School Visits: Children's Poets & Authors

Geared for Presenting to Elementary-age Children

I'm often asked what makes a good Author School Visit, from an Author's point of view. "What should I expect and how can I make mine a success?"

I did them for over twenty years, so I can share what worked for me. First, I’m going to tell you what to expect. Then I’ll explain how to set a School Visit Up so you will get paid. That’s the important thing here.

Unless your name is Stephen King, or J.K. Rowling, you aren’t going to make much money from your publisher. That goes for royalties, too. Your money will be made in personal appearances and Author School Visits where you decide how much your time is worth.

One of the most rewarding (and lucrative) things about being a Children’s Author is the Author School Visit. Believe me when I say, Authors are held in high regard at elementary schools.

Schools often have Young Author Nights, too, to celebrate good writers. If you happen to be at their school, you could be invited back to hand out awards, or speak to the group that night if you want to.

It’s a lot of fun and quite an honor, so please consider it … plus, the writers that got awards will love picking your brain about how you got to be an Author. The media will most probably be there, as well. That’s to your advantage, too, so put those articles in your press kit.

The children will know all about you and your book(s) by the day of your visit. Don’t be surprised to see hallways in the school papered everywhere you look with drawings of you, your poetry, their favorite characters from your book(s), and huge WELCOME signs over doors with your name, too.

Throughout the day, you will be hugged, waved at, asked for autographs, and a host of other endearing things. You will feel grateful and appreciated by the staff, the teachers and students with every school visit you do.

If you are a poet, at the beginning of each presentation, ask students for a show of hands. Ask how many like poetry and then how many hate it. Tell them to be honest. You won’t be upset.

If even one student hates poetry, tell them you consider that a challenge. Then launch into an ice breaker. Start with telling them how poetry touches their lives every day: song lyrics, commercials, greeting cards, even some ancient gravestones have poems etched on them.

Then since I’m a poet, I used tongue twisters. Before your school visit, request a white board, a large pad of paper, or just a chalkboard for writing on. Write a tongue twister on your pad of paper and have them say it with you a couple of times.

Split the room in half and challenge each side to be faster and louder than the other side. Hold your hand to your ear, shout, “I can’t HEAR you!” Also, “Faster!” Kids love it because now you are being the biggest kid in the room. I usually declared it a draw and everyone was happy.

Then, (pretend it’s an afterthought), get the teachers into it. Have the kids say the tongue twister, then the teachers. “Kids, how did they do? Were they fast enough?”

“Noooooo!” (of course not)

“I’m sorry, teachers! You’ll have to do it again, louder and faster!”

Kids love it because the teachers are down at their level. A poet is calling all the shots and even letting the kids judge the teachers! You are a hero!

I guarantee after the ice-breaker, the kids will be putty in your hands, they’ll love you, and they’ll listen to your presentation. “How many still hate poetry?” Usually no hands go up now.

My two favorite tongue twisters for ice breakers:

One-One was a racehorse
Two-Two was one, too.
When One-One won one race,
Two-Two won one, too.

I can canoe a new canoe.
Can you canoe a new canoe?

When You First Set Up Your School Visit: Be Clear
Address as Much as Possible on the First Phone Call

* Be honest and open about what you will do and what you will charge. State your daily rate and the number of 1-hour presentations you will do for that rate. I could do up to five a day, before my voice gave out. If you are only able to do two presentations per day, make that clear in your first conversation with the school so they can plan, too.

Schools will want to know your comfort level with where you do your presentations. Classrooms, auditorium, cafeteria, library? Are you more comfortable with large groups, or smaller groups?

Be clear on what you charge for travel, room and/or board, and any other expenses. Find out what they are prepared to do. Meals in the cafeteria? Spend the night in a local motel on them?

To help schools keep their cost down, offer to split your day with a second school in the area. Each can pay half your fee and you can do two presentations at each school. That can be twice the number of books you sell, too.

Whenever possible, work with the school. If the town is known for something special for tourists that you would like to see, trade what it cost you in gas for a ticket. Schools often get discount tickets and they will appreciate that you are working with them to save money.

Suggest they host a “Dinner with the Author” night in a nice restaurant and sell raffle tickets for seats to defray the cost of having you. You get a nice dinner and meet new people. They get to have dinner with an Author and get to know them. Have the newspaper and radio station advertise it to boost the raffle ticket sales. The school will easily be able to afford you.

I once did seven schools in a town over a three-day period. The schools were bussed to one central school and the presentations were all done in a huge library with the children sitting in a semi-circle on the floor in front of me. That was my all-time favorite school visit –I sold a LOT of books and made many teacher friends.

* Find out when you will be paid, i.e., the day of the school visit, or in the case of Title One, how long you will have to wait for their approval and your check.

* Ask if the local media (radio, TV, newspaper) will be invited to the school visit, whether they will attend, and whether time will be set aside during the day for interviews and photos. Be sure to ask for copies of anything written about you for your press kit.

* Create an invoice with name, address and phone number of the school, the name of your contact there, all charges, and the total for your school visit. Make sure your invoice also has your contact information. Mail it to the school, but on the day of the school visit, bring along a backup copy, just in case.

* Ask how book sales will be handled, i.e., when/where you’ll sign books, who will collect money, (you should discount the retail price of your book(s). Send pre-order forms for books prior to the school visit and ask teachers to send one home with each student.

* You’ll need to know how many books to bring with you and order them from your publisher. You will need the child’s name, how many books they are ordering, teacher’s name and classroom, who to autograph each book to.

* Tell the school what props you’ll need, i.e., bottled water, coffee, easel, whiteboard, chalkboard and chalk, chair, stool, rocking chair, rug to sit on, microphone, podium, etc.

* Ask where they want presentations to be: auditorium, cafeteria, library, classrooms. Tell them the maximum number of students you’re comfortable speaking to -- very important.

* Find out where to park and what time you should arrive at the school to set up.

* Ask for your school visit schedule as soon as they can give you one, so you can plan, i.e., how long for each presentation, age of each group so you can modify your presentation, and to plan when you’ll sign books (During lunch? After the last presentation)?

* Keep accurate records (copies of everything) for IRS: the total for the entire school visit, i.e., amount you received for the actual day, or days, of presentations; number of books sold and the dollar amount; expenses you may have incurred that were not paid to you, or for you, by the school.

* When you get home, be sure and send a "Thank You" note to your contact at the school. (very important) You’ll want schools to invite you back every year.

If you think of any questions you may have about anything I haven't addressed here, please feel free to message me. I'm always happy to help in any way I can.

p.s. If you decide to do school visits, there are websites that list authors by their state who do school visits. Schools in those states check regularly. Register on each website —they’re free.

Children's Authors by State that do School Visits (one website for an example).

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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