(Before the post...Today
is my father’s birthday. Dan Unger was a remarkable man and always a champion of his
children. He was a lover of traveling and inspired us all to seek new horizons
and expand our worlds. I miss him so. Cheers on your birthday, Dad!)
Goosebumps about going out on book events in your neighbourhood? What about traveling across the globe? While planning
any book tour can be daunting, the idea of planning to travel abroad to support your
books might seem over the top. And it is. Especially if you are doing it all
yourself. But, believe me, it is something you can do and it can be a wonderful adventure!
Here are some helpful ideas I can share. Hopefully, this will inspire you to travel, see the world, and get to talk about your books in strange and wonderful lands.
1. DON’T GO ABROAD IN THE SUMMER
Traveling abroad for MG book events is best done during the school year. I have had the reverse problem. Having lived in Egypt for eleven year, I never
was able to visit classes in the US during the school year. This was a bummer because book events in the summer might be nice (bookshops and libraries and book fairs) but school visits are really important. SKYPE
visits are fine, but do not offer the same thing as being up close and in person. Summers are when kids are away. Bookshops
and libraries have events, but they are not as successful as events planned
during the school year.
2. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
There
are international schools all over the world. My kids went to Cairo American College (CAC), which is a
fabulous school with a visiting author budget. And Egypt is a great place to
visit! I was invited to speak at several other international schools in Cairo and had a blast! Egypt not on your list? How about Jarkarta? Bangladesh? New Delhi? All have great international schools! And even places like Borneo have schools that welcome visiting authors! One of my favorite a wonderful trips was a visit to BRG XIV in Vienna! Look at a globe or read some travel magazines and consider a few places you'd like to visit. Then look at the schools.
3. RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
AND VISITING AUTHOR POLICIES
Most of
the larger international schools have significant budgets for visiting authors
and book events. Once you have decided on a few places that would be fun to
visit, look at the international schools. Many will have information about
visiting authors on their websites. If you cannot find this information, look
up librarians and events directors. These are usually the people who will
invite authors and have the budgets. Sometimes you will find that there are
more than one international school not far from one another. Sometimes, these
schools will pool resources. You may find
that you can get more than one visit out of the journey. Be sure to ask about travel expenses, accommodations, and per diem. Some places offer to house authors with host families. Some offer hotel rooms. Be sure everything is set to get you to the school. Also, ask to see the schedule! I once agreed to do a visit that included NO BREAKS, from 8am-4pm! Make sure you get lunch and offer to eat with the book club or enthusiastic readers.
4. MAKE TIME TO LOOK INTO LOCAL
CULTURE
Once you
have secured your visit, be sure to investigate local sites and places to visit
while you are there. As noted above, visiting author packages should include airfare and accommodations,
as well as per diem, but every school is different. You can ask to have a free
day after or during the visit. Often, a tour of the city is included by schools who know
how to be good hosts! It is absolutely OK to ask about getting a tour or having
students show you around.
5. KEEP CONTACT INFO AND STAY IN TOUCH!
This is
a great way to get invitations to other schools! A great visit gets noted and
shared among librarians and teachers. Often, over the years, staff and administrators will stay
in the international circuit, from school to school, country to country. Kids,
too! Be sure to give your contact information to the kids at the schools you visit. You may find
book reports from strange countries by kids who have moved! Building contacts
is a very good thing!
No comments:
Post a Comment