more listening than talking (it's the reverse, though, if you get me up in front of a group of thirty or a hundred people).

There are some things you can do now, before you reach the point where you have a book out and suddenly find yourself sitting forlornly in a mega-bookstore behind a stack of books. Start practicing.

Talk to people. In the line at the grocery check-out. In an elevator. At the post office. Not necessarily about your manuscript, although that's even better practice. Talk about the weather, the slow service, the latest movie you've seen, the headlines on the tabloid magazine, whatever. Just force yourself to initiate conversations.

Keep the chat going. Think of things to say to that stranger. Come up with ways to get that person to talk to you. Not just yes or no, but get them to respond in real sentences.

And if you're talking to another writer or a friend, tell them about your book. Encapsulate it into two sentences. Work on it until you've got it down to a logline that tells the plot. Analyze your story and decide what might appeal to the person you're talking with -- the sex or career of the protagonist, the theme, the setting, the side-kick's cat, the genre, the time period? Talk up that angle. Judge what kind of response you get. Practice. Prepare yourself for that glorious day when you attend your very own first book signing.

If you're still a little shaky when your book is published, find someone to sign and tour with, someone who, hopefully, has an outgoing personality. Watch and learn, and enjoy having a partner who can pull in the passers-by. If you're both quiet, that's fine, too. Talk to each other, smile at those going by. You won't be alone and will seem more approachable. If you don't mind speaking to a group, try to arrange signings where you can either read from your book or give a talk. Both are appealing to readers. And afterwards, readers will come to you to ask questions or get you to sign a book.

Just remember. It will get easier the more you do it.

The Criminal Mind

Busy day around here. Went to a talk by Diane Fanning at the University of Texas this morning. Now I should be packing for my 7 a.m. flight tomorrow for D.C. Then tonight I have a birthday party to go to.

But wanted to take a minute to tell you about Diane’s talk. I’ve heard her speak before at book signings. Today was a talk geared toward a big crowd signed up for a six week class on the criminal mind in fiction and real life. Diane had slides, interesting stories, and expertise to share. It was fascinating to hear details about the research she does, the insight into the criminal mind she has gained over the years, and her personal experience with the killers and criminals she’s written about.

For anyone who might think she can’t be an expert since she’s not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, she’s a writer … think of how much you learn with each book you write about whatever your theme is. Now, imagine writing book after book after book on the same topic – the criminal mind. Not only writing the books, but getting up close and sometimes personal with the killers. Some of her subjects continue to correspond with her after the book is done. She goes to death row and interviews the killers.

The audience had lots of questions, including on cases Diane has never written about.

If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, do so.

More on Doing a Book Reading

Before you go out on your book tour or attend your first signing, pick out what you want to read. Choose several so you'll be ready whether you're allotted two minutes or twenty. Mark them in your book so they'll be easy to locate. Practice reading aloud. Practice again. And again.

Feel free to mark up the passage. Highlight words you want to emphasize. Mark where you feel a pause would fit, or where you want to be sure to look up at the audience. Got a word you continually stumble over? Write it out phonetically.

Does speaking in public make you really nervous? You might want to go so far as to mark where you want to take a breath. I'm not kidding. Better to mark it and remind yourself to breathe than to pass out from lack of oxygen.

Record yourself, then listen. Did your voice convey the emotions of the piece? What about the dialogue -- were the characters distinguishable from each other? Or did they sound all the same -- like you, instead of different people? You don't have to speak with accents to distinguish characters. Try softening your voice for a woman, or raising the pitch for a child, or turning up the volume slightly for a man. Does a character have a gravelly voice? Try reading it that way.

Most of the time, you'll find you need to slow down. You know these words, but your audience doesn't. They need time not only to hear them, but to digest -- understand -- them. I'm not talking about sounding as though you're on Star Trek, traveling backwards in time. Pronounce your words clearly; don't slur. Don't rush toward what you know will be the climax of the piece. That's like laughing at your own joke before you get to the punch line.

Think about the tone of the piece. Light? Funny? Smile while you read. Serious or scary? Let your expression fit the mood. Sexy? What are your eyes saying to the audience?

Now, I'm not saying you should act out the piece. But to bring your work alive, you have to be alive. You want the people in the audience to jump up when you're finished, grab a copy of this fascinating book, and get in line for your autograph.

SIDE NOTE: Starting tomorrow, my posts may be hit and miss for a few days. I'm off to D.C. for about a week.

