Class Act: Sell More Books Through School and Library Author Appearances [Paperback]

Barbara Techel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2011

Class Act: Sell More Books Through School and Library Author Appearances is the definitive guide to promoting your message and selling books to schools and libraries. And it's not just for children's book authors: It's the ultimate how-to manual for authors of any title of interest to these audiences, detailing how to • spread the message they were passionate enough to write about in the first place • get recognized as an expert speaker • book speaking gigs and personal appearances • and ultimately, sell more books! Arranged in logical order, these chapters tell you all you need to know about proven methods for: • what to include in your presentation • how to tweak it to appeal to various audiences • planning and preparing your most effective speaking approach • locating and locking in appropriate speaking venues • what to charge • pitching and promoting your presentation • organization, planning and followup • fulfilling book orders that result from your talks • leveraging modern technology in speaking and promoting appearances Much bonus material is included, such as: • Helpful preparation checklists • Real-world advice from other professional author/speakers circuit, • Immediately applicable tips & advice about what to avoid as well as what to do • A final chapter on helping your event organizer help you to succeed A comprehensive index helps you quickly locate the information you need now, making CLASS ACT a handy reference tool you'll use again and again. If it's not in here, you probably don't need it!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Every Author Needs this Book

As a book author and publisher, I found this book a comprehensive how-to guide book which covers the details. If you are an author of any type of book (nonfiction or fiction children or adult), I encourage you get this book and follow the advice. As they say, "The devil is in the details." CLASS ACT includes the details that you need to successfully sell more books with personal appearances in the classroom or libraries. -W. Terry Whalin, Acquisitions editor/writer

Award Winning Author Barbara Techel`s "Classy" How-To Takes the Sting out of Book Marketing

Class Act is an excellent way for authors to promote their message while selling more books. Its step-by-step guide prepares authors for selling their books at schools and libraries, including choosing the venue, effective public speaking, and filling the orders resulting from the events. It also answers one of the toughest questions: how to price your book so that you are neither charging too much, nor selling yourself short. -Dana Micheli, editor

A Must Have for Writer's of Children's Books

Anyone who has ever written a children's book and wants to sell lots of them, must have this book. Written by someone who knows children's books because she has sold lots of them, this definitive guide covers everything, and I mean everything, there is to know about selling your book through school and library appearances. In an easy to read format, it discusses such important things as, what to present, how to find places to present, and how to pitch and promote, among other very useful information. -Allen Klein, Mr. Jollytologist and author

From the Author

Making personal appearances in and selling books to schools and libraries can be a wonderful source of revenue for an author.

To take full advantage of these unique settings to sell your book, you must first have a good overall understanding of how to market yourself and your book. That book must be of high quality, meaning it should be well-written, professionally edited and proofread, and produced to industry standards. Secondly, it helps to have the right tools at hand to help you easily promote and sell your book. That's where Class Act comes in.

In this book, I share everything I wish I'd known when I started out promoting my new books. I'm offering you what I learned through real-life experience in this handy collection of tips and how-to's, along with all the  forms and other resources I developed along the way. I want to save you the learning curve: Someone should benefit from all that hard work!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Joyful Paw Prints (June 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980005264
• ISBN-13: 978-0980005264
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,660,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Techel is a passionate advocate for dogs with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) and dogs in wheelchairs. She is also passionate about helping others see their challenges in a positive way. After her dachshund, Frankie suffered a spinal injury she was custom-fitted for a wheelchair and Barbara realized the beautiful opportunity she had to spread a positive message that animals with disabilities can and do live quality lives if given a chance.

In her newest book, "Through Frankie's Eyes" she takes you on a journey that led her to live her own truth and live with more joy, all because of what Frankie was teaching her along the way.

In August 2012 she founded National Walk 'N Roll Dog Day in memory of Frankie and in honor of all dogs in wheelchairs. She also started the Frankie Wheelchair Fund which helps dogs who need wheelchairs whose families may not be able to afford them, or for dogs in rescue.

She is the award-winning author of the children's book series "Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog" which are true, inspirational stories about her paralyzed dachshund. Frankie teaches us that no matter our challenges, we can persevere with a positive attitude. And despite our challenges we can each give back in our own, unique way. Frankie is Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame Companion Dog.

Barbara's books have received National Best Book for children's picturebook, Merial Human-Animal Bond award, Editor's Choice from Allbooks Review, Indie Excellence finalist and Indie Excellence winner.
Frankie's story also appears in "Every Dog Has a Gift" by Rachel McPhearson, published by Penguin/Tarcher March 2010 and "Dogs and the Women Who Love Them: Extraordinary True Stories of Love, Healing and Inspiration" by Linda and Allen Anderson published Fall 2010 by New World Library (recommended by Oprah's O Magazine).

Also featured in Woman's World magazine, The American Dog, Dog Living magazine, USAToday.com and AOL PawNation.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for Increasing Book Sales August 3, 2011

By Richard R. Blake TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Award winning author, Barbara Techel, presents a comprehensive plan for selling more books through school and library author appearances, gaining recognition as an expert speaker, and booking personal appearances in her book "Class Act."

Techel draws on lessons learned from her experiences while promoting her "Frankie the Walk `N Roll Dog" book series. She uses these lessons to lead the reader step by step in a process of preparing presentations with helpful checklists, pointers for developing an event organizer, tips for fulfilling book orders, and ways for incorporating modern technology to enhance and generate speaking and promoting appearances.

