Posts Tagged ‘fierce reads’
Photo Essay of a Fierce Reads Tour
From October 16-21, 2012, Genn Albin, Leigh Bardugo, Marie Rutkoski and I spoke each day at a library or bookstore in a different city. We visited Gurnee, IL; Bethesda, MD; Columbus, OH; Oxford, MS; Haverford, PA; and New York City, NY.
Our panels began with each of us briefly introducing our books, and then we answered questions. First stop: the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee, IL.
We spent a lot of time traveling. Media escorts would meet our planes and drive us to our hotels and events. En route, we stopped at additional bookstores to sign stock and snack it up.
A blogger or two would interview us at each stop. Some simply chatted with us. Others, like Lily and Stephanie in Bethesda, came prepared with thought-provoking questions about government, individual responsibility, and world building. Their interviews are appearing online, and links can be found via Twitter with #FierceReads.
It was lovely to meet so many readers who were passionate about books. They brought their families and stayed to talk. Cover to Cover Books, Columbus.
One of Leigh’s Pennsylvania fans came in a home-made kefta to show her delight in Shadow and Bone.
We rarely had time to be tourists, but we couldn’t resist a detour to Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home. It was steeped in Southern atmosphere.
A couple of readers like Emily, who is also a writer, skipped their Homecoming Dance to come to our panel in Oxford, MS.
After our panels and visiting, we signed stock. The mountain of stock at Off Square Books in Oxford, MS, was the biggest I’ve ever seen. Jill Moore and her crew plied us with brownies, wine, coffee, iced tea, pizza, chips, spinach dip, sweet potato pie, and promises of future fishing trips.
We finished up at Books of Wonder in NYC, buddies. The tour vastly exceeded my expectations and I’m so happy I had the chance to go. From left: Genn Albin, Marie Rutkoski, Leigh Bardugo and me, Caragh O’Brien.
Book Tour Ahead
When I told one of my friends Macmillan was sending me out on a book tour this fall, he said, “Of course. Isn’t that what publishers do for all their writers?”
As readers, we know from activity at our local bookstores that writers are regularly coming through, giving readings and signing books. Because these events are so visible, it seems like publishers are always sending out writers on tour.
But actually, from a writer’s perspective, it’s rare to be sent on a real, publisher-run book tour, and I was surprised to be chosen. It turns out that Gaia’s story has gained followers. Those nice readers have made their numbers felt, and that’s why MacKids picked me for a book tour. For that, I’m thankful.
Usually, if writers visit bookstores or libraries, we do so because we’re friends with the booksellers, or the librarians have invited us to come. We personally arrange the events with our contacts, and if the venues are out of town, we coordinate the dates around travel when we’re visiting family. For me, bookstore and library visits are a low-key, grassroots way to connect with readers, and a chance to get excited about reading and writing with like-minded friends. If cupcakes are involved, all the better.
Check out the smoky flying purple star. Irresistible!
On the other hand, the tour MacKids is sending me on this October works on a different scale. First of all, the tour has a name, The Fierce Reads Tour, and I’m in the second wave of appearances along with three other writers, Genn Albin, Marie Rutkoski, and Leigh Bardugo. Aside from shipping the four of us around to six cities, MacKids is also investing in advertising and various tie-ins, like the free chapter sampler which is now up on Kindle, Nook and elsewhere. A bunch of us will be doing an open Twitter chat (#FierceReads) next Wednesday, 9/5 at 7 EST, and a MacKids publicist is running a Facebook page for us. Lest we take ourselves too seriously, a rather hysterical book trailer has a smoky flying purple star that swirls around our book covers. I can’t help thinking of Tinkerbell on a bad day, and it makes me giggle every time. With all this coordinated activity, I already feel like I’m part of a team.
You may be wondering why publishers don’t send every writer on tour, or what they expect to get out of a group tour like mine. Plane tickets, hotel stays, and ads are expensive, and arranging them takes man-hours. That’s why publishers can’t send everybody. I told my publicist, Allison Verost, I couldn’t see how the tour would sell enough books to cover its costs, and she said it doesn’t work that way. MacKids is taking a risk, and they don’t expect a short-term payoff. Instead, we, MacKids and the individual writers, are expanding goodwill and sharing good times with readers, booksellers and librarians. We hope people will read the books, enjoy them, and spread the word. That’s a philosophy I can embrace.
What does this mean for me in practical terms? At some point, I’ll have to pack a suitcase. So far, I’m still just writing on my couch most of the time, exploring new ideas. I’m swapping emails with the other tour writers, who are lovely and funny behind the scenes. In my usual way, I’m arranging my own visits to my favorite bookstores around the time when Promised comes out, because there’s nothing like being happy in familiar places. For all of it, I’m getting a wee bit excited.
Okay, actually I’m pretty psyched. Promised comes out in less than a month!
The Fierce Reads Tour:
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Lake Forest Book Store – Lake Forest, IL
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Bethesda Public Library – Bethesda, MD
Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Cover to Cover Book Store – Columbus, OH
Friday, October 19, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Square Books Book Store – Oxford, MS
Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 1:00
Ridley Township Library/Children’s Book World - Haverford, PA
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New York City (Location and Time TBA)
Additional bookish events are listed under Upcoming Events in the side column.
Tour Stops: Oblong Books and Books of Wonder
Jenn Bosworth, Emmy Laybourne, Caragh O'Brien, Jennifer Laughran, Suzanna Hermans, Anna Banks, and Leigh Bardugo at Oblong Books, June 17, 2012
I joined the end of the Fierce Reads Tour with Leigh Bardugo, Anna Banks, Jenn Bosworth and Emmy Laybourne last week. Many thanks to Jennifer Laughran and Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, NY for having us by. Your readers were absolutely wonderful with their questions and it was great to see so many writers in the gathering.
The next night, we stopped at the iconic Books of Wonder in New York City. Thanks Peter Glassman, Sam Walters, and Kaila Waybright for your warm welcome. I couldn’t believe when I looked down at my watch and saw we’d been talking and visiting for two and a half hours. The time flew.
In case you missed it, here’s the gig on video.
Fierce Reads Tour, Books of Wonder, June 18, 2012
