Event Production

There are many critical steps in producing a successful library event, starting with the two most important: understanding your library’s policies and having clear goals for what you want to accomplish. Once those are covered, determining the type of event, which books and authors would be the best fit, and how to meet the demand for specific books a successful event can create becomes a lot easier.

Library Policies

Before planning any programming or events, be sure to fully understand your library’s policies and procedures first. Read board-approved policies, established programming procedures, and understand relationships with any Friends of the Library groups, volunteer groups, library foundations, and other support organizations. Some best practices referenced throughout the directory may not apply to your specific situation, depending on the population your library serves, its location, and its funding structure.

Event Goals

Library events can be exciting for patrons and authors alike, but depending on the goals you’ve set for such events, it may not be deemed a success by everyone involved, particularly publishers. Be sure to spend some time identifying the goal of each event before you begin planning and ensure they can be effectively measured and communicated to various stakeholders. This will inform the design and production of your event. 

  • Book launch / Author visit

  • National or local initiatives

  • Topical awareness

  • Promoting local authors

  • Fundraisers

Topic & Author Selection

Identifying topics

Library events can tap into local interests, or leverage national interests to develop a local angle. This information can be gathered in a variety of ways, including circulation trends and feedback from attendees of events you’ve already produced, as well as bestsellers lists and current events.

Examples

  • Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) tracks customer reading interests by circulation and can be broken down by branch or zip code. 

  • Henrico County Public Library (HCPL) distributes feedback cards at each annual All Henrico Reads event to ask what topics are of interest. We use this feedback along with current events in our community to gauge public interests. Our selection panel includes library staff, Friends of the Library, and public schools staff, all of whom bring different perspectives on community interests and needs. We also like to make sure each year is different from the year before.

  • Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL) distributes patron feedback forms at author events and standard book discussions drive the selection of the theme/topic of interest. The author event committee uses this information to create a short list for consideration and either brings the candidates to the public to vote from or selects internally. Our monthly author events are themed around local history authors from the Chicagoland area; subject specialists recruit 12 authors per year to present.

  • Twinsburg Public Library (TPL) participates in early buzz events directly from publishers, and we have an Edelweiss subscription to view upcoming titles and ARCs. We participate in EarlyWord GalleyChat and monitor buzz before purchasing titles. In both of our vendors, we can see what the pre-order numbers are for the warehouses. We also track customer interests by circulation and holds demand. Check your ILS for its reporting software; we have BlueCloud Analytics and can run lists of the most popular items during a given time. We also check our digital analytics through OverDrive and hoopla, and we have a CollectionHQ subscription for additional insights.

Identifying and booking authors

Finding the right authors for your events involves a number of important factors beyond their popularity and/or relevance to particular audience interests or current events. An author’s preferred approach to being booked for events can often be found on their own website (or their publisher’s), but sometimes you’ll have to dig deeper to determine whether or not they’re a good fit for your situation before making a connection.

Some authors only book events through their publisher, publicist, or speaker bureau, while others prefer to work directly with libraries. Some authors are sent on regional or national tours by their publishers to support a new release, while most rely on local events when an opportunity arises. Some publishers require a relationship with a New York Times-reporting bookseller for sourcing books to sell at events, while others will rely on authors selling their own books or coordinating with a local bookstore themselves.

Examples

  • Henrico County Public Library (HCPL) typically decides on a theme for the year and identifies authors who have recent work fitting into that theme. We prioritize authors of color and women authors when identifying possible authors. In the past, we worked with a concierge service who would recommend authors in our price range who could speak on a certain theme. We watch videos of author talks, explore speakers bureaus, and research literary agencies.

WORKING WITH PUBLISHERS

Every publisher has a slightly different structure and expectations for how event proposals should be submitted. Some use Edelweiss exclusively whereas others prefer an email sent to the appropriate contact, usually specified on their website. Preferences may also vary by imprint and/or authors. In every scenario, you should be prepared to make a case for your library, including estimating expected attendance, potential book sales, and the overall marketing plan in your proposal.

Publisher-sponsored Tours

  • Edelweiss Event Grids show upcoming tours and potential virtual program availability for authors. Edelweiss is open to the public but the event grids are not; individual publishers grant access to individual users based on their email address. To request access, ask your sales rep or email the publisher directly.

  • Proposals must be submitted directly to publisher

  • Usually no speaking fee if your library is included as a stop on the official tour

    • Additional events can sometimes be added to an already planned tour at no additional cost; depends on the author’s schedule and interest

  • Official tour events sometimes require paid admission and/or attendees purchasing a book—directly or indirectly via paid admission

Examples

  • Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) primarily works directly with the publishers. We have strong relationships with many publishers and will host authors with strong track records, as well as debut authors with strong buzz. We aim to strike a balance between established and new authors, representing a diverse spectrum of genres and reading tastes.

