How to promote books from home?

Deepa Agarwal is an award winning writer who has written over 50 books in various genres and for different age groups.  She is one of the rare , enthusiastic children authors who is comfortable promoting her books through school visits and internet. The Scholastic Book of Hindu Gods and Goddesses is her forthcoming title.

Caravan to Tibet, Go Girl and Listen O King are some of her middle grade books. To know about her visit www.deepaagarwal.com

Since virtual author visits are one of the convenient ways to promote a book from home, Kahani  Takbak interviewed Deepa to know more details.

1.What should be the ideal duration of a  virtual author visit?

I think 30-45 minutes are enough.

2.                  What should be the criteria for selecting a school for a visitor author visit?

The schools approached me directly for the Skype call so I have not thought too much about this. However, if I had to ask a school I would expect that the children should have read at least one of my titles so that there is a focus to the discussion. Of course, they should have proper tech support too.

3.                  What should one keep in mind while doing an actual author visit? 

Ideally, it should be the room in which you usually work so that the children can get a glimpse of your writing environment. Your phones should be switched off and you need to give instructions to the people in your house (family members, help) that you are not to be disturbed. Someone should be around to attend to the doorbell. If something urgent crops up the school would not mind if you excused yourself for a few minutes. Once my grandchildren were visiting me and my granddaughter wandered in. So, I just introduced her to the kids. It was good fun for both.

Also, you should sign in at least 10 minutes beforehand and check your audio and video to see that everything is in order.

 4.            Which medium suits you better - Skype/ Google Hangouts or something else?

I have only tried Skype and it’s usually OK.

5.                  How do you handle the technical difficulties in the middle of a session?  

You have to take it in your stride. Once we had a problem with the audio so we used the phone line. That worked OK. The sound was clearer actually. Recently there was an issue with my video. I could see the children but they could not see me. We carried on our conversation, since the sound part is more important. If the power goes a phone would continue to work as well.

6.                  What are the advantages of virtual school visits over realtime author visits?

Well, it makes it possible for you to reach a wider audience and interact with children in schools in cities. Travelling consumes time and a school may not be able to fund it. But I feel a real time visit is the best. To meet a live author is more exciting for readers.

7.                  What's your structure for  a virtual school visit?  

I usually leave it to the school to decide what they want. The time slot is too limited mostly, so it’s best to stick to a Q & A. Children never run out of questions. The usual pattern is a short introduction by the children or a librarian, after which I show them a few copies of my books and then the questions start rolling. A book reading can fall flat if the sound is not too clear. A writing workshop would be difficult too. But of course, it depends on what aspect of your work you want to showcase to the children. Reading a short passage is fine, but I prefer not to read a whole story.

8.                  Any particular tips on how one should present themselves in a session?  

I think you should dress the way you would for a school visit, maybe keep it more casual. We all have our own styles. I like to wear saris for a school visits but for a virtual visit I stick to salwar kamiz or pants. A bookshelf is a good background but if it is difficult to arrange your laptop accordingly, just go with what you have. Of course, it should be neat and tidy! Clothes strewn all over the place would not be a pleasant sight! Don’t have distracting objects behind you because you want the children’s attention focused on you. And keep your books handy if you plan to read. 

9.                  What's your favourite memory from  your virtual author visits?

My favourite memory is of a bunch of children singing “Happy birthday to you!” This wonderful librarian had fixed the session on my birthday. Also of kids holding up copies of my picture book The Walking Tree (CBT) which they produced like magic. Some held up other titles too. These are very rewarding moments for an author.

10.              Anything else we should know about?

Well, we’ve been almost over everything. But it’s a good idea to fix up the session well in advance because schools plan their schedules carefully. And if it has to be postponed or cancelled accept it with good grace. Also do share phone numbers in case the audio isn’t clear.

11.              Which works best for a virtual author visit - desktop/ laptop?

I don’t think it matters too much. You should have a good webcam but the clarity of the image and video depend on the quality of the connection as well. A laptop can be moved around more easily in case you want to show the children something that is not within their line of vision. You could use an ipad or phone too provided the school has Face Time. For me a laptop has worked best.

 Visit www.deeepaagarwal.com

If you would like to invite Deepa Agarwal for a Skype chat with your school kids, please drop a mail to deepa.agarwal@gmail.com. You can pre-order her books from amazon.in, Flipkart and other such websites.

 This piece has been created exclusively for Kahani Takbak newsletter.  To subscribe to the enewsletter, visit www.kahanitakbak.com or www.shyamala.in