Have Author Will Travel
What's the truth behind author tours? Meeting eager fans? Living the high life? Seeing all of America? Is it all glamour? Nope, not even for the most successful sellers. She hints at it in her tour log, but Vicky's been through it and returning in October, so it must not be that bad! After some research, but no first hand experience (the author of this article is always looking for nice trips trailing best selling authors for all publishers interested) The Dawn Patrol attempts to bring you an inside look on the traveling author.
First, only best selling authors do tours, and just a few of those. If your publisher asks you to a do a tour you can consider yourself pretty lucky (depending on your point of view). Authors usually have no say in where they're going either. Sales reps gather information from book-sellers on whether the author will be popular at a store or not. Because in the world of author tours, wasting time is just not done (time is money!). Although it doesn't apply to Warriors, sometimes authors are sent to regions that are specifically tie-in with the books. Regions are also chosen by travel convenience, and in the words of an author, "And some decisions, frankly, seem to be made by consulting a Ouija board." Author tours are also an important source of extra-revenue for book sellers, especially independent ones.
So, what's the best part of traveling for you? Chances are you don't do a lot of travel for business yet, and who doesn't love the excitement of planes and sleeping in on vacations right? And who are these people who are always complaining about plane food and accommodations, I think they're kind of fun. Well, you can probably count touring authors in. Thing is, the excitement of the plane rides is over pretty fast, and is old news. After that, you get to enjoy terrible food and often sleepless travels, chances are your publisher can't afford first class (and if they could, they wouldn't give YOU it, sheez, don't be so demanding!).
The boredom on a plan ride probably looks pretty relaxing when you hit the ground -- because you hit the ground running! (literally). Whoever thought authors just got a tired hand from signing books was wrong. Chances are (unless your SUPERAUTHOR!) that you're exhausted after the day. Now you say, "Authors are so lazy. All they do is sit at their keyboards all day, no wonder a busy day of meeting eager fans tires them out!" (and if you know warriors fans, you pity the author). But unfortunately for the authors, signing books is the last of their worries.
Book tours are BUSY! A good publicist will schedule every minute full of: book signings, readings, meetings with sales reps and bookbuyers, "drop-in" signings, speak at events and libraries, and do as many media interviews as possible. Oh yes, and the day the starts at three o'clock (that is AM people) and ends around... Oh, eleven maybe? Unless you're publicist is evil, then they might have you up a bit longer. Better make sure of the routes to the local starbucks before leaving.
You probably know what book signings are: They're the publicized meet-and-greet sessions with authors. Where (well warriors fans at least) get to scream at you until their voices are gone, at which point they'll probably stick around to hear you read a part of the book you wrote. You'll only have time to do that if you haven't got a meeting or interview to zip off to. A notch down from book signings and "drop-in" signings. These are not publicized, but the author drops in to pre-sign the stock and then leaves.
It's very important to have a charismatic and expressive author to take the tour. It's less about exciting the fans then it is book buyers; who buy the stock for the stores that make you money. If an author can excite and engage the buyer, he or she is more likely to pick up interest in the topic. Because book tours have nothing to do with pleasing the fans -- they're all about selling, selling, and more selling (because authors need to eat food, and so do publishers), its very important to publicize the book as much as possible. Which brings us to media interviews as well. Those are pretty self-explanatory, but are key for promoting books.
Author tours are just as much work for authors as they are for publicists (the people who organize them). Sometimes an author will be followed by the publicist (I'm not a stalker! I'm a publicist!) or freelancers are hired in the cities authors visit. They make sure that the author goes according to the schedule and gets everything done.
Now you know -- and maybe if you stay in school and don't do drugs, you too can have the amazing experience of an author tour! Just kidding, they aren't all that terrible (and publishers aren't quite as cheap as I make it sound!) they're busy, but make money. And adoration from fans (as well as free food!) is never a bad thing. However, you now know that author tours aren't just an ego-stroker either!
the dawn patrol