WORKING WITH SPEAKER BUREAUS

Speaker bureaus are frequently an intermediary for bestselling authors and celebrities, and are typically cost-prohibitive for most libraries’ event budgets. Some authors can be flexible with library events, especially local ones, and may opt for direct engagement and a lower or waived speaking fee. Speaker bureaus can be found online, and authors who work with one usually indicate that on their own websites. 

You can also check writing groups for speakers’ bureaus. Sisters in Crime, the national group of mystery readers and writers, has a speaker bureau, and local chapters can often provide speakers as well. Besides SinC, you can also check Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In the age of Zoom, you may be able to organize virtual events with non-local authors as well. 

Examples

  • Twinsburg Public Library (TPL) has engaged with a speaker bureau on a few occasions, but the fee has been beyond our budget. However, we have been able to negotiate at times. Do not be afraid to offer an honorarium that is within your range; if the author is unable to accommodate, they will simply not accept.

WORKING WITH BOOKSELLERS

For many publishers, events are important drivers of book sales and working with a local bookseller to facilitate book sales can sometimes be a requirement, especially in the first few weeks after a book is published. With popular authors and major books, the bookseller might also have to be a New York Times-reporting bookseller, so establishing a relationship with your local bookseller in advance can help support a smoother booking process.

Not having a local bookseller partnership won’t generally prevent you from booking any authors as long as you’re able to facilitate book sales happening some other way, but it will likely be an obstacle for some major publishers and in-demand authors.

Examples

  • Henrico County Public Library (HCPL) works with a local independent bookstore for all author events. We work with the same one each year for All Henrico Reads, and others when working with Sisters In Crime, or other author events. When a book sale is held in the library, our Friends of the Library must sponsor the event, as we cannot have sales in the library that are not sponsored by the Friends. 

  • St. Charles City-County Library (SCCCL) has working relationships with local bookstores: Main Street Books (in St Charles) and Left Bank Books (across the river in St Louis).

  • Twinsburg Public Library (TPL) works directly with the Learned Owl Bookstore in Hudson, Ohio. They will often let us know if any touring authors are interested in library visits, and they are also available to sell books at our events.

WORKING WITH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUPS

Friends groups can often be a critical stakeholder in producing a successful library event, especially if book sales are a requirement. They may be able to charge admission for an event, which can offset speaker or refreshment costs, and help sell books or other promotional items. Some libraries also use Friends events with authors to raise funds for the library; eg, Medina County District Library’s Writers Live series.

The relationship between a Friends group and library administration/staff can occasionally be tricky since the Friends group is a separate organization with their own governance. United for Libraries is a great resource to help you navigate these relationships. It helps to produce a simple checklist for what you need them to do while communicating constantly with their leadership. Make sure to thank them and promote their events and book sales as part of your marketing efforts.

Examples

  • Henrico County Public Library (HCPL)’s planning committee for our major author event consists of all stakeholders, including representatives from the Friends of the Library, who are the primary sponsors of the event.

WORKING WITH AUTHORS

Most library events feature local authors rather than touring national bestsellers, and so event organizers are more likely to be working directly with the authors themselves when booking for their events. Even when there’s an intermediary involved, though, engaging an author directly will eventually be part of the process.

When engaging directly with authors for an event, be prepared to offer an honorarium. While some authors will happily waive a speaking fee for libraries, it’s always an individual choice. Authors deserve to be paid for their time, even for what might be viewed as a promotional event that’s meant to sell books. Depending on how well-known the author is, when their latest book was published, the size of their backlist, and the format of your event, their fee can vary and may or may not fit your budget

In some cases, an author may approach you to host a book signing. It is important to know what your library’s criteria are for accepting these kinds of programs. All libraries have different needs and resources to support an author-generated program, and every author has different credentials and expertise. It is helpful to use an Author Program Proposal Form to ask for information like intended audience, description of the program, whether there is a cost, and references. Consider consolidating these requests into a larger event, like a local author fair, if the volume of requests is high enough. 

Regardless of who makes the initial contact, make sure you have a signed Presenter’s Agreement for the appropriate format—physical or virtual. This will ensure your author understands any expectations of them before the event is announced. It will also give you a chance to document their specific needs, including the honorarium, book sales accommodations, and audio/visual equipment..

You’ll want to establish consistent communication with an author before an event to avoid any last-minute surprises, misunderstandings, or cancellations. Check in with them on a regular basis and make sure they have everything they need to help you promote the event, and keep them informed about your marketing efforts. Be sure all their questions are answered and that they feel comfortable with the format of the event.

A fully engaged author will leverage their own platform to drive awareness of and interest in your event, while your marketing efforts will increase their visibility among your audience.