ATTENTION KIDS -- this section is for teachers, librarians, and children's authors only. If you want information on how to contact me, click here: Sending Fan Mail

AUTHORS: For tips on presenting at schools, click here: Preparing for a School Visit

TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS -- One of the greatest perks of being a children's book author is traveling to schools and meeting readers, teachers, and librarians in person. I have spoken to hundreds of schools across the USA and traveled three times to Asia to speak at International Schools. Traveling is always fun and rewarding. I do a wide range of programs aimed primarily at grades 2 through 8. I also speak at conferences for librarians, teachers, and writers. For a list of Fees: click here

Presentations:
1) The Making of a Children's Book Click here for details:
2) Texas History Click here for details:
3) American History Click here for details:
4) Buffalo Soldiers Click here for details:
5) Writing Workshops Click here for details:
6) The Writing Life Click here for details:
7) Vietnam Click here for details:
Programs for Lower Grades -- click here: [by special arrangement only]
Programs for Adults -- click here

FEES: click here

NOTE: Due to set-up time restraints, I cannot mix and match programs on the same day at the same school. Please select one program to be presented all day long. Occasionally I do make exceptions. Contact me for more details.

THE MAKING OF A CHILDREN'S BOOK
Grades 3-6 [45 minute program] (occasionally I give this to grades 7-8, slightly modified)
This lively and entertaining program shows the steps involved in making a picture book -- from getting ideas and research to writing, illustrating, printing and selling. Includes many props and involves lots of student participation. Q&A session at the end.

TEXAS HISTORY PROGRAM [for Texas schools only]
Grades 3-7 [50 minute program] [a shorter version is available for grades K-2]
Like my book, Voices of the Alamo, this program focuses on the many cultures that have lived in Texas, from Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, Texian Colonists, to Buffalo Soldiers and cowboys. Dozens of artifacts and props help bring Texas history to life. Student participation makes it fun for everyone. Q&A session at end. Ties in with the required Texas History curriculum.

AMERICAN HISTORY PROGRAM: [limited availability -- contact me for details]
Grades 6-8 [50 minute program] [a shorter version is available for grades K-2]
Using some of the same props as above, this program focuses on American History, with emphasis on the Western Expansion after the Louisiana Purchase. Includes Oregon Trail, pioneers, Texas, Gold Rush, Civil War, forts, etc.

BUFFALO SOLDIERS PROGRAM:
Grades 3-8 [45 minute program]
Using lots of artifacts an props, this program focuses on the African-American soldiers who served in the US Army from 1866 through WWII. Ties in with my picture book, THE BUFFALO SOLDIER. A great program for Black History Month (February).

WRITING WORKSHOPS
Grades 5 and up
Workshop covers basics of fiction such as character, plot, conflict, dialog. Students compose a short, short story. Classroom size audiences only. Length of workshop is adjustable to needs of school -- from one hour to all day.

THE WRITING LIFE
Grades 9-12 [45 minute program]
I discuss my journey becoming a writer, where ideas come from, how to do research. Includes slides of various research sites such as Vietnam, Texas historical locations, Native Americans, Galveston, etc. Q&A session.

VIETNAM PROGRAM [for limited areas only -- cannot transport items on a plane]
Grades 3 and up [45 minute program] [shorter version is available for grades K-2]
This program uses artifacts and products from Vietnam to demonstrate the culture and history of that beautiful country. From pointed hats and chopsticks, to rice paper and bamboo, to banana leaves and lotus flowers, students see items from Vietnam up close. Demonstrations keep the program lively and entertaining; even those hard-to-please junior high students like this one. Slides show the beauty and diversity of the country. Q&A session at the end. Ties in nicely with multicultural social studies curriculum.

FOR LOWER GRADES (K - 1) [35 minute programs] BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT ONLY
Since I do not write books for younger children, I very rarely speak to this age group and prefer not to. I will only speak to this group if they are well-prepared ahead of time.
1) The Lotus Seed Program: Using props and demonstrations, I talk about THE LOTUS SEED and the culture
of Vietnam. Slides of Vietnam follow. Students must have read THE LOTUS SEED for this one to work.
2) Vietnamese Folk Tale Program -- I bring props, dress kids in costumes, and we enact an entertaining folk
tale. Very lively, with music.
3) Texas History: A shorter version of the regular Texas History Program. Lots of props. This program can only be given if the older students are also getting the Texas History Program

SPEECHES & WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS
I give speeches at conferences for writers, teachers, and librarians. I also conduct workshops on a wide variety of topics at conferences and conventions. Fees vary. Contact me for more details.

