7Coming-Up
Author Information
This event rounds out the show as our final author event, and it attracts booksellers and librarians as well as publisher and sales rep exhibitors.
The event features seven authors of various genres, hailing from across the country and around the globe. This is an opportunity to build excitement for books that will be released in the coming months (generally through Spring of the following year). While you are speaking attendees will eat their lunch and take note of books and authors that will be a good fit for their stores.
Because this event features seven authors in one hour’s time, the event must run on a precise schedule in order to fit all authors in equally.
The emcee for the event will meet with all of the featured authors twenty minutes prior to the event to go over last-minute details, including the order of speakers, name pronunciation, anything that you would prefer the emcee not mention when introducing you, and the seven-minute time limit. You will also receive your lunch early so you can eat before you speak, if you choose.
Guests will begin getting their lunches at 11:45 a.m. The event will begin at noon, when the emcee will introduce the first author. Each author will have seven minutes to speak, allowing for a one-minute break between speakers to allow for applause and for the next author’s introduction. The emcee will act as timekeeper and will give you a sign if you approach your time limit. Again, it is very important that you honor that schedule, lest one or more of your fellow authors is left with less or no time for her/his presentation. The roster of speakers at this event will be posted separately on PNBA’s show page in late July, when all the authors invited to speak have been confirmed. We recommend that you print that out and bring a copy with you, as a reminder.
The emphasis of your talk should be to convey to the booksellers something that will pique their interest, enticing them to (1) read the book, (2) stock it in their stores, and (3) hand-sell the book to customers. Stories about the book and how it was written, and information that is not in the book that they can share with their customers will increase their enthusiasm. We recommend against using any media (Powerpoint, for example), as the time required to set up a presentation tends to slow the process, which will cut into your time to speak. We also highly recommend that you not simply read from your book.
The event will end at 1:00 p.m. After the last author has spoken, there will be a quick break while we re-set. Then the authors who spoke will begin autographing copies of ARCs. Your publisher will have shipped 40 or 50 copies of your book for this signing, and we will have signing pens for your use. PNBA also provides trained volunteers to assist with the signing, removing the books from the shipping boxes, opening them to whatever page you would prefer to sign, and pushing them across the table to you, so that you can concentrate on speaking to the booksellers and librarians in your line. If you would prefer your guest or a colleague provide this assistance instead, please let us know at that time.
PNBA will give you and one pre-registered guest with free tickets for the lunch and badges good for attendance to the entire show. Your badges will provide you with entry to the exhibits and all PNBA events and parties, except those that require meal tickets. If you (and your guest) would like to attend any of the other meal events at the show, please fill out an Attendee Registration Form, indicating which meals you would like to purchase and for whom they should be held, indicate how you will pay for those tickets, and send the form to PNBA. Your badges and meal tickets will be held under your last name and may be picked up at the PNBA registration desk any time before lunch.
PNBA considers the authors featured at our shows to be our celebrities. Our booksellers need to meet you, hear about your books, and decide which of you to invite to do author events at their stores. Those events are one of the few ways that our member stores can distinguish themselves from online and big-box booksellers—providing their customers with a chance to meet and interact with the actual author in an event that will work well for you. We pledge to treat you as the celebrity you are and to make sure that you have a fun and productive show.
At a Glance
Date: Friday, October 2, 2020.
Registration open: 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Time to meet: 11:40 a.m. at the back of the exhibit hall
Event time: Noon–1:00 p.m.
Autographing: 1:15–2:00 p.m.
Bring: Badge, meal ticket, any props you want to use
The event features seven authors of various genres, hailing from across the country and around the globe. This is an opportunity to build excitement for books that will be released in the coming months (generally through Spring of the following year). While you are speaking attendees will eat their lunch and take note of books and authors that will be a good fit for their stores.
Because this event features seven authors in one hour’s time, the event must run on a precise schedule in order to fit all authors in equally.
The emcee for the event will meet with all of the featured authors twenty minutes prior to the event to go over last-minute details, including the order of speakers, name pronunciation, anything that you would prefer the emcee not mention when introducing you, and the seven-minute time limit. You will also receive your lunch early so you can eat before you speak, if you choose.
Guests will begin getting their lunches at 11:45 a.m. The event will begin at noon, when the emcee will introduce the first author. Each author will have seven minutes to speak, allowing for a one-minute break between speakers to allow for applause and for the next author’s introduction. The emcee will act as timekeeper and will give you a sign if you approach your time limit. Again, it is very important that you honor that schedule, lest one or more of your fellow authors is left with less or no time for her/his presentation. The roster of speakers at this event will be posted separately on PNBA’s show page in late July, when all the authors invited to speak have been confirmed. We recommend that you print that out and bring a copy with you, as a reminder.
The emphasis of your talk should be to convey to the booksellers something that will pique their interest, enticing them to (1) read the book, (2) stock it in their stores, and (3) hand-sell the book to customers. Stories about the book and how it was written, and information that is not in the book that they can share with their customers will increase their enthusiasm. We recommend against using any media (Powerpoint, for example), as the time required to set up a presentation tends to slow the process, which will cut into your time to speak. We also highly recommend that you not simply read from your book.
The event will end at 1:00 p.m. After the last author has spoken, there will be a quick break while we re-set. Then the authors who spoke will begin autographing copies of ARCs. Your publisher will have shipped 40 or 50 copies of your book for this signing, and we will have signing pens for your use. PNBA also provides trained volunteers to assist with the signing, removing the books from the shipping boxes, opening them to whatever page you would prefer to sign, and pushing them across the table to you, so that you can concentrate on speaking to the booksellers and librarians in your line. If you would prefer your guest or a colleague provide this assistance instead, please let us know at that time.
PNBA will give you and one pre-registered guest with free tickets for the lunch and badges good for attendance to the entire show. Your badges will provide you with entry to the exhibits and all PNBA events and parties, except those that require meal tickets. If you (and your guest) would like to attend any of the other meal events at the show, please fill out an Attendee Registration Form, indicating which meals you would like to purchase and for whom they should be held, indicate how you will pay for those tickets, and send the form to PNBA. Your badges and meal tickets will be held under your last name and may be picked up at the PNBA registration desk any time before lunch.
PNBA considers the authors featured at our shows to be our celebrities. Our booksellers need to meet you, hear about your books, and decide which of you to invite to do author events at their stores. Those events are one of the few ways that our member stores can distinguish themselves from online and big-box booksellers—providing their customers with a chance to meet and interact with the actual author in an event that will work well for you. We pledge to treat you as the celebrity you are and to make sure that you have a fun and productive show.
At a Glance
Date: Friday, October 2, 2020.
Registration open: 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Time to meet: 11:40 a.m. at the back of the exhibit hall
Event time: Noon–1:00 p.m.
Autographing: 1:15–2:00 p.m.
Bring: Badge, meal ticket, any props you want to use