I’m more than happy to visit your school or library to talk about my book, writing in general, or young adult literature either in person or virtually. As an author (3 books and counting) and as a YA book reviewer for over ten years (I was the founder of YA Books Central, one of the leading adolescent literature sites on the web, and I ran it from 1998 to 2010), it’s harder to shut me up when talking about books than to get me started (or so my husband says)!

I now live in London, England, so visits in the United States are obviously a bit more difficult (and costly) to plan. We do visit the U.S. periodically, however, and I am open to traveling as well.

Free Virtual Visits

I am absolutely overjoyed to do  free Skype Video chats with you wherever you are located. I know how tight budgets are these days (when aren’t they anymore?) and I also realize that my move to England makes things very difficult for my United States readers to connect with me in person. Consequently, I am offering up absolutely FREE 30 minute Skype video chats for school, library, or reading groups. Please do keep in mind the time difference when booking me, however. I’m in Greenwich Mean Time, which is five hours ahead of New York (EST).

All you need is a computer with Internet access, a microphone, and a copy of the free Skype software available at http://www.skype.com. Your group will be able to hear and see me, just like they would in a physical visit.

I have a pretty cool job as a middle school librarian, but Kimberly Pauley promoted me to queen for a day! I scheduled a Skype chat with her for my middle school book club, and now the kids think I am the most awesome librarian in the world! Ms. Pauley is a natural with this age group (12-14)! She was so friendly and open, and the students felt really comfortable asking her questions. She gave really thoughtful and insightful answers. She is also really funny! Ms. Pauley’s books are already popular with a lot of my students, but we hooked a couple of reluctant readers who passed by and caught the tail end of the chat. When they asked me if I had any books by that author, I was so glad to answer “Yes I do!” and send them on their way with a book that might be the one that opens the door to reading for them. I can’t recommend her highly enough! I strongly encourage you to book a Skype chat or visit with Kimberly Pauley as soon as you can! —Leah Gregory, librarian

Traditional In-Person Visits

You 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

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, 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 (while supplies last)!
• 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.

Some important things to note

• My books are targeted towards students aged 12 and up and are most appreciated by an audience of late middle school or high school age students. While I have presented writing workshops to younger students (ages 8 and up), please keep in mind the intended audience of my books 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 my books.
• 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 one or more of my books 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 of Sucks to Be Me for some great ideas: inside pages, outside pages (PDF format).
• 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 (for the Sucks to Be Me books…please note that Random House requires 6 weeks of lead time) or Lee and Low/Tu Books. 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 (US Only).

Also, if I have availability AND there’s minimal traveling involved, we might be able to work something out. Just contact me!

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 email me!