TIP TUESDAY #171 SANDY CARLSON ON SCHOOL VISITS AND THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED GIVEAWAY

Tip Tuesday features writers' tips on craft, research, querying, blogging, marketing, inspiration, and more. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

Natalie here. Today I’ve got a fantastic tip by Sandy Carlson on school visits. Details about the giveaway with be at the end of the post.

So here’s Sandy.

AUTHOR SCHOOL VISITS BY A FORMER TEACHER

Having been a teacher of kids in K-5 for many years, I was never worried about doing school visits for my historical fiction, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED, published last March. I love history. I love teaching. I love being around kids. I am a kid. (Just don’t look at my photo.)

I’m aware that in these days and times the author (both traditionally- and self-published) ends up doing most of the marketing and promotions for the book herself. I’m a writer. I’m a teacher. So what did I know about this whole new field of marketing, etc.? Nothing! I seriously needed a plan.

Sandy’s School Visits Plan:

First, for about three months prior to publication, I went cross-eyed reading nothing but about school visits and marketing and publicizing and doing promos.

Second, I planned what to wear during my school visit outfit. Since I wrote a historical novel, my clothing ought to be historic-looking. It would also make me stand out from the everyday adult teacher. More research.

Third, I attended author visits of writer friends at different schools, taking copious notes. (As both a teacher and a writer, I’d already attended over 30 author visits before this time, but needed to keep fresh.)

Fourth, I contacted teachers I knew in town (all five), and offered them free classroom or school visits. I figured I had to get my name (and story) out there, plus, it would give me experience for the future.

Fifth, I looked up educational standards or common core for my target ages and I set up eight distinct sessions from which teachers could choose for their visit (e.g., the Victorian/Pioneer age, revisions, plot, character, etc.). I also asked the teachers what they themselves wanted to see in an author visit. As a former teacher who’d weekly made up lesson plans, I adapted each visit to each teacher expectations or requests. The first month my book was published, I’d visited with eighteen classrooms, K-4, with more elementary school and middle school classes planned for later in the spring.
Sixth, I handed out evaluation sheets to the teachers with a SASE so I could see, in their opinions, what worked or didn’t.

Seventh, via email, I contacted principals and media specialists in schools around the area in which the story takes place, and researched other locations where the story would be of particular interest for future contacts.

The hardest part of all this was getting over my shy self, and boldly telling others about my book, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED! The rest has been pure fun!

Bio: Sandy is a former teacher and present author and speaker. Her latest book is yet another historical fiction titled TALES OF THE LOST SCHOONER about sailing around Michigan’s Mitt in 1854. (Yay! She gets to wear her hoop skirt some more.)

Here’s a blurb about THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED from Goodreads:

Act of man or act of God? Just how many homes and friends does a kid have to lose in twelve years?

Driven from his neighborhood during the Chicago fire of 1871, Adrian and his parents move to the Michigan wilderness where his father lands a job at the sawmill. The town is called Singapore - as if a name could make a tiny spit of a town into a great seaport.

Adrian finds it difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Back in Chaicago, it was easy to keep his hobby a secret, even from his father. But in this small town, will people discover who the true knitter of the family is? Only his best friend, big R.T., keeps Adrian level, even though R.T. does have that habit of speaking in animal dialects.

Then, just as Adrian starts to feel that Singapore is his home, he discovers the moving sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore are slowly burying his town. He tries to stop it, but how can he fight both man and nature?

Sandy has generously offered a print copy of THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED to U.S. residents and an e-book to International residents. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on September 28th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.

Tomorrow I’m interviewing one of our followers, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.

Hope to see you tomorrow!