Doing a Reading

A lot of times, when you're at a book signing, you're asked to read a section of your book aloud. Readers are more likely to buy a book if they can meet the author. They're even more likely to buy it if they can hear the author read or speak. It personalizes the book. Just as an autograph makes the book memorable, so does a reading.

It's important you keep in mind, though, that you should be doing more than reading your book. You should be interpreting it.

My specialization when I got my Masters degree in Speech Communication was Oral Interpretation. That meant taking the words someone else had written and orally interpreting them for an audience. In a great sense, it's like acting. You memorize the passage then bring it alive -- through your voice, primarily. You'll put some facial expression into it, maybe even a gesture or two when appropriate. But you won't be expected to walk here and there or act out the scene.

As the author at a reading, you won't have to go that far. First of all, you're reading your own words, not someone else's. Secondly, you don't have to memorize it. Of course, you wrote it; you edited it a trillion times. You have it practically memorized already. This is good. When you're reading, you want to be looking out into the eyes of your audience more than you're looking down at the book.

But you don't want to do a flat reading. Even if what you're reading is an exciting part of the book, if you read it in a monotone, you'll lose your audience or put them to sleep.

Tomorrow: How to Prepare for a Reading

The Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool

It’s interesting how much time it takes to prepare to lead a workshop, even one you’ve done before.

You have to research to make sure you’re up-to-date on your information. You try to get new examples to share with the attendees. All of that, of course, causes changes in your handouts so those have to be re-worked then printed out.

For the workshop on writing the synopsis that I’ve been preparing to lead at the North Texas Professional Writers Association this weekend, the examples include different books, so I’ve been going through some of my novels. That takes a while, especially since my books have been in flux, what with a lot of them still boxed up in the storage room, and others scattered or hidden away while we’ve been building the bookcase in my office closet. Then there are current magazines and publishers’ catalogs to gather.

Plus, I did a new evaluation form to hand out. I like to have feedback so I know what to change or work on, and so I get an idea of what writers are looking for when they attend a workshop, such as topics and participation.

I’ve been doing something just about every day for the last month. Of course, it gets more intense as the workshop date gets closer. Today I ran to Kinko’s and made copies of the handouts. Wouldn’t you know it – I forgot to copy the evaluation form. Guess I’ll do that here.

And of course, when you’re going to be talking for two to three hours, you have to practice. Every time I do that, I change things around, which means changing my talking notes. I’ve printed out my notes for the last time today – maybe. I put it into a bigger font so I won’t have to squint at it. Hopefully, I won’t have to look at it too often, since I have no idea if I’ll have a table or lectern.

Even though it takes a lot of work to prepare for a workshop, I always look forward to leading one. It’s fun to meet writers, hear what they’re doing and what questions they have, and hopefully make new friends.

If you’re coming to the workshop this Saturday, I’ll see you there!

Speaking Engagements

We’ve talked about how to have a successful talk: pointers to prepare for the speech and how to conduct the workshop, then how to follow up.

Now ... how do you snag speaking engagements? The fact of the matter is that you have to go after them. Offer your services. Let service organizations know you're available to speak. When you hear of a conference or weekend workshop nearby, send in workshop proposals (months in advance). Call bookstores and offer to speak at a signing. Call every writers organization in your area, small and large, and offer to speak at one of their meetings. Hook up with libraries. Figure out what niche markets fit your book or you. If you're a YA author, call the local schools. If your protagonist is a gardener, look up the garden clubs, shops, and so on.

When you're traveling, contact in advance the local radio and TV stations. See if they could use you. Remember to make you and your subject or book enticing. Think of it from their perspective. What is it about you or your expertise that would make them want to interview you and take up their expensive air time? What's your irresistible angle?

Being able to talk about yourself, your book, or your subject matter is a good way to increase your sales. So, arrange those speaking opportunities, take three slow, deep breaths, and go for it.

Successful Workshops

Today, I wanted to continue with the topic of public speaking for authors. Earlier, in the posts Public Speaking for Writers, Steps to Successful Public Speaking and More on Successful Public Speaking, we covered the topics of:

• Prepare
• Don't memorize
• Relax
• Dress comfortably
• Keep track of your talks

I'd like to throw out two other tips for speaking to groups:

1. Prepare handouts.
If you're conducting a workshop or seminar, take and give handout(s). First of all, it gives you something to do; it breaks up the monotony of a long talk and provides variety. Secondly, it gives your audience something to take home. They’re more likely to remember you and your subject if they leave with something in their hands. And they feel like they got their money's worth (even if the talk was free, they paid with their time and attention).

