GUEST POST BY MARKETING GURU:
Kiersten Penaloza-Resch*
Once you’ve published your book, it’s time to start building your audience! Hosting a Talk-Back
or a Reading is your next step to build genuine relationships with readers.
Events at independent bookstores and libraries draw crowds of people who not only enjoy
specific books at the events but enjoy reading! This is a great way to build a new category of
reader into your audience.
Unless you are working with a publishing company who has assigned a publicist to you, it’s up
to you as the author to book your own events.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT EVENT FOR YOUR BOOK
First, let’s figure out what type of event is going to work best for you.
A Talkback is traditionally a short reading — consisting of a few pages or a short chapter —
followed by a discussion that is guided by questions and answers with another person.
Typically, a talkback works best for non-fiction works.
Let’s say a Talkback isn’t the best solution for you. In that case, you would host a Reading. This
is typically for fiction, poetry, and children’s books. A Reading, of course, focuses on the content
itself. Contrary to a talkback, a reading is about 40 minutes.
SELECT AND PREPARE YOUR MATERIAL THOUGHTFULLY
Regardless of which type of event works best for you, you will need to choose what to read.
The only difference between the two events is the length of the reading.
You want to make sure you’re not giving away too much information about the book: Your
reader needs to be enticed to buy the book, not leave knowing everything about it. To draw the
audience in, I recommend introducing your characters or content from the first quarter of the
book. The same is true for poetry – choose one or more pieces from the beginning to give your
audience a taste of what is to come.
Depending on the length of each section and how long your reading is, you will choose one
section from the middle, and one from the final quarter of the book before the climax or
inciting incident. Don’t give away the best parts of your book! That’s for the readers to discover.
For a Talkback, it’s important not to skip around too much. Your reading shouldn’t be longer
than 15 minutes and you don’t want your audience to be confused.
My best tip for reading from multiple sections of a book is to use sticky notes! Those tiny sticky
notes you see influencers use on TikTok are perfect to mark the beginning and end of each section. On the page opposite of the section, write down the line you’ll start reading at and a
sentence introduction to the section. This introduction should not be longer than two or three
sentences. If you’re talking about the book during the reading, you might as well read the book.
My favorite phrase is “show don’t tell” — a writer’s worst enemy.
If you are having trouble deciding if a section is exciting enough or gives away too much
information, ask a friend or trusted colleague to read (preferably reread if they’re a true friend)
your book. Ask them to highlight lines that resonate with them or make them go “oh snap!” Let
these lines and sections guide you for which chapters/sections are your best. From there,
choose pieces that have those “oh snap” moments, giving some detail about the rising action of
the book, but leave you wanting more information for what happens next.
PICK A SUITABLE VENUE AND COLLABORATORS
The final step in planning is deciding on a location that will suit your book. A bookstore or
library is always the best bet when you don’t know how big of a crowd you will draw. Once you
have a static following, you can book a larger venue and truly host an event.
But that’s in the future.
Pick a bookstore that regularly sells books that match your content. If you have a particularly
artistic book with hard topics, and independent bookstore would be best. A children’s book
though would only thrive at a store catered towards children, or a chain bookstore that will
have a large children’s section.
Use the store itself or store’s website to see what books they typically sell. You can also look at
the general clientele and events to see if they match your content.
For a talkback, when you look for the person you would like to be in conversation with, there
are a few things to consider. An author you currently work with who has a similar genre, style
of writing, or wrote a blurb for you is a great last resort! However, this shouldn’t be your go-to
person. The goal is to find someone to speak with who has a different audience, so you can
grow your own!
If you’re drawing a blank, it might be worthwhile asking the bookstore if they have a connection
to a local author or English/writing professor. Again, the goal is to find someone who will come
with thought-provoking questions, add to the content of your book, and bring a fresh audience
with them.
ENGAGE AUTHENICALLY DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT
Finally, it’s time to prepare for the literal talkback portion of the Talkback. If you haven’t
already, you should create a list of questions about your book that you would like interviewers
to ask you. This can either be static questions the interviewer uses, or a going-off point for the
person you are in conversation with. It tells them what you are most interested in sharing about
the book.
If you provide questions, still be prepared for anything that might be asked or talked about
during the talkback. The person you are in conversation with will use their background,
education, and experience to ask about your book. Technically, you don’t need to know specific
information about the person you’re in discussion with, but the more you know, the easier it
will be to anticipate their questions.
If this is your first talkback, it is perfectly ok to ask the person you’re in discussion with what
questions they plan on asking. Not only can you prepare, but it will also ease your nerves.
But beware! You don’t want to have canned responses that make you sound ingenuine. Use
your voice when answering questions. What brings readers to your book more than anything is
knowing who the author is and getting to know them in an authentic way. A talkback is used to
mimic this.
Another great way to show your authentic self is to take questions from the audience! This can
be a nerve-wracking experience because you never know what someone will ask you. However,
it is a great way to generate content and go more into depth about the content you’ve written.
If you can give someone a personal insight into the content you’ve written, you will have a fan
for life!
Speaking of generating content, hosting events gives you a great opportunity to fill up your
social media profiles before, during, and after the event!
CORRESPONDING EMAIL CONTENT - STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE:
1. Choose the Right Event Type for Your Book: A Talkback is ideal for nonfiction, focusing on
a short reading (around 15 minutes) followed by a discussion with another person. For
fiction, poetry, and children's books, a Reading works better, with a longer focus (about
40 minutes) on the book’s content itself.
2. Select and Prepare Your Material Thoughtfully: Choose excerpts that entice readers
without giving away too much. For both events, focus on impactful sections from the
beginning, middle, and near the climax, leaving the best parts undisclosed. Use sticky
notes to mark sections and prepare concise introductions.
3. Pick a Suitable Venue and Collaborators: Independent bookstores and libraries are great
starting venues. Choose locations that align with your book's audience and genre. For
Talkbacks, collaborate with someone who has a different audience to expand your
reach.
4. Engage Authentically During and After the Event: Prepare for questions by drafting
potential ones for the interviewer while remaining open to spontaneous discussions.
Show your authentic self, take audience questions, and leverage the event for social
media content to connect with a wider audience.
*Kiersten is a marketing professional and book lover who wants to help you market yourself, and your books! With nine years of marketing experience, including five years working with MIT Sloan Management Review, she is ready to help you take on a new project, or offer advice and strategic planning for your current/next book launch or event.
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