Problem: You know this presenter is good because you've heard the buzz, but everyone else has heard the buzz too, meaning the author is impossible to book.


Solution 1: We can put you on a waiting list for popular speakers so even if they're not currently available, when they are, you'll be the first to know. We can slot you in logistically, so you share transportation and bulk booking costs with colleagues.

Solution 2: We can keep you ahead of the loop. We know who is up and coming and we know who is going to be in Ontario in the upcoming year. We can recommend authors who can fill your need.


Problem: You read a book and you are wowed, but not every great author is a good presenter.

Solution 1: Sometimes it hardly matters whether the presenter is good or not. They are so high profile that you want them regardless. The key is to make sure the venue is comfortable for them. For example, 500 screaming kids may guarantee a dud performance, but an intimate writing workshop with 12 kids who won their spot will be memorable. Each of our presenter pages states clearly what audience the author is comfortable with.

Solution 2: We choose our presenters carefully. We have a waiting list of applicants and we ask for educator and librarian references. If someone is promising but untrained, we will have them shadow a seasoned presenter. We also give new presenters a package of tips that we've collected over the years. We also give our presenters access to a listserv where they can exchange tips and ideas with other ABS presenters.


Problem: How do you contact an author? Contacting the author can be a huge headache because not all authors have websites or publicly accessible email addresses and/or phone numbers. Not all authors are good at responding, and even if they do respond, your board filter may trash their message.

Solution: We have email addresses, alternate email addresses, mobile phone numbers, private phone numbers etc etc for all our others. In other words, we can hunt them down!


Problem: How do you know if they're available?

Solution for Out of Province authors: We keep tabs on who is coming to Ontario and when. We mark on our calendar their schedule so we know where we can slot you in. Our out of province authors are often not familiar enough with Ontario to book themselves logistically, so they will give us a chunk of time and leave it to us. Once it is all booked, we hand it over to them. We cluster bookings together so that the author has the least amount of traveling, and also so schools and libraries have the lowest possible transportation costs.

Solution for in-province authors: We mark on our calendar the location of their current bookings and we keep tabs on their available dates. When at all possible, we cluster bookings so venues can share a bulk booking rate and can split transportation costs. For example, an author whose single visit fee is $300 often has a drop down price of $250 per session if the full day is booked. Two venues each taking two sessions each would each save $100, plus they'd pay half the amount in travel costs.

Problem: Money issues Schools and libraries are on budgets and there is the ongoing problem of stretching the dollar. When booking an author, make sure that you know all costs upfront, including transportation, meals and accommodation (if applicable), GST. Have the author invoice you ahead of time so there are no surprises.

False solution: The cost of a “free” author visit It is easy to be seduced into thinking that taking someone up on a “free” author visit is the ideal solution to the money crunch. But who are these people who are offering themselves up, and what are they getting out of it? Oftentimes, they are self-published authors. What is a self-published author? What are the steps that a book goes through when it is self-published compared to one that is professionally published? A self-published author is hoping to sell books. This turns the author visit into a marketing opportunity. Not much learning happens. But the real downside is the quality of the book itself. A child who has saved their own money to buy a book from a “real” author will be mightily disappointed. And they won't understand that the problem is with the book. They may think there's something wrong with their own intelligence or reading ability. So the cost of this free author visit is turning kids off books. Also, the message that the vanity author gives is that all you need to do to become an author is to hand over cash to a “publisher” and voila! You are published. No lessons in perseverance or striving to be the best that you can be.

Solution: Sharing an author with another venue to cut costs.

Solution: Utilizing grants and subsidies. We work closely with our authors to maximize grants and subsidies to everyone's best advantage.

Solution: Consider an entertainment presenter. There are a few authors who can present to an entire K-8 school in a single session. You pay a single presentation fee and everyone gets to hear an author. A caveat: you cannot expect every student to learn something. The goal for this sort of presentation is to get pumped up about reading and to meet a real live author.

Solution: Consider a skype visit instead.

Solution: Fundraising. Organize a read-a-thon. Students ask family and neighbours to sponsor them for each book read. Sponsor amounts can vary, from a quarter to a dollar per book. The duration of the read-a-thon can be a week or a month prior to the author visit. An alternate may be to hold a spell-a-thon.