PRESENTATIONS PER DAY : 3 sessions (extra charge for 4 sessions). See fees below.
PRESENTATION LENGTH: Varies depending on age of audience. See Program Descriptions above.
SET-UP TIME: Texas Program & Vietnam Program take about one hour to set up; others about 35 minutes.
AUDIENCE SIZE: Flexible, depending on the needs of the school. I prefer groups of no more than 150.
AUTOGRAPHING: I am always happy to autograph books purchased by students and faculty.
BOOK SALES: Selling an author's books is a good way to get the students excited about the visit. It is also one way to raise funds. If you order directly from publishers, you receive a 40% discount. If you use a local bookseller or book jobber, you typically receive a 20% discount. I have copies of some of my older out-of print titles that I can provide. For a list of the OP titles, click here: O-P Books

School visit expenses include the following:
1) Honorarium:
Full Day (3 presentations) -- $650/day (standard audience size -- up to 150 students)
.............. (4 presentations) -- $750/day (standard audience size -- up to 150 students)
Half Day -- $400 (when two nearby schools share a day -- 1 or 2 presentations per school)
2) Transportation expenses (airplane or automobile)
3) Lodging (if required to stay overnight)
4) Meals
**Some fees are negotiable, depending on several factors. Fees for out-of-state schools or Texas schools over 350 miles away may be slightly higher. Discounts available for multiple school visits in one area. Please contact me for more details.

I live in Central Texas, about 2 hrs from Houston or Austin, and about 3-1/2 hrs from Dallas/Fort Worth. Please do not hesitate to contact me, regardless of your budget. If I am already in your area, I offer discounts.
Contact: SherryGarland

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WHY DO AN AUTHOR VISIT?
1) Increase awareness of your books
2) Increase interest in reading & writing among children
3) Supplement your income

KINDS OF AUTHOR VISITS

1) Single author at single school - one day or half day
2) Single author does several schools in same area - extended stay [schools may expect a "group" discount]
3) Young Authors' Day (several authors at one school)
4) Children's Literature Festival (authors at central location; kids bussed in from many schools - economical to schools)
5) Book Fairs - author signs books, may attend a special dinner; author does not always speak at school
6) Non-school author visit - public library, special event, conferences for librarians, teachers, writers

FUNDING FOR AUTHOR VISIT

1) Included in annual school budget
2) PTO
3) Fund-raisers such as book fairs
4) Grant
5) Joint effort of several schools that share costs

WHO CONTACTS YOU ABOUT SCHOOL VISITS

1) Librarian (90%) (either directly or through your publisher)
2) PTO person in charge of author visits
3) Teacher (usually reading or language arts)

DECIDE WHAT AGES YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO

1. Age groups: Pre-K-2; 3-6; 6-8; 9-12
2. Generally, talk to ages that your books are aimed at.
3. Make presentation age appropriate. Grades 7 + are more shy & self-conscious - they won't wear silly hats.

NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS PER DAY
For a 45-55 minute presentation, typically a new author gives four presentations (two before lunch and two after lunch), but many established authors only give three. For a 30 minute presentation, you may have the stamina to give five per day.

AUDIENCE SIZE AND LOCATION
You should be paid more for one talk to 750 kids in the gym than for one talk to 100 kids in the library. If available, the library with groups of about 100-125 works best. Next best is a theater type room with stage and good acoustics. Then comes the cafeteria. Worst possible is the gym -- stinky & kids are used to going wild there.

ADVERTISING YOUR AUTHOR VISITS
1. Set up a website and register it with search engines. Include the words
"children's author" and "school visits" in your description of website.
2. Prepare a brochure (also ask publisher to prepare one, if they do this)
3. Prepare business cards
4. Hand out brochures at conferences for librarians, teachers, writers - rent booth with display of your books
5. Make sure you are on your publisher's Speaker's Directory Booklet
6. Make sure you are listed on your publisher's website as a visiting author
7. Have your URL listed on websites of other children's authors & organizations
8. Have your website listed on SCBWI (National) website
9. Have your website listed on local SCBWI chapter websites
10. Get you name on area Speaker's Directories
11. Leave your brochure & business card with teacher's supply stores, children's book stores, & libraries
12. Mail out your brochure to area schools (or deliver in person)
13. Take out an ad in journals read by librarians (share with other authors to cut costs)
14. Do an occasional free presentation and invite other librarians to attend
15. Contact area bookstores and offer to do an autographing - notify local school librarians,
teachers, & news media about it
16. Get all the exposure you can in local newspapers

