In a couple of days, I’m speaking to a book club about my book, Pretty is as Pretty Dies.
It’s been a bit of a busy week with field trips, birthday parties, and other activities. So now I’m trying to make sure I’m ready to talk to the book club.
For me, it’s all about preparation whenever I’m speaking in public. If I’m not prepared or don’t feel like I’m prepared, I’ll definitely get flustered.
There are usually two different types of book clubs that I’ve come across. One type is very casual and you sit in a circle with the other members and engage in the general discussion. The other type is more structured—you’d give a talk about the book or writing or both, followed by a question and answer session.
It’s good to know what to expect before you go. This sounds like a no-brainer, but I’ve been surprised before by groups that functioned as covered-dish suppers/book clubs and felt like I should have brought something (although I was assured I didn’t need to.) You might want to ask if you should prepare a talk (and on what subject), or if it will be a more laid-back program.
I never charge a book club for an appearance—to me, it’s enough that they’ve bought my book. But I usually have to regret if the club meeting is too far away…travel expenses have definitely gone up.
I bring small things to give away—bookmarks, magnets, postcards, pencils, etc., Candy is always popular. :) Sometimes I’ll bring something larger–a door-prize type gift that I pull out of a hat.
If you have a newsletter, you could bring a signup sheet to collect emails to notify readers of your upcoming releases, etc. Be sure you’re being upfront that the list is for a newsletter…and that they can unsubscribe whenever they’d like.
Carry the address of the venue with you and the organizer’s cell phone number. Frequently the club meetings are in someone’s house and it’s easy to get lost. I’ll program the address in my GPS, but I have a backup on paper—and I keep the organizer’s cell phone number close by, just in case.
Look nice. I usually am dressed nicer than everyone else, but it makes me feel better than being underdressed. And if I dress well, the book club members know that I treated their meeting like a special event and dressed accordingly.
Review your book before you go. Or your cheat sheet on the book. I have a Word document that covers characters and plot twists in great detail. It’s easy for me to forget things, especially when I’m under a little pressure. And the book club will have just read the book. It’s not good for them to know more about the book than we do!
The questions I get from book clubs are different from the questions I get from writers. (I receive more questions about the book’s characters—are they based on real people? What do those people think of my books? etc). I’m prepared to talk more in depth about my characters and their motivations. I’m also prepared to talk about small plot points in the book.
The book club might find hidden meaning in your book…that you didn’t intend. I usually just smile and nod when this happens. :) Who knows—maybe I subconsciously included symbolism?
People may challenge you on your book. I think this has happened at every book club meeting I’ve ever been to. If you’re speaking to a big group (15-20 people or more), then you really need to expect some criticism from someone.
Someone may not like a character or might find a continuity error or could disagree with a position they think you’re taking in the book. I just roll with it and don’t take it personally. Remind yourself going in that you’re not there to get defensive about your book…you’re discussing it. Most times everyone is very nice, even if they’re bringing up a point they didn’t like or a problem they had. The more professionally we can handle this kind of situation, the better we look in the end.
They will ask what you’re working on next. Practice a succinct summary. If you’re writing the first part of your draft or would rather not talk about your book, you could just briefly answer that you’re working on a follow-up to the book they read, or that you’re working on a new project that’s very different from the one they just finished.
Bring extra books. If you have other books, bring them, too. Sometimes, book club members will ask you to sign a book for them to give as a gift. You’ll also need to bring ones, in case you need to make change.
I enjoy book clubs because they’re frequently the only times I get to meet with readers in person (conferences are mainly made up of writers). Have you talked to book clubs before? Got any additional tips?
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That sounds like it could be a lot of fun! I love your idea of a cheat sheet. We all forget things, even about our own work! Have fun!
Elizabeth – Thanks for sharing the way you go about talking to book clubs. That’s actually one avenue I need to explore a little better for myself. You make a good point when you talk about what other people might see in your book that you didn’t put there; we all have different perceptions and it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re meeting readers.
I think it’s so cool that you do this. I would be elated if I actually got to talk to an author about their book!
Great pointers. Now, if I could only get a book club to want to talk about my books ….
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Great tips! I will certainly revisit if and when I published and book club talks become a part of my lifestyle.
Excellent post – I hope to need this sage advice in the not-too-distant future!
excellent advice – I particularly love the one on hidden meanings. I found that with poems that I wrote – I just said sure – it is yours now, not mine and I think that is true.
You are a good and true friend to readers, my dear!
Jan Morrison
Great list of stuff to prepare–one more question, though–how do you get these gigs? Do book groups just contact you and invite you, or do you advertise somewhere?
It IS funny how the reader can see things and remember things that have gone completely out of our heads. (The advantage of a bad memory is that you can enjoy and be surprised by your own book later on….)
I never thought about having a cheat sheet, though.
Oh, and if the bookclub does have a healthy treasury and wants to pay, you can always ask them to donate books to a literacy program, or something. (I know a lot of children’s writers who do something like this. A school will have a grant or budget for speakers but none for the library, so the speaker will take the fee and donate it back for the library fund.)
Camille
“The book club might find hidden meaning in your book…that you didn’t intend.”
This reminds me of literature class in high school, when wrote prose and poetry analyzes, and I often wondered, did the author ever have this (i.e. my interpretation) in mind?
Looks like you know how to deal with the book clubs. I’ll invite you to my club if you promise to bring candy >:)
Cold As Heaven
Heather–It pains me that my memory is so bad, but as long as I’m prepared, I’m okay. :)
Mallory–So many authors are delighted to be on the receiving end of an invite! I’ve mentioned that to book clubs, too–that they could probably get almost ANY writer on speaker phone or Skype and they’d be happy to do it.
Diane–Hope it’ll help! :)
Margot–It’s always interesting to me to see what someone else thinks about our books. And startling, sometimes, too!
Jan–Thanks so much! For me, the story is whatever someone wants to make of it. I think we all project ourselves (backgrounds, emotions, experiences) onto everything we read.
Hart–I seem to just get invited. For me, it’s usually a friend of a friend of a cousin of a friend of a…kind of thing. The library has turned some folks onto me, too, I think. I’m always surprised at the invitations. I seem to get several in a year.
Terry–I think some authors are getting book club attention by posting questions for book clubs on their websites/blog pages. Some offer to talk to book clubs via Skype, etc. Mention it on your Facebook profile, tagline, etc. It’s not my approach, but it seems to work for a lot of writers.
Cold As Heaven–I *don’t* write hidden meaning. But I love hearing about it! :) I think, in my next book, that I’m deliberately going to put some in and just see what happens.
I will even bring *chocolate!* But the arctic circle is a little out of my usual stomping grounds…although I think you’re in a more reasonable clime now?
Debra–I have a feeling you will! :)
These are terrific tips–every writer should heed them. Great line: “Who knows—maybe I subconsciously included symbolism?”
That would be me – caught like a deer in headlights because the club knew more about my book than I.
I’ve only done a few book clubs, but each one was set up different.
I don’t know if I could do a book club. Not just because I live in country where English is not the first language and there are no book clubs around but because I’m scared to talk in person about my writing. Maybe something online would be nice.