Why I love doing events

Two weeks ago I was invited to spend a couple of days at the British School of Paris – lucky me – and it got me thinking about why school visits are so important, both for authors, and for you the readers too. I’ve been doing events in schools, colleges and universities across the world for the last ten years, and they are both a privilege and a pleasure. But more than that, I believe that they are essential too.

Firstly, they are the best way to establish your presence as a writer of young adult/teenage books, and a vital source of promotion. I know that sounds a little self-serving but bear with me. You see there are thousands of books published in the YA/Teen market every year. As a result it’s simply not possible for every book to get the publicity it deserves – there’s just not enough money. Publishers, therefore, tend to spend their promotional budgets carefully, and the lions share of that spending goes on those authors who sell the most books. I know a few fellow writers who find this situation problematic, and one or two who are angered by it. Yet, if I were a publisher it would make perfect sense to promote more widely those books that sell the most. After all publishing is a business and the more profit each publisher makes, the more they can take a chance on new and emerging writers. That’s what happened with me ten years ago and it continues to happen, which is wonderful.

So how do the rest of us get our names known? Well, for me it’s been through doing events. However, I didn’t even think about events when I began my career. Instead they came as a pleasant surprise. I remember doing a couple early on, and thinking they were fun, and then BAM! All of a sudden I was being asked to go all over the place to talk about my life and my books. And, very quickly, I realised two things that have stayed with me. Firstly, how much of a privilege school events are, and second, how special they are too.

I LOVE doing events, and look forward to every single one. Not once in ten years have I awoken with a grumpy attitude, cursing the day ahead, and that makes me very fortunate. Meeting new people, talking about my books and, most importantly, trying to pass on my love of reading, have become passions. Now my events are often less about my own books than pushing the idea of reading for pleasure and sharing some of my own favourite reads with the audience. This might be detrimental to a few book sales but I don’t care. I’d rather my audience become life-long readers of anything rather than just fans of my own work, which happens anyway. Meeting and engaging with my audience automatically raises my profile, and that can only be positive.

And that takes me to the second reason why visits are essential. As all writers of YA/Teen fiction must realise, our audience, you, have many demands on your time. From online activities to education, through to social lives, you are constantly bombarded with other things. Quite a few of you feel that you have no time to read, and some of you tell us that you just don’t like reading. So when an author, poet or illustrator visits your school, that interaction becomes special, and vital too. Engaging with the people who create the books leads to more interest in those books. It is something that I noticed early on and it’s never changed. I go in, do my thing, and then many of you that I speak to want to borrow or buy the books. More importantly, you connect with the concept of reading for pleasure, which is essential for your future success. After all, the more you read, and the more you feed your brains with ideas and information, the more likely you’ll be to succeed. That’s just a given, in the same way that two plus two equals four. And for me, that connection and engagement make school events vital. They should be more than just vehicles for authors to sell books – they should be part of a crusade to turn you and your peers into readers for life. And if that makes me sound like a fanatic – then great! I am a fanatic.

Yet none of what others and I do in schools would be possible without the staff and pupils allowing us that privilege. Which takes me back to Paris and the British School. The entire trip was a pleasure, from the travelling right through to meeting the librarian, Antonella Brasey, and all of her wonderful pupils and colleagues. The level of engagement and interest made every session a joy and the pupils were full of great questions and ideas. Three six-formers even stayed on after a talk about politics to question me further – for an ENTIRE hour! And, because I was working on Valentines Day, the staff decided to take me out for a meal, during which I got to try a delicious burger topped with foie gras. This was AFTER a staff bookclub, held in the packed and vibrant school library, during which they plied me with cheese and wine. How could anyone not enjoy that? A huge thanks, then, to Antonella and everyone else I met at the British School, for allowing me to visit them.

And that thank you extends to every single school or college I’ve ever had the honour to visit, wherever they might be. Life as an author of YA/Teen fiction is great anyway. When you add the opportunity to meet new people and talk about our work, it makes doing the job we do amazing. Which is all down to you. So, merci mes amis.

Some pics from the British School of Paris