CONTRACT or CONFIRMATION LETTER
Once you have agreed to do an author visit (either by phone, letter, or e-mail), send the school a letter of confirmation (or contract) right away. Keep it simple. Basic info to include: [SCBWI.org website has a sample contract]
1) Date of school visit
2) Number of presentations per day and the title of the presentation
3) Grade levels of the audience and approximate size
4) Honorarium fee
5) Travel arrangements (specify number of nights in hotel; mileage cost -- $.40 cents/mile)
6) Provision for meals.
7) Your address, phone & fax, e-mail address,
8) Your Social Security number (or Federal ID #) on a W-9 Form [download from IRS website]
9) List of AV equipment, chairs, tables, you require
10) When payment is due (usually same day as visit)
11) Whether or not videotaping is allowed

Send two signed copies plus SASE for the school to return a signed copy. If the school has its own contract or any other kinds of paperwork, request that these be taken care of well before the day of the school visit. Read the school's contract carefully. If there is a clause that says they own the rights to your presentation, strike that clause.

Other information to send or request (not necessarily part of contract):
1) Request that you be allowed to check the final schedule. Allow for breaks between sessions.
2) Request telephone numbers of contacts (both school and home phones)
3) Send a list of your books & where to purchase them.
4) Clarify policy for selling of books and autographing
5) Request that students read your books and receive some kind of preparation.
6) Specify special requests regarding food allergies
7) Send a promotional kit with B&W photo, bio, and so forth
8) Request accurate directions to school (if you are driving) & where to park; which door to enter, etc..
9) If needed, request volunteers to help you unload car, set up tables, etc.

AUTHOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES
The author is responsible for providing promotional materials such a photo, biography, and list of books. Author is responsible for arriving on time (if driving own vehicle), setting up on time, giving the presentation in a professional manner for the number of times stipulated, finishing the presentations on time, autographing books, being available to teachers and students, meeting all terms of the contract.

SCHOOL'S RESPONSIBILITIES
The school is responsible for arranging and paying for travel & lodging, promoting the author visit, ordering & selling books, getting author to the school on time (if author is not in own vehicle), getting students into the speaking area on time, paying author's honorarium in a timely manner. It would also be great if the school made sure teachers and students are prepared, keep students under control (remove trouble-makers) during presentation, help author set up, and read the author's books ahead of time. Some authors put those requirements in their contracts, but most of us just hope that the students are prepared and well-behaved. See more under heading: "How to Have a Great School Visit"

HOW MUCH TO CHARGE

1) Honorarium: This is very subjective and depends on many circumstances. Multi-published authors usually get more than a first-time author. Certain regions of the USA pay less than others. Consider doing one or two free presentations to low-income schools for practice. Many authors give a discount for extended stays within a district. Out-of-state visits run more because the author loses one or two days traveling. Raise fees as demand increases. Here are some typical fees for Texas author visits. Keep in mind that they may be lower/higher in the state where you live.
Beginner author: $400-500 per full day
Intermediate author: $600-850 per full day
Advanced author: $850 - $2000 and up per full day
Conference: free $800 to $1000 (depending on situation)
2) Travel expenses: If you are driving, charge the IRS allowed rate per mile. School should also pay any parking fees or toll road fees. If you are flying, the school should pay for the flight plus any parking lot or shuttle bus/ taxi fees.
3) Hotel accommodations: If you are visiting an out-of-town school, they should pay for your hotel for the night before your visit. Some also pay for the second night. Some schools may ask you to stay in the house of a teacher. You have to consider the pros & cons of this. If it is the only way the school can afford you, then it may be the only option. Most authors prefer for the school to pay the hotel bill in advance (by credit card or check). Many hotels require the credit card holder to appear in person (or to fax a copy of the credit card) before the card will be honored. There is nothing more bothersome than arriving at a hotel late in the afternoon to find that the room has only been reserved by the school, but not actually paid for. Another method (which I do not like) is for you to pay for the hotel and then bill the school. Sometimes you do not receive your reimbursement for months. Another method is to find out the hotel charges in advance, and have the school add that amount to the honorarium check.
4) Meals: The school should pay for your breakfast and lunch and dinner if you are staying overnight. They may give you a per diem reimbursement added to the total check, or they may ask you for receipts and reimburse the exact amount. Or they may take you out to eat for lunch and dinner and use a hotel that provides a free breakfast so that you do not have to deal with paying for the meals.