"Class Act" is jam packed with valuable tips, eye-catching illustrations, public relations samples, testimonials, and helpful forms. A complete index provides a ready reference for future use of the book as a resource guide. I found the interviews and suggestions from other successful writers and authors added another dimension to Barbara's own content and credibility. The format of the book is attractive, reader friendly, and inviting. Techel's writing is well organized, relevant, and timely.

I plan to add "Class Act" to my reference shelf of Writing Resource guides. I want to have it handy as a reference and also plan to recommend it to the members of our local Writer's Critique Group.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from author. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The only book on the topic, but short on information and with some troublesome content February 13, 2012

By Shevi

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

After attending a SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) workshop on how to make a living from children's books, I realized that selling books only counts for a small part of the typical children's book writer or illustrator's income. The real money to be made is by teaching classes and conducting author visits.

I've read many books on writing, publishing, and marketing. This is the only book I've found specifically on the topic of author visits.

There's a lot of information here, and most of it is good. There are, however, three reasons why I had to lower my opinion of this book from "love it" to just "like it."

First, the book is only 112 pages, including the seven pages before the introduction and the three pages in the middle that are completely blank just so chapters can start on the right. Get rid of those, and the book is a little over 100 pages. Get rid of the repetition and the story and pictures of her dog, and the book probably has about 70 useful pages. But those are 70 pretty good pages with helpful information, and they're worth the price of the book (even if you do go from feeling warm fuzzies about her dog to "will she please stop talking about that dog??" by page 50).

Second, she talks about digital slide presentations as if everyone knows what those are and how to set one up. I honestly do not. I'm guessing it involves some sort of projector and laptop hookup, but do the schools provide those? Does the author need to buy them and bring them along? If so, what kind should the author get? How do you pick one? How do you connect it or does it work remotely?... Fortunately, I know how to set up a PowerPoint presentation, and I have a Skype account, but there's a lot of places in the book where the reader could be completely lost. If I were the writer, I would leave out all the repetition--particularly regarding the dog--and replace it with a lot of information about digital slide presentations, PowerPoint, and Skype, keeping in mind that some readers might be completely new to this or that. I would also include a list of things writers will need to be able to handle these visits. She uses two computers for Skype visits, but is that really necessary? If so, that should be on the list.

Third--and this is the part I found troublesome--she recommends that writers write their own reviews.

I'll give you a minute to pick your jaw off the floor.

She quotes author Mary Shafer's suggestions about what writers should do when asking for testimonials. Say, "'Tell you what: How about I write a few bullet points or even a full testimonial for you?' . . . One wonderful byproduct of this arrangement is that you pretty much get to write your own glowing review."

I don't think it's ethical to write your own reviews for your books, and I would never suggest that another writer do that.

I was on the fence about whether to give this book three or four stars, but Amazon considers three stars an "It's OK," and I honestly do like this book. It gave me enough information to be worth the price. If you're a children's book writer or illustrator and you're interested in supplementing your income with author visits, this book is a good place to start.

I hope the author will put out a more informative revised edition that explains things like digital slide presentations, PowerPoint, Skpe, and what a writer should buy soon. Read more ›

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Information! November 19, 2012

By Cynthia McBride

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For anyone wishing to understand more about publishing and marketing their childrens books and materials, Class Act is an excellent source of information. I found information in this book that I had never even thought of before! If you are serious about writing and publishing for juveniles, read this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars CLASS ACT is an accurate title August 9, 2011

By Gregg Young

Format:Paperback

Barbara Techel (and her Walk 'N Roll Dog, Frankie) have presented in hundreds of schools, libraries and other audiences, both live and virtually via Skype, and she has sold thousands of books as a result. In this comprehensive reference, she documents how she does it. She provides guidance and an exhaustive list of references for every step in the process. She also includes insights from over a dozen other successful authors who have had success selling lots of books and presenting to these audiences. As an author who is just starting to pursue this audience, Class Act is a priceless guide for me. Absolutely a 5-star read!
--Gregg Young, author of Reasoning Backward: How Sherlock Holmes Can Make You a Better Problem Solver

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention Children's Authors August 4, 2011

By Valerie Allen

Format:Kindle Edition

Barbara Techel has brought together all the basics in her book "Class Act" for marketing and selling books to schools and libraries. This is practical information, especially making use of low budget to no cost promotional items and events. She provides samples of letters and forms which can be adapted to any genre for marketing purposes. She also has a host of references for further information on specific topics, such as how best to use the electronic highway to promote yourself and your book. This book is an informative and helpful resource for all writers.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Doggie Teacher September 18, 2011

By L. B. Lux

Format:Paperback

Barbara Techel has a unique assistant in a Daschund whose mobility, impaired by paralysis of the hind legs, is helped by a custom made carriage. Frankie, the 'walk'nroll dog,' accompanies Barabara to her venues, and so she can teach children. not only about writing, and her books,but how to have compassion for disability, and Frankie is the patient recipient of hugs and caresses. As a children's author, I have,over the years, done numerous workshops in school, libraries, and other venues, so can endorse most of the lessons in 'Class Act,' The book has been well planned, and the reader is taken from basics, such as how to source prospective venues, to planning, what to charge,and how to plan and market flyers and postcards. New for me is the use of Skype for video meetings, obviously very successful for Barbara. The book is, itself, a good read, and I can recommend it. Do not forget to raise your glass and toast Frankie, a gutsy little dog.