Those of you who have attended my workshops at UMHB, Baylor and other places know that I practice what I preach. I gave a blizzard of handouts.

If you're doing a reading or on a book tour, handouts are not so important. You, of course, hope they leave with your book. Plus, it's not easy to carry around extra papers when you're living out of a suitcase and moving from city to city. Consider giving out lots of business cards with your website listed.

2. Leave time for Q & A.
Whenever possible, open the floor for questions. You can do this at the end of your talk, or let the audience know it's okay to interrupt. Audience participation livens the talk and lets you find out what your listeners want to know. Yes, it may get you off-track, but I find that that's not so bad. The questions are almost always interesting. If you get too far off-track and feel you really must get back to topic, then just bring it back around to your subject. You're the speaker; you're the one in charge. You can either go with the flow or dam the questions and re-direct the flow.

Sometimes, when you allow questions to be asked, you'll hear questions that you don't know how to answer. Just say so. Don't bluff. Not only can an audience usually tell that you're guessing, if you're wrong, it can come back to haunt you.

Steps to Successful Public Speaking

Yesterday I started talking about public speaking – promoting your book through talks at book signings, leading workshops, speaking to groups, teaching classes, even talking one on one with an agent or editor or book buyer.

Here are the first two steps to having a successful speaking experience:

Prepare. Know what you're going to talk about. Now, you may say, I'm going to talk about my book -- what could be easier? That would work if all of your audience has read your book and asks questions about the characters, plot, etc. But, most likely, the majority of them are there, hopefully, to buy your book. And they'll be asking questions about how, where, and when you write, where your ideas come from, the title of your favorite book from childhood, the author who inspired you the most, the thread of feminism that runs through all your works, the political ramifications of the clash of cultures in the Middle East, the philosophical teachings of Socrates. Okay, maybe I exaggerated on those last two, but only a little. You've been to conferences and heard other authors speak. Think of all the questions you've heard asked. Now think how you would answer them. Of course, you have to know your book, but be prepared to answer other questions.

Don't memorize. That doesn't necessarily mean don't write out your speech ahead of time. You can if you want to, or you can do an outline of the major points you want to cover. You can practice your talk, time it, record and listen to it, and practice it some more. But, I recommend that you NOT memorize it word for word. Inevitably, you'll forget a word or sentence, or someone will interrupt with a question, and then you'll get flustered. Unless it's imperative you say something word for word, don't bring your speech to the podium -- you'll be tempted to read it. Most people, when they read something, sound like they're ... reading something. Take a sheet of paper or note cards with you that list the highlights or major points or key words of your talk. Refer to that if needed. You can even take a pencil and discreetly check off what you've covered.

So, before you actually talk or teach, do those two things: Prepare and Don’t Memorize.

Tomorrow, some hints on what to do during the speech and what to do afterwards.

Public Speaking for Writers

Authors write. Nowadays, authors also have to speak.

In order to promote our books, we have to talk at book signings, to readers' groups, to large organizations, on radio or TV, and at every opportunity we can arrange, large or small. This can be a real stopping point for those writers who have a fear of speaking in public. Although it's never bothered me, I can understand the fear.

There's a store here in Austin called Central Market - a great place for fresh fruits and vegetables, every cheese imaginable, unusual foods and wines. It's also a maze of a store with narrow aisles and people taste-testing, bulk-buying, and attempting to turn their carts around and fight against the flow of rat-shoppers trying to work the maze to the check out. Did I mention that it's a claustrophobic maze of a grocery store?

Yes, I understand that tight-chested, panic-driven, push against the invisible plastic suffocating you, just-get-me-through-this feeling of someone facing an audience. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I have a B.A. with a double major in English and Speech Communication, with a specialization in Oral Interpretation (which, incidentally, is great asset when it comes to writing dialogue). My graduate work is in Speech, and I've taught college-level Public Speaking (one of my most memorable students was a police officer who gave a How-To speech on Performing an Autopsy).

With all those credentials, the best advice I could give you is “Do it.” The more you speak in public, the easier it becomes. But ... in order for this to be true, you need to have positive speaking experiences.

Tomorrow, five steps to help you have those positive speaking experiences.