Sunday Book and Author Breakfast
Author Information
Congratulations to those of you who have been selected to speak at one of the Book & Author Breakfasts at PNBA’s fall show. We host two of these every year, each featuring four authors from various genres. These events are some of our members’ favorites, starting their day off with literature, art, inspiration, and often a healthy dose of humor.
The emcee for the breakfast event will meet with the authors twenty minutes before the event to finalize the order of speaking, to confirm name pronunciations, to check about A/V requirements, to clarify any details that authors do not want included in their introductions, to show you which table you’ll be sitting at so booksellers can talk with you during the first portion of the event, and to emphasize the fifteen-minute limit for speakers. The emcee will act as timekeeper and will give you a sign if you approach your time limit.
The doors will open at 8:00 a.m., and the hotel staff will begin serving meals. By 8:20, serving should be completed, allowing the room to quiet down for the speakers, and the emcee will welcome everyone to the event, make a few announcements, and begin introducing the authors.
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. You are welcome to prepare a PowerPoint or other visual presentation. Please let your emcee know at 7:40 if you’ll need a projector and provide a flash drive with your presentation. We highly recommend that you not simply read from your book.
The breakfast will end at 9:30 a.m. As the attendees leave the room, they will pick up a previously signed copy of each author’s book. The exhibit hall opens at 9:30. Everyone with a show badge, including the authors and their guests, are encouraged to visit the exhibits and the other PNBA events during the three days of the conference.
Your publisher will have provided at least 150 copies of your book for breakfast attendees, and these will need to be signed before the event begins. If you have not pre-signed the books before the publisher ships them to PNBA, you may sign them at 7:00 that morning in our book storage room at the hotel. Please let us know in advance if you will need to sign your books on-site so we can schedule with the appropriate staff.
PNBA will give you and one pre-registered guest free tickets for the breakfast you speak at and badges good for attendance to the entire show. Please fill out the online form with your guest’s name and your meal preferences. Your badges will provide you with entry to the exhibits Saturday and Sunday 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 the previous afternoon or from your emcee before the breakfast.
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: Sunday, October 2
Registration open: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Time to meet: 7:40 a.m.
Event time:8:00–9:30 a.m.
Autographing: Prior to the event
Bring: Badge, meal ticket, any props or multimedia you want to use
The emcee for the breakfast event will meet with the authors twenty minutes before the event to finalize the order of speaking, to confirm name pronunciations, to check about A/V requirements, to clarify any details that authors do not want included in their introductions, to show you which table you’ll be sitting at so booksellers can talk with you during the first portion of the event, and to emphasize the fifteen-minute limit for speakers. The emcee will act as timekeeper and will give you a sign if you approach your time limit.
The doors will open at 8:00 a.m., and the hotel staff will begin serving meals. By 8:20, serving should be completed, allowing the room to quiet down for the speakers, and the emcee will welcome everyone to the event, make a few announcements, and begin introducing the authors.
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. You are welcome to prepare a PowerPoint or other visual presentation. Please let your emcee know at 7:40 if you’ll need a projector and provide a flash drive with your presentation. We highly recommend that you not simply read from your book.
The breakfast will end at 9:30 a.m. As the attendees leave the room, they will pick up a previously signed copy of each author’s book. The exhibit hall opens at 9:30. Everyone with a show badge, including the authors and their guests, are encouraged to visit the exhibits and the other PNBA events during the three days of the conference.
Your publisher will have provided at least 150 copies of your book for breakfast attendees, and these will need to be signed before the event begins. If you have not pre-signed the books before the publisher ships them to PNBA, you may sign them at 7:00 that morning in our book storage room at the hotel. Please let us know in advance if you will need to sign your books on-site so we can schedule with the appropriate staff.
PNBA will give you and one pre-registered guest free tickets for the breakfast you speak at and badges good for attendance to the entire show. Please fill out the online form with your guest’s name and your meal preferences. Your badges will provide you with entry to the exhibits Saturday and Sunday 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 the previous afternoon or from your emcee before the breakfast.
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: Sunday, October 2
Registration open: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Time to meet: 7:40 a.m.
Event time:8:00–9:30 a.m.
Autographing: Prior to the event
Bring: Badge, meal ticket, any props or multimedia you want to use