AUTOGRAPHING

Typically, an author does not charge a fee for autographing done in conjunction with a school visit. But do request that the librarian has included time for autographing in the schedule. You should not have to stay until 5 PM autographing books sold at the last minute. There are two methods of autographing:
1) Librarians order books from publisher or book jobber. Librarian sends a list home with students who bring their money to school and buy books before your arrival. Each book will have an order slip inside with the child's name and how to inscribe the autograph. Usually there is a cut-off date and no books will be sold on the day of the author visit. When you arrive at the school, you autograph the books throughout the day during your various breaks. You do not meet the students. Signed books are distributed later.
2) Same as above, only students wait in line for the author to autograph the purchased books. Sometimes the librarian allows students to purchase books on the day of the author's visit, but most of the sales transactions are completed before your arrival. With this method, the librarian may have set aside an hour for just autographing. This method is more exciting to the students, or for authors who like to meet their readers, but it is more time consuming and hectic.
3) Author provides books. With methods 1 & 2 above, you do not have to worry about any money transactions yourself. It is all handled by the librarian or PTO. However, if you are providing your own books you will probably have to do your own money-handling. You can ask the librarian to pre-sell them or you can have students buy them on the day of your visit. Either way, the sales transaction can become tricky because of state sales taxes. If the check is made out directly to you, you are responsible for collecting and reporting sales taxes. If the students' checks are made out to the school and the school reimburses you one check for all sales, the school usually collects and reports sales taxes. To avoid confusion and a legal mess, make sure you know who is responsible for the sales taxes or make the policy of accepting cash only paid directly to you.

THE AUTHOR PRESENTATION

1. Some Typical Presentation Types:
"My Life as an Author" -- how you got started, your office, your research, slides, props
"Program related to writing & reading" -- you talk about how a book is made, how authors write, etc.
"Program about the subject matter of your book" [example -- I do programs on Texas History and Vietnam]
"Writing Workshops" (smaller groups, with writing exercises)
2. Length: Presentations for grades 3 and up -- about 45 minutes + Q&A time
Presentations for pre-K-2 -- about 30 minutes + Q&A
3. Don't just stand there and read your book
4. Use visual aids - slides, artifacts, props, puppets, funny hats, art work
4. Involve students - use students in demonstrations; do group writing exercises; ask them questions
5. A typical "My Life as an Author" type of presentation contains:
a) How you got started, info about your childhood
b) Where you got the idea for your book, with examples
c) How you researched your topic, with props, slides, anecdotes
d) Samples of your book in various stages -- rough sketches, final artwork, editor's marks, etc.
d) Any problems you had writing/illustrating the book (kids like humor)
e) Importance of reading
6. End program with questions & answers

AFTER YOUR VISIT

If you had positive feedback from the librarian, ask her to make a few comments for use in a promotional flyer. Ask her to spread the word to other librarians. Mail the librarian a thank you note. Promptly answer letters from students or teachers.

ANATOMY OF A GREAT SCHOOL VISIT
1. School contacts author at least six months in advance.
2. Author mails letter of confirmation and/or contract within a week. Also, author
sends list of books, promotional materials, photograph
3. School returns the signed copy of contract, plus any required paperwork
4. Librarian notifies teachers of author visit
5. Teachers assign author's book or at least read passages to the class
6. Students do projects related to the author visit - banners, posters, artwork
7. Librarian orders books well in advance (6 - 8 weeks)
8. School makes arrangements for hotel and pays in advance
9. Librarian/teachers display projects related to author's books. Students put out welcome sign.
10. If author is driving, librarian sends accurate, easy to follow directions
11. Librarian sends letter to parents with price list for books
12. Author preparses an interesting program
13. Teachers explain the etiquette of being a good listener to students
14. Students bring money for books. Order slips with desired inscriptions are
placed inside books. An autographing area is designated.
15. Author arrives. Hotel room is reserved and paid for. It is clean and quiet.
16. Author arrives at school on time (either picked up or driving)
17. Author is greeted by librarian or assistants. Students help author carry in
materials, if need be. The speaking area is clean and available.
18. Speaking room has equipment, tables, etc. that author requested
19. Author sets up table and tests equipment - everything works!!!
20. Librarian provides author with beverage and shows her the ladies room
21. Students and teachers assemble on time in an orderly manner.
22. Librarian makes a brief introduction of 1-2 minutes.
23. Author presents an appealing program that keeps students interested
24. Students pay attention. They do not talk, shout out of turn, fight, pass notes, punch each other, throw things, or make inappropriate comments. Any student misbehaving is removed from the room unobtrusively. Teachers do not interrupt the program to yell at students.
25. Teachers pay attention. They do not talk among themselves, grade papers, or fall asleep. They keep a watchful eye on trouble-makers.
26. No parent or teacher stands in the aisle videotaping author presentation
27. Students ask pertinent questions, not personal ones like "how old are you?
28. Students do not swam author afterwards asking for autographs on hands, shirts,