Filling Your Author Calendar with Events
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Writers today need to market their books, and sometimes, you need to be creative to find opportunities to meet readers and book lovers. Here are some ideas to fill your calendar.
Bookstores and libraries are the obvious partners. Make sure you know the booksellers and librarians in your area. In addition to book launches and signings, you may want to recommend a panel or a workshop to attract a larger audience.
Look for restaurants, wineries, and gift shops that have events or event spaces. Many times, you can propose a workshop or panel for their guests who love books.
Make a list of all the references in your books that could interest readers. (For example, my private eye, Delanie Fitzgerald lives in a Sears Catalog home. Glamping and tiny houses are prominent in my Jules Keene series.) Look for groups or stores that cater to people who like these things, too.
Make a list of all the big author events in your area, the contacts, and the deadlines. Put the ones you’re interested in on a calendar or sign up for their mailing list.
Look for book clubs that enjoy your genre. Also, check out senior and community centers that have book clubs. Many love to have guest authors.
If you like to teach or make presentations, make a list of your catalog of offerings, and make recommendations to groups (e.g. alumni groups, women’s clubs, service clubs, etc.) about a possible presentation.
Volunteer. I met so many people when I was the program coordinator for my local writers’ group.
