Such great ideas! Another one: Change the venue. For my biography of Rachel Maddow -- a talented cocktail maven -- I scheduled an event in a gay bar in Vermont. I read from the book, the bartender mixed up some of her favorite cocktails, and we had a lot of fun. Plus, I sold a LOT of books.
Oh FOR SURE! I specifically made this for the bookstore event because that’s where the tradition lies, but yes, of course! Museums! Art centers! JCCs! YMCAs! Cultural insinuations!
I’m always brainstorming ways to remix traditional formats and I love these ideas! Kate Reed Petty put together a list of variations on the virtual event back during the pandemic that I really appreciated too: https://electricliterature.com/its-time-to-radically-rethink-online-book-events/ Like, how can you make use of the space you and your audience are in, whether that's at home, or the bookstore, or somewhere else? Great stuff.
GREAT IDEAS. THANK YOU...I just did a book event and we were talking about memoir v. fiction and how everyone in a family "remembers" things differently. So we did this fun thing where everyone wrote down 2 sentences about intimate things they remember about family members and they could be true or fiction. Then we read them and raised our hands to say if we thought the memory was true or fiction. VERY interesting what people wrote. A lot of "true" sentences which people guessed were totally fiction!
Some of your best work, easy, and I'm adding to this list that the most memorable hour of my college experience was Clyde Edgerton teaching us (with a storm coming in) how to light a match in the wind. Take your audience outside! Teach them a skill you needed, to write your book well!
Brilliant ideas! Thank you for sharing!
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These are SO brilliant! I had a similar fortune cookie idea but yours is better so I'll be doing that one, LOL. So many terrific ideas here!
Hahaha! I feel like there are so many ways to use them! You could do a different one at each event probaly!
Such great ideas! Another one: Change the venue. For my biography of Rachel Maddow -- a talented cocktail maven -- I scheduled an event in a gay bar in Vermont. I read from the book, the bartender mixed up some of her favorite cocktails, and we had a lot of fun. Plus, I sold a LOT of books.
Oh FOR SURE! I specifically made this for the bookstore event because that’s where the tradition lies, but yes, of course! Museums! Art centers! JCCs! YMCAs! Cultural insinuations!
lol cultural insinuations …. Geez Louise!
Thanks for the Mom Brain shout out!
What a lovely list I particularly love the yearbook / book as guest book idea
<3 me too! one day!
Brava!
I’m always brainstorming ways to remix traditional formats and I love these ideas! Kate Reed Petty put together a list of variations on the virtual event back during the pandemic that I really appreciated too: https://electricliterature.com/its-time-to-radically-rethink-online-book-events/ Like, how can you make use of the space you and your audience are in, whether that's at home, or the bookstore, or somewhere else? Great stuff.
These are so fun! I wish virtual events didn't do a hard stop as much as it feels like they did.
GREAT IDEAS. THANK YOU...I just did a book event and we were talking about memoir v. fiction and how everyone in a family "remembers" things differently. So we did this fun thing where everyone wrote down 2 sentences about intimate things they remember about family members and they could be true or fiction. Then we read them and raised our hands to say if we thought the memory was true or fiction. VERY interesting what people wrote. A lot of "true" sentences which people guessed were totally fiction!
ouuuu it's like two truths and a lie! This is SO fun, families are so weird!
These are really great!
Incredible! Incredible! And this 😂😂😂😂: “If you don’t fear being poisoned and it’s a book event that’s intimate, host a pot luck.”
hahaha I think the Princess Bride instilled a deep fear in me!
This list is phenomenal!
Also, I got to #29 and all I could think of was Julian Hall in the Ultimate Fighter (totally ok if none of those words make sense LOL): https://youtu.be/pul56RU6sSI?si=OrsE0Pck09XYj8u3&t=105
HAHAHA I read it out loud to my spouse after typing it and was like, probably not the best exact question I should be asking here?
So many incredibly great ideas! Thanks, Cassie!
Some of your best work, easy, and I'm adding to this list that the most memorable hour of my college experience was Clyde Edgerton teaching us (with a storm coming in) how to light a match in the wind. Take your audience outside! Teach them a skill you needed, to write your book well!
oh my gosh, I literally have a memory about you telling me about this when it happened. He was always doing curious things!
I LOVE this article! You got ideas churning for my upcoming book release. Thank you!
sending you all the fun!
Brilliant! I’m doing a library reading in a few months and will absolutely use one or more if the ideas!
Utterly brilliant! Thank you!