Wednesday 5 September 2012

The Artist Unleashed: HOW TO GET INVITED TO SPEAK AT SCHOOLS, by Karen Bass

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17 comments:

  1. What a great concept using schools. And you're good if you got a school to pay.

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    1. If a school brings in a drama or musical group, you can bet they are paying (possibly with a grant, or corporate sponsorship), so authors should be paid, too. (I firmly believe.) That said, I do try to give them a "sale price" so they feel like it's a deal. It helps, I think, to belong to a professional group that promotes school visits, even if you aren't going through that group to organize things. My publisher is also firm that I should be paid for these visits and that's nice backing to have.

      I can't speak for indie-published writers and how schools respond to paying them. If any are reading this, maybe they can respond.

      Cheer,
      Karen Bass

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  2. I've never done a school visit. As a former teacher, I'd love to!

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    1. As a former teacher, schools would love you, Talli. You have the chops to deal with students and know how to engage them. I hope you give it a try.
      -Karen Bass

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  3. I'm not sure they'd let me anywhere near a school. Probably not good for a kidlit writer.

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    1. Or you might be just the kind of fun, goofy, inspiring writer who would spark students' imaginations and make them want to read! You never know until you try, Matthew. :-)
      -Karen Bass

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  4. Never visited a school either. Think it would scare me to death.

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    1. Hi Alex. I answered your reply in a longer comment below. I hope you give it a go. Getting students excited about reading is very rewarding.
      -Karen Bass

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  5. Excellent tips for school visits. I've done a few, but it is difficult if you're not a big name. And some school systems are just so close-minded to the idea.

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    1. It can be a tough sell, Diane, and some schools will never be open. (Just ask me. Some very close by schools have never wanted me to present; I have a lot more success with schools farther away.)

      It sometimes helps to give the schools options: offer to talk about your books and the writing process, offer to give mini workshops on things like plot (English teachers love this), offer to talk about the era of history in which your story is set if that applies.

      Good luck!
      Karen Bass

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  6. That is great advice. My old crit partner went to many school visits. She really prepared and loved it!

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    1. Being prepared is the key, Carolyn. I'd say that applies when giving talks or readings to any age group. Being flexible is good, too. And another biggie: have fun! Because kids are very perceptive and are more likely to relax and enjoy your efforts if they see you are having fun.
      -Karen Bass

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  7. Thanks for your responses, everyone. School visits are a blast and worth the effort. No need to be scared, Alex. I'm often nervous beforehand, but once you're in front of the students, talking about things you love, fear gives way to excitement - and I say this as someone who usually talks to the challenging 13 to 15-year-old crowd. They like the break from regular school work, and I've found are willing to engage, to answer questions, to laugh at you (ahem).

    I like giving students more to look at than just me, so give presentations that involve Powerpoint (pictures of places in my novels, some historical pictures) and props. Students of all ages love props.

    -Karen Bass, www.karenbass.ca

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  8. I have a friend who's a teacher who keeps asking me to come talk to her class about writing, and i keep pushing it off, because even though i'm pubbed, i stil don't feel quite legit enough to pull that off yet. Probably i'm just scared

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    1. Sarah, almost all writers (certainly me) struggle with feeling legit at different times. I do hope you take up your friend's offer. The key to getting past our fear and through that first (or any) presentation is preparation. (It usually works best to keep the actual reading portion of the talk short.)

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  9. I've done a few school presentations, but these were for my kids' classes.

    Thanks for the great advice Karen. This is something I haven't had to worry about--yet.

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  10. Really great advice here...thanks so much!

    Angela

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“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin

“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney

“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch

“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland

“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris