Monday 14 April 2014

3 Guidelines to Giving a Great Author Presentation…

Recently, I had the privilege of speaking to a class of grade 7/8 students. Let me tell you I was blown away by how receptive those kids were! I came in with a prepared presentation, and surprisingly found the class wanting to know more and more about what it’s like to be a published author. So, I booked another session with the same class the following week with the teacher, and had the time of my life! The best part wasn’t the readings—though the students wanted to know what happens next when I finished the chapter—it was the question and answer period. And believe me, sometimes kids do ask the darnedest questions!

Whether you’re presenting to a small class like I did or to an auditorium full of people, here are three guidelines for your next presentation that are sure to grab the attention of your audience:

Make it Emotional. You must touch a person’s heart before you reach their head. The easiest and most effective way to make an emotional connection with people is to tell stories. What I did was tell the class about my experiences on the road to publication, and the process behind writing a book. I shared the tough, rejection-filled times, and the high-five signed a contract times. I even sprinkled a smattering of gossip that my agented teen psychic mystery series is presently sitting in the hands of three traditional publishing companies. They ate that up!

Make it Novel. The human brain doesn’t pay attention to boring things. Ideas that spread are unexpected, surprising, and delivered in a fresh or novel way. Kids get this. I came in with a hook. I didn’t talk about my book right off the bat. I asked them about their March Break holiday, and if any of the students went on a trip. Read: I connected with them, engaged them first. After that, we talked about their favorite video games, which rolled into favorite books, which then gathered enough momentum to start my author presentation. Don’t be boring. Be novel.

Make it Memorable. Make’em laugh. Make’em think. Make’em ask questions. Most of all, make’em remember you! The best ideas stand zero chance of being successful if they can’t be recalled. One great technique is the rule of three. It simply means that people can only recall about three pieces of information. Don’t overwhelm your listener. Give them three reasons to invest in you. I started out talking about my past life before engaging the class. They want to know about you the author, and how you ended up standing in front of them. Tease them with what’s in the works for the future, then bring it home with choosing the best possible chapter to read from your book that will leave them hanging, and wanting more.

BTW – This is what the teacher had to say:

“Sharon definitely was prepared and made her presentation interesting for the class. She made a great link between the thinking of video games to the thinking of an author ie) setting, character, plot. Kids totally got that. Saw a little nerves, (had to look at her sheet) but not a routine thing for her. Glad to have her! Sharon also had time to come a second time to answer questions. Thanks!”

~Monica Park, Grade 7/8 teacher for St. Mary’s School, Huntsville ON Canada


Hmm…don’t think the nerve thing will ever go away. LOL! Do you have any author presentation experiences you’d like to share? Love to hear’em!

39 comments:

  1. Really inspired by this post Sharon. You're a star!

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    1. Thanks so much, David! Takes one to know one! LOL!

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  2. Excellent Sharon - great tips. I'm not surprised you had a good response to your presentation as you never strike me as boring and always make me smile .

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    1. Cheers, Susan! Thanks so much for your kindness and support! Smile!

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  3. Excellent suggestions, Sharon!

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    1. Thank you, Lizzie! I do my best to share my experiences! Hugs!

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  4. Thanks for tips, Sharon. I'm giving a workshop in less than two weeks and am gobbling up all the pointers I can get. ;)

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    1. Hope you have a great time, Sara! Just be yourself and you'll soar!

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  5. You make it sound so easy. Congrats on the excellent response.:)

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    1. Easy it ain't, Sloane! But it was fun! LOL! Cheer for your support!

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  6. Public speaking is a skill and like any other it takes practice. :-) No, the nerves won't ever go away entirely, but it will get better! It's always fun and interesting to get to connect with readers. Great job!

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    1. Thanks, Alan! You're probably an old hat at author presentations! Hugs for your support!

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  7. Right on target. Loved the connecting with students part, but all of the advice was great.

    Thanks

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    1. Thank you, Mary, I really appreciate your kind words and support! Cheers!

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  8. Nicely said, Sharon. Thanks for sharing these tips.

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    1. You're more than welcome, Kim! Cheers for surfing by!

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  9. I love this! Thanks for the great tips. I actually gave a fiction writing mini-workshop to a class of grade school kids once and by the end of the day I was totally wrung out! It's fun but exhausting.

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    1. Yes, presentations can drain you and if you don't watch out your audience can take over too! Thanks for your support, Sam!

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  10. I LOVE classroom presentations! More than I can tell you. Thanks for your unique approach to them. Great advice.

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    1. LOL, never thought it was unique, Kai! More like 'a walk in my shoes'! Cheers and thanks! Would love to see how you do a presentation!

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  11. That's fantastic advice. Definitely stuff I need to work on. :) You are so awesome!! Go you!! :D

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    1. Liz - I think you'd could teach me a thing or two! Cheers and thanks!

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  12. Great blog, Sharon. Found it from the LinkedIn discussions and it's one of the best I've looked at - thanks for sharing.

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    1. Wow, found it on LinkedIn? Awesome! Glad I could be of help, and thank you for your kind comment, katsmountfort!

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  13. Every time we attempt something that stings our nerves, we grow a little. Great job, and great tips!

    Angela

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    1. Oh yeah, I grew a lot, Angela! Thanks for your vote of confidence and your supportive comment! Cheers!

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  14. This is awesome. Seriously inspired. Were you nervous at all? If so, how'd you get through the jitters? (Visiting from Writer's Tools) :-)

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    1. I think I just practice enough that I grew confidant. The kids did the rest. They were so warm and receptive. Still had a little jitters, but once the ice was broken, it became easier. Thanks for your inspiration, randomramsey! Cheers!

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  15. Sharon – I made a presentation to two third grade classes on my book Lucas Lightfoot and the Fire Crystal and they were absolutely delightful. They are bright, insightful, inquisitive and eager to have an author visit their class. The teachers had read the book to the students in class and the ultimate reward came when I heard that the kids were playing “Lucas Lightfoot” on the playground.
    Hugo Haselhuhn

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    1. Kudos on your author visit, Hugo! Yes, kids really react to authors and are full of questions. I'm so happy for you, and wish you many more wonderful experiences sharing your wares! Cheers!

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  16. Nice picture, Sharon. Like the new do. Congrats on the "gossip"!

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    1. I think I should be sharing royalties with my hairdresser! LOL! Big hugs to you both, Helen and Lorri! Cheers!

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  17. Congratulations! Sounds like it went very well. That age group can be a tough crowd. I love doing author presentations. The grades I speak to are usually 3 - 5. I bring a camel puppet, which they just love, and other props. I start by asking who has ever ridden a camel? It always surprises me that a number of kids have. Your tips are dead on. I would add, be prepared for odd questions like, "How old are you?"

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  18. 21 Darlene. Just say 21! It's my stand-by and I'm sticking to it! LOL! Thanks for your kinds words of support! Glad my tips resonate! Cheers!

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  19. Great post, Sharon! Sorry I'm late to comment. I've had this bookmarked for ages.

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    1. Better late than never, Rhea! LOL! Glad you liked it, and thanks for surfing by!

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  20. Sharon, I love this, "..You must touch a person’s heart before you reach their head. From one author to another, this article was spot on! Love & Light, Rochelle Soetan

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    1. Thank you for your generosity of spirit, Rochelle. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my post. Love and light back atcha!

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  21. Great post, Sharon. Those kids really do come up with interesting questions. Sounds like you were well prepared. One visit I had started with me reading a chapter and ended up with kids asking tons of questions and stories about snakes. EEK! Teacher to the rescue! I like your idea of engaging the kids first with video games.

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