Author Visits « Kimberly Pauley »

Author Visits

Kimberly Pauley Hidden Behind a Podium

I’m happy to visit your school or library to talk about my book, writing in general, and young adult literature. As a new author and as a YA book reviewer for the last 10 years (I’m the founder of YA Books Central, one of the leading adolescent literature sites on the web), it’s harder to shut me up when talking about books than to get me started (or so my husband says)!

I live in the Chicago area, though I would love to travel the country to meet you (heck, I’d travel outside the country too). I’m also more than happy to schedule events alongside family visits (we have family in the Tampa Bay area and Gainesville in Florida; the San Francisco Bay area in California; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Tennessee).

Schools may schedule up to four events per day, either large gatherings in an assembly or auditorium setting or smaller groups in a classroom or media center. Available programs include:

What’s it like to work in your pajamas all day? – (45 minutes) Presentation on what it’s like to be a writer, the process, and creating good writing habits. Suitable for large or small groups of all ages, this presentation works well alongside a Q&A session and book signing.
Bubble Your Way to a Good Story – (1 Hour) Interactive writing workshop on character and plot building, this presentation is most suitable for smaller groups (up to 40 attendees, though the smaller the group, the more hands-on it will be) of middle school age or older.
Putting a Stake Through the Heart of Writer’s Block – (1 Hour) Interactive writing workshop on writing exercises designed to help defeat the bane of all writer’s: Writer’s Block. Suitable for smaller groups (up to 40 attendees, though preferably smaller) of middle school age or older, including adult writing or critique groups.
Helping Reluctant Readers Find the Right Book – (1 Hour) Presentation on ways to encourage reluctant readers to read. Most suitable for teachers and librarians in small groups.

Please contact me for pricing and availability.

“Thank you so much for your assistance in making our second Writer’s Conference for Brooks Middle School a success. The students were immediately drawn in with your words and generous gifts of plastic fangs, stickers, and bookmarks, and the vibe of excitement just continued to grow…Your words and stories definitely left a tremendous and lasting impression on our writers. The students are still buzzing about meeting you and hearing you speak about becoming a writer.” –Karrie Hartman & Kristy Adkins, Language Arts Teachers, Brooks Middle School

Writing Workshop

While in your area, I would also love to plan a signing or brief talk at the local public library or university.

I’m also more than happy to have lunch with students, teachers, or librarians (or any combination of the three). I don’t consider book signings, meal get-togethers, and interviews (student or professional) “events.” So, please feel free to add these types of things to your schedule in addition to the official presentations. I just ask that you do allow me some time in the schedule for small (15 minute or so) breaks. I (and my bladder) will thank you.

“On spooky Friday the 13th (in March of 2009), Kimberly Pauley hosted a hyper-fun Vampire Writers Workshop at the Central Library in the San Antonio Public Library system. Teen participants created their very own character–Tucker Jared Hart, a cool cowboy with black hair, purple streaks, and a serious family history. (He has an absent alien mother and an alcoholic human father!) Following this rocking session was a vampire party, complete with red-frosting cupcakes, a red drinks taste test, and a frenetic book signing. Thanks to YALSA, Kimberly Pauley and Mirrorstone Books for making this party a reality!” -– Violeta, Teen Services Librarian, San Antonio, TX

What I provide:

An 18 x 24 inch signed, laminated poster of the book cover for you to keep – perfect for school media centers!
Bookmarks and/or other giveaways for the kids (Please be sure to tell me in advance approximately how many attendees there will be so I can bring enough for everyone).
Educational Fun (sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but its true!)!

What I need:

As much advance notice as you can provide. Please contact me to find out my availability.
For the character building workshop, a white board or chalk board is essential (though I can make do with one of those large pads of paper on a wall if need be)
For the writer’s block workshop, it is best if the attendees have tables to work on. A white board is preferred, but not absolutely necessary. Set up and space for a PowerPoint presentation is also good, but this workshop can be done without it as well.
For the Reluctant Readers workshop, set up and space for a PowerPoint presentation.

Group Shot with Little Max!

Some important things to note:

My book is targeted towards students aged 12 and up and is most appreciated by an audience of late middle school or high school age students. While I have presented writing workshops to students in grades as low as 4th and 5th, please keep in mind the book’s intended audience when scheduling me. Kids and teens who meet an author often like to have a memento (such as a signed book or bookmark) and I would hate to disappoint any younger readers who just aren’t old enough for Sucks to Be Me.
School and library visits work best when the attendees actually know who the visiting author is and have been prepared ahead of time. Teachers and/or librarians are encouraged to make Sucks to Be Me available to students ahead of time so that the students can get the most out of my presentations. Please feel free to use this free Teacher’s guide for some great ideas: inside pages, outside pages (PDF format) — I also have physical copies that I’d be happy to share with you, just ask me to send you a copy!
Pre-event sales of the book for students (or faculty) who wish to take home a signed copy can be arranged ahead of time in a number of ways: through a local bookstore (To locate an independent bookstore near you, go to BookSense), me (this does allow me to do some autographing ahead of time, which can save time on the day of the visit), or Random House distribution (please note that Random House requires 6 weeks of lead time). I can also provide you with a form to send home with students to make things easier for everyone concerned. I’ll also be bringing a small supply of books along with me for those who decide at the time that they’d like to purchase a signed copy. If you have any questions about pre-ordering or your options, I am more than happy to discuss them with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do authors charge for school visits?

The simplest reason is because writing (and related things, like giving presentations) is our job. While most of us would love to be able to visit schools all the time for free, each visit takes days to prepare for and present…days that we would normally be writing. I also, like many writers, have to cover my childcare costs and the cost of the promotional giveaways (bookmarks, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc. — the stuff that the kids love to get and take home ).

We don’t have the funding to pay for a school visit – any ideas you can help us out with?

I recommend contacting other schools in your area and splitting the fee with them. I’m happy to do presentation(s) at one in the morning and another in the afternoon. There’s also a very helpful list of grant programs at Cynthia Leitich-Smith’s website that was originally put together by Jennifer Ward.

Also, if you purchase the books through me or through Random House (again, please note that Random House needs 6 weeks notice), you can get them at a discount. If you then re-sell them at the list price to the students, you can help cover the cost of the event.

What can I do to make sure the visit is successful?

Glad you asked! There are a lot of things you can do. Authors Deborah Heiligman and Pamela Curtis Swallow put together an excellent article called How To Have Great Author Visits At Your School that covers just about everything. Dan Gutman also has a great resource page called The Perfect Author Visit. And the Michigan Center for the Arts has an excellent how-to guide for librarians (PDF format). And here’s a great list of ways to build enthusiasm for an author visit. And Random House has a helpful guide as well (Note: my publisher is Mirrorstone, though they distribute their books through Random House.).

I also highly recommend that schools contact their local libraries (or direct me to the appropriate contact) to coordinate events and advertising. Also, it’s a great idea to build enthusiasm by holding a contest or special drawing for a small amount of kids to “win lunch with an author” – and I’d, of course, love to get the chance to really get to know them over some pizza or even (gulp) cafeteria food.

We’ve got some specific things we’d like discussed to go along with a certain lesson plan. Is that possible?

While my presentations are pretty much set, I’m happy to hear your ideas and, if possible, accommodate them. For instance, if you wanted me to talk more about researching than revision or more about the creative aspect than the publishing process, I can generally work with your request. Please just let me know as much ahead of time as possible.

Thanks for your interest! If you have any additional questions or would like to schedule a visit, please contact me at any time.