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Are Book Tours Worthwhile?
By Katrina Weidknecht
Are book tours worthwhile? I have to say, I like to think so, since I gave up a career in the glamorous and lucrative field of professional bowling to plan tours for a living. After more than ten years planning, executing, and analyzing them, I can say with confidence, a SUCCESSFUL author tour is worthwhile. Penguin tours authors and illustrators successfully.
This is not to say that every author or illustrator should tour. There needs to be a certain amount of interest in a book or a person before sending them out. Deciding which plans should include book tours is sometimes a tricky process, sometimes a no-brainer.
Does every book tour land a book on the bestseller list? No, but some do. Does every book tour win us a spot on the Today Show? No, but some do. Is every appearance packed with five-hundred kids, parents, and teachers? No, but some are. Do we sell enough books on tour to cover the cost of a tour? Probably never. Even when you have five-hundred people buying books at a signing it is tough to make back the cost of airfare, hotel, promo materials, meals, hand-sanitizer, and martinis. That's not the way we look at it. We have specific goals to accomplish that are longer lasting than that day's sales for Penguin.
A Successful Book Tour:
- Generates goodwill between an author or illustrator and a bookstore
- Generates goodwill between a bookstore and its community
- Lets fans meet their favorite authors and illustrators
- Lets authors and illustrators meet their fans
- Garners local and sometimes national media coverage
- Leaves behind warm feelings, signed stock, and stories to tell about this great, talented, quirky, creative person you got to meet
There are some people to thank for the success we enjoy:
I'd like to thank our authors and illustrators: The most important thing about a tour is the personality of the author or illustrator. Five of the six goals mentioned above will be achieved if the author/illustrator is energetic, entertaining, friendly, pleasant, a little easy going, and interested in promoting his or her book. Busy tours can be grueling, and we always appreciate that these people give us the time and energy it takes to go out on one.
I'd like to thank the booksellers, teachers, and librarians: Another important key to success is the bookstore's relationship with the community. Getting the word out to their customers as well as local schools and libraries is vital. The option of bringing in school classes, or bringing an author or illustrator to a school or library is unique to children's books and sometimes the best way to introduce an upcoming name or to guarantee a nice crowd during a weekday. We value and acknowledge the support that educators give to our authors and illustrators. Many of the stars we work with draw a great deal of strength and energy from the enthusiasm of booksellers, teachers, and librarians who work so hard to get kids into reading. Many books are made by the word of mouth of booksellers, librarians, and teachers.
I'd like to thank my staff: When things run smoothly, everyone is happy. The author arrives a little early to the bookstore, everyone is relaxed, the hotel has the reservation when the illustrator checks in, the newspaper has run the correct time and date of the event, etc. Authors and illustrators put their lives into the hands of publicists for weeks on end. My team is thorough, professional, and just neurotic enough that the authors, illustrators, and bookstores trust them to execute what we've promised, virtually flawlessly. I'll admit we're still working on those pesky Acts of God, but progress is being made.
I'd like to thank our sales reps: Penguin is blessed with a designated children's sales force. These people know their territories like their hometowns. They know their accounts like their families. The advice and knowledge we receive from them has given us the confidence to take risks with uncharted areas of the country and newfound stores that may have been considered off the beaten path. We couldn't do it without them.
The best evidence I can give to the success of author and illustrator tours is this: Some of our biggest authors and illustrators still agree to go out on tour every year. Some even look forward to it. Booksellers clamor to get them to their stores. We get thank-you notes from booksellers after a successful signing. We get adorable letters from kids who will never forget meeting their favorite author. Parents arrive at book signings with photos of themselves with the illustrator from twenty years ago. They bring their kids who clearly have already been infused with a love of reading.
Book tours are worthwhile because they help accomplish the goal for which we are all reaching. It's what got us all into this business. It's what keeps me off the professional bowling circuit. We love books and reading and think it is important to get great books into the hands of as many kids as possible. •
Katrina Weidknecht is Director of Publicity for Penguin Young Readers Group.
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About the author:
Katrina Weidknecht is Director of Publicity for Penguin Young Readers Group.
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