Looking for an author to visit your school, church, or homeschool group? I love to interact with children and share my books in person. My experience as a teacher and principal help me know exactly how to conduct a successful author visit. When I worked for a publisher who did book fairs, I also got to organize school author visits. My favorite times were when I would travel with Bill Myers and Angela Hunt. I learned a lot from watching them do amazing author events. I can do an inspirational talk during Chapel, a story reading, a simple clay pottery craft, a workshop on how to write a story, or a combination.
Download a FREE Author Visit Event Packet
Author visits for all ages
My books and stories are inspiring for children and adults. Therefore, I have done author visits to schools and other events for students from preschool through college. I adjust the talk to meet the needs of the audience. Parents enjoy hearing my message just as much as children. If you have a particular school event coming up, why not add an author visit?
When children meet the author or illustrator of a book, they gain a deeper love for reading. They become inspired to write and illustrate their own stories.
All ages love The Little Pot
If your organization is Christian, I’ll share how my author’s journey is a testament to God working in my life. Each of my books has a spiritual meaning that illustrates essential aspects of the Christian walk. They also build on each other. Consequently, I have presented at a three-day camp retreat for high school students and been a guest speaker at women’s conferences. Of course, short events at schools, churches, and homeschool events can be scheduled too. If your organization needs to keep the event less spiritual, I’ll adjust the talk accordingly. I have spoken at public schools as well as private schools.
Author Visit Fee
Honorariums for an author’s visit to schools can sometimes be an outrageous amount of money, not to mention the costs for travel (airfare, taxi, parking), lodging (if needed), and related expenses (meals, other necessities). Because I was a private school administrator, I understand how tight budgets are. Therefore, I am willing to do events at any amount your organization can afford. Contact me to discuss additional ways to work together for your event. We can set an amount based on how many books your students order. If I only do one short presentation at a church or civic event, a “love offering” is usually sufficient.
I want to make it affordable for you.
It’s all about book sales. Books should be purchased by your students well in advance of the event. That way, it is time to ship books to your school if I cannot bring them. I love to sign each book with the child. After the presentation, students can form a line with their book and bring it to me to sign and take a quick picture. I can set it up so your families can purchase books from the website store. Likewise, I have designed order forms for students to take home and fill out.
If you use the order forms, you will collect the monies and send one bulk order to me. If you wish to make the book sales as a fundraiser, you can set the price of the books a little higher and keep the extra money. The picture books cost $17.95 each. For larger schools further away from North Carolina, the printing and shipping may require fifteen to twenty days. Consequently, it is important to allow extra time in your schedule.
Author Event Schedule
The following schedule will help make an author’s visit to schools or anywhere successful. I will send you this information with your dates if you sign up.
___________ Schedule the event with Dawn: 6-12 weeks before the event, submit your event information to Dawn and make sure she is available to be there.
___________ Planning Session: Just before the launch date, meet with teachers, volunteers, and organizers to discuss the campaign. Set a goal to sell as many books as possible before the event. Hang signs and begin promoting the event in the community.
___________ Campaign Launch Date: 4-10 weeks (depending on your location) officially begin. Get your students and volunteers excited about the event. Begin taking orders for the books and send home the parent letter. Also, email the link and include the information in the school newsletter. Hang up posters around the school.
Your dates and time frame will depend on location and book inventory.
___________ Campaign Close Date: 1 day to 5 weeks (depending on your location), the campaign officially closes. If students order from the school, collect them and make copies for your records. Complete the Group Order Form and make sure monies are carefully reconciled. Email Dawn at dawn@dawnstephensbooks.com with the total number of books sold and arrange payment. Payment will be due before shipment and should be submitted immediately to ensure timely book delivery. Any book orders received after this date will include shipping charges and are not guaranteed to be at the event.
If families order directly through the website, the free shipping coupon will expire, and the books will not be guaranteed to be at the event.
___________ Delivery Date: You should receive the books within two days of the event unless Dawn can drive to your school and bring them with her.
___________ Celebrity Author/Illustrator Appearance Date. Have a designated place for Dawn to sit and rest between presentations. Provide some water bottles. It is not necessary to have them cold, room temperature water is preferred. Have a table set with pens for the book signing area. Distribute books to students before the book signing event. If the schedule is tight, books can be signed in advance.
Ways to promote your author visit.
Posters and advertising graphics will be provided for you to print and display in the Event Planner Kit.
The more you promote the event, the better an author’s visit can be. Therefore, it is a good idea to contact any media outlets. This also promotes your author’s visit to schools or churches and lets your community know that great things are happening on your campus. You may even want to contact your local radio, TV, and Newspapers.
I will create a Facebook Event at Facebook.com/DawnStephensBooks. In addition, I’ll add your school or church page as a co-host. Then you can invite families and guests to attend through social media. This allows your families to see what is happening.
Here is a list of other ways you can promote the author’s visit to schools or other venues:
- List the event in your organization’s newsletter. Include a flyer in weekly parent folders.
- Create a countdown of days until the event to build excitement.
- Mention it often in your morning announcements
- Share the event on social media posts.
- Share the event on your website.
- List the event on your organization’s calendar of events
- Post the event on exterior signage
Dawn Stephens