How to Organise a Book Reading

Book readings need not terrifying. And contrary to what you may think, it's not only reserved for the John Grishams and Philip Yanceys of this world. Anybody can have a book reading. They are a great way of drumming up interest in your work, connecting with your readers and ultimately, selling your books.

You can organise a book reading in your local library (promote yourself as a local writer), bookshop, theatre or even your church. Try and drum up as much publicity as you can by finding a topical issue and linking it to your work. Publicise it in the local paper, radio station, ypur blog/website and if your budget can stretch that far, get flyers/bookmarks printed out and distributed. On the day of the book reading itself, try and encourage people to attend by distributing flyers and bookmarks outside the location. If the thought of doing that makes you cringe, the thought of an anorexic royalty cheque will spur you on. 

A few things to remember on the day itself.

The most important thing for a book reading/signing is you. It can be a bit terrifying looking at people and wondering why they've come to hear you to speak but come they have and speak you must.

It's okay to be nervous but don't let the nerves hold you to ransom. Forget any romantic ideals you have about book readings. Your primary role there is to sell your books, or failing that, stimulate an interest in them. It's also a chance to connect with your readers so endeavour to answer their questions as graciously as you can. Even if they are silly and irrevelant and you've been asked the same questions at least a billion times before. 

Start off the book reading chatting about yourself; what you do and how you started writing. Don't spend too long on this as you don't want to be accused of pride and besides people will probably lose interest. Move on to the reasons why you decided to write the book you're promoting; the circumstances leading to it, why you think the world needs your book and what you hope to accomplish with it. You might also want to throw in a few anecdotes about your writing life; how you write and how you get inspiration for your characters. These are very tedious matters for writers but I've discovered that readers treasure this kind of information. Don't ask me why! From there, select extracts from your book (3 or 4 short readings will do). Try and pick the bits that will reveal the heart of your book without giving too much of the plot away.

Give people an opportunity to ask questions at the end. It takes a while for people to get going but after the first 2 questions, you'll definitely get more people asking you questions. If you're scared nobody will ask you questions, get a few friends to ask initial questions to get everyone in the mood. And don't forget to offer to sign books at the end.

And remember, you must always be gracious. No matter how tired, irritable or annoyed you are, it's not the fault of the people who've gathered to see you at the book reading. So just fix a smile on your face and ensure that it remains there for the duration of the reading. This is the writer's life.

A short time guide to a book reading:

• 5-8 minutes for the initial introduction: how you started writing, the inspiration behind the book and characters.
• 10 minutes for the actual book reading: this will be broken up into 3-4 short redings from your book.
• Question and answer: an interactive session between you and your audience
• Book signing: get the reader's name right and if you're unsure how to spell it, ask! You don't want to sign the wrong name in a book that's been paid for!