I love doing school visits!
After years of writing a column for the SCBWI Bulletin called, “The Truth About School Visits,” I decided it was time to start this blog. We all know that children’s authors & illustrators are called on by schools and libraries to inspire and motivate kids to read, write and draw. But for creative types who are used to working on their own, doing public presentations and school assemblies can be daunting! This site is meant to connect you with school visit experts (yes, not just me but others, too, who visit tons of schools) who can offer good advice about programs as well as the business side of doing assemblies and workshops.
Bravo! Your materials are meticulous, madam (can’t help myself, I’m belong to Alliteration Addicts Anonymous) —and full of terrific information not available elsewhere. Great photos, too. I would suggest there is much more to discuss regarding nonfiction authors (being, ahem, one myself). I think the trend is upward, partly because so many n/f books contain high-quality photos, which make for dynamic presentations; secondly, n/f topics lend themselves to kinetic interactive activities as part of the school visit.
Hey, Vicki – applause for you for being the first to find my “maiden voyage” blog. And you’re absolutely right about there being LOTS to discuss regarding nonfiction author presentations. I know how great you are in making your assemblies 3-D, so I’ll be tapping your shoulder as one of my Experts!
What a great site. I’m so glad someone else did all this hard work. I think both speakers and the folks who book them will find a lot of value here.
Bravo, Alexis! What a natural outlet for your special sphere of expertise! Your site looks great! I am so excited you are doing this!
Though I am not yet a published author, I have two interests in your site. First, as a former teacher of grades 1 through 8, I have contact with school personnel in my area and would like to become better informed about school visits.. Second, and important to me as an aspiring writer, is the thought that a solid know-how of school visits might be a tipping point to publishers’ sales and marketing divisions who, in today’s market, have been heard to put last minute dampers on contracts due to their concern about sales. Would not a great preparation in school visits be a plus for the aspiring writer? Or not? i leave the answers to my betters.
Bravo again, Jackie :-))
I’ve been looking forward to this blog! You’re the go-to person, and the one to supply the information (and encouragement) I need to get out there and do it! Bravo, dear Alexis!
Excellent site, Alexis! I’ll definitely be bookmarking it. Since it’s such an unusual way to make a living, (partial living, at least!) I love seeing those of us who do author visits sharing info. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from educators with terrific advice, too. Brava!
Kim Norman
What a great resource your blog will be! I’ve already bookmarked it and recommended it to a group of my writer friends. Thank you!
Yeah, Alexis! Congrats on your beautiful new blog site! At present, I’m on the school _teacher_ side of things myself…
Jackie – You’re right. Publishers love it when authors & illustrators do school visits. They make fans for new books and help keep backlist titles in print. Thanks for stropping by!
Diane — With your new book, Signed Abiah Rose, you’re poised to do this. Yay!
Kim – Glad to have you here. You have tons of great advice to share. And I really appreciate the promotional service you provide authors & illustrtors at your site, http://authorbystate.blogspot.com/
Great blog, Alexis. Thanks for sharing your expertise with the world. Greg
Wonderful blog, Alexis! What a great place to find the right information about school visits – right from the expert herself!
Barbara B
Alexis, this is awesome!!! Your information is invaluable and I’ll be coming back often.
🙂
Alexis, this is great! Congratulations! This is one blog I’ll keep up with!
Alexis, What a great idea this is. You’re just the right person to do it. This will be a must read. Thanks.
Alexis,
Love your new site! Fun pictures, super information, and so easy to navigate.
Congratulations!
Yuki
Excellent site, Alexis – lots of good tips and information. Every since 1993, I’ve been visiting schools to do author talks and workshops, but now, with reduced school budgets, they’re getting fewer and fewer. Are you planning on providing info on assertive and effective possible contacts with schools to encourage them to contract authors? That would be a big help! Thanks for the blog I’ll look forward to updates!
Judy
Congrats again, Alexis! Also, I’ve posted a note and a link about your new site on Verla Kay’s Blueboards:)
This is wonderful! For years I’ve thought of starting an organization called SAVE (School Author Visit Experts: save time, save money, save kids…), and though its focus would have been more narrow (mostly the presentation end of things), I applaud you and thank you for supporting kids, teachers, and writers this way. I tend to be an idea person, and I applaud your dedication to making this happen. My passion around this subject has always been helping authors and illustrators deliver presentations that are not only entertaining, but educationally sound and inspirational. We have so many book creators who know that school visits are not just about book promotion and know that when they’re open and authentic, they can affect lives. And Jackie, my first school visit invitation came before any of my books were published. Having a strong educational background does help, as well as contacts in the field. But mostly, it’s just sharing who you are, and you’ll know if this is the right path for you.
Deb – The most important part of the school visit equation is the presentation itself. You can be sure that we’ll be addressing that in this blog as we go along.