Have a parent group organize a used book sale at the school.

Hold a silent auction of donated items (new or gently used).

Hold a monthly raffle for a school sweatshirt or similar item.

Problem: Tied to money issues is student numbers and grade levels.

Solution: Every author has different stipulations when it comes to numbers and grade levels. To ease this, we include that information on every author page. Some are very specific, so it is something to keep an eye on. The goal of these limits is to ensure that the author is comfortable and that the material is grade-appropriate.


Other considerations:

logistics
How will the author be arriving? In a car? Do they know the exact address, directions etc? Are there access issues, for example, parking spots, a particular door that they must enter? Does the author need help carrying in equipment? Are there mobility issues for this author? Some have much equipment/books, others may have a physical disability. If the author is arriving by public transit, can someone meet them at the depot? If the sessions are all day, is lunch provided and are there any dietary restrictions for this author? This is especially an issue for authors coming from a distance and from out of province. Set-up. What does the author require in terms of table, microphone, audience configuration. Ideal venue for most authors is school library or room in public library with good acoustics. Gym is less effective but sometimes necessary. Bodily needs: make sure the author has access to water during the presentation, plus time for lunch and bathroom over the day. Book signings: some authors will bring in books for sale upon request. Factor in 15 minutes have the presentation for this to happen. Ideally, the author will prepare an order sheet that can be sent home ahead of time. Library book signings: gather up your library copies and ask that the author sign them before they leave. Most will be delighted to do this as long as there is time. In the case of hundreds of books, this is not always possible.

Problem: what do you want to get out of the visit? Here are some examples: promote a love of reading, promote literacy, awareness of a certain theme (Holocaust, environment, Remembrance Day, Aboriginal culture), reading for boys, writing skills, pure entertainment, for your students to meet a real live author, Family Literacy Night.

Solution: Once you determine what your goal is, and who your audience is, we can help you select an author who can deliver. The more specific you are with your needs and your budget, the better we can assist you.

Problem: time crunch! You just found out that you have X dollars to spend but if you don't do it within days, the money will disappear.

Solution: Give us your exact needs and time-line and we can mass email our authors on your behalf and give you multiple solutions.


Forest of Reading bookings: If you have a regional celebration in May, please let us know in the fall. We can coordinate grants and subsidies on your behalf and we can make sure you get your nominated authors. October is the ideal time to begin your planning for your May celebration.


Other points:

 
* Contact potential authors/illustrators well in advance of the proposed reading date.

* When contacting a presenter, find out exactly how much the visit will cost. A reading fee, travel expense, meals and GST should all be factored in. To reduce costs, see if other schools in your area would like to book the same author for readings. That way you can share travel expenses.

* Factor in autographing time. Many presenters can bring copies of their own books for sale and autograph if requested.

* Find out the presenter's needs. Do they require a bottle of water? A bathroom break between sessions? Lunch? A microphone? A table or chair? Maximum number of students per session?

* Give the presenter the exact address of the reading and a map. Include emergency contact phone numbers in case the presenter runs into bad weather or gets lost.

We asked our members to let us know if they offer any perks (handouts, prizes etc.) at their presentations. For their responses, go here.

We've all had that sinking feeling -- the moment when you've just discovered that a book you want to order has gone out of print.  Perhaps it was a childhood favourite, or a well-worn book in your library or classroom.  And now it's gone!  

If you're like most people, you probably believe that once a book is out of print, it's totally inaccessible -- and yet, that's hardly ever the case.  There are often ways to obtain books even after they've gone out of print.

If a used copy will do, you'll want to check out Abe Books.  This site has stock listings from all kinds of bookstores world wide. 

However, if you're determined to purchase a new copy, your best bet is to approach the author or publisher.  Often, a small supply is still on hand at the publishing house and, more frequently, the author may have purchased the remaining copies to save them from discount bins.  

Of course, if the book is meant to be a gift, your preference would most likely be a new copy.  Which brings us to...

An exclusive offer to you from our authors!  For a limited time, you can purchase signed copies of the following out-of-print titles directly from the authors!  All prices include shipping unless otherwise noted. To see a list of available titles, go here.

To access Helaine Becker's School Library Assessment questionnaire, go here.