To expand beyond your social circle, elevate your reading to an event with engagement and interaction. One way is to start with a theme. EG noir mystery night with jazz, dimmed lights.
@andyojones.bsky.social on Immersive #events for #writers from #SFWC25 #SFWC2025 #sfwc
I have thoughts to share later with @andyojones.bsky.social on buying books you don't read, and on whether audiobooks are reading. #NoteToSelf
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The book you've written becomes a souvenir of their experience attending the event, and never read it.
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Be clear on the stakes. What will people get out of this experience of value to them?
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"Your book empowers you as an expert."
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I used to tell authors this all the time!
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This is indiscernible from your mailing list but the framing is different. Not about them following you but about what you're offering them. (Also requires segmenting the list but he's not mentioned that)
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Keep the energy going after the event with an offer.
For example, after this event he'll email us tips on the author topic we select.
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Then take a photo of your book on display and post that to social, promoting both yourself and the bookstore.
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Display your books prominently at the event. Ask the bookstore to put the book in the window. @andyojones.bsky.social on Immersive #events for #writers from #SFWC25 #SFWC2025 #sfwc
Add a social media component to your event. Ask them to do a thing with a photo and a hashtag and then randomly pick one of the photos to give a gift, like a signed book.
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#historicalfiction event idea: at the door, pass out news articles related to your story. Later ask if anyone has questions about their news story (ofc using stories you've already researched).
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Have two actors stage a reading of a dialogue heavy section of the book.
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If you have an activity that calls out people in the audience, tell them it's ok to pass, to keep it low pressure.
Can let people share stories without it being *their* stories.
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This goes along with 4, create a sensory experience. Make the food match the theme.
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3. Create a setting - Lighting, visuals, music, food, outfits are all ways. For a mystery, out a chalk body outline and ask audience to come up with ideas for how he died.
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As a professor they do #thinkPairShare, deploy this at a reading. Have the audience break into small groups to discuss what has just been talked about on stage.
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Give everyone an index card as they come in and ask them at the opening, "what's a question you've always had about [topic]?"
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Can bring in an expert to join you so there is a dialogue, not just a reading. Send them questions in advance to prep but then have a natural conversation live.
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2. Dynamic format. Moving away from the expected format. Be purposeful in framing the event just as you would your fiction.
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A simple theme: @andyojones.bsky.social's regular poetry events are at a gallery, the art is part of the ritual. The art is the hook.
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@swellcast.bsky.social's Deb posts twice a week and does smaller interstitial posts. @lisacooperellison.bsky.social says podcast at least every other week but once a week is better.
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Consistency is important in podcasting but it's ok to talk a break. Just make you tell them! "Going on break for holiday..."
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Start and end with the easy questions. Fewer questions can be better; consider how much time you have.
@lisacooperellison.bsky.social
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In deciding how long to make your podcast, consider the length it would take for your listener to go on a walk.
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Have ten episodes lined up before you launch your podcast. She uses @buzzsprout.bsky.social for distribution.
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@swellcast.bsky.social did an interview that seemed like an in-studio back and forth but was actually happening in snatches back and forth when the subject had a minute to spare. She'd send him a voice question and he'd answer that one question
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@lisacooperellison.bsky.social tells us of a podcaster who sits on her hands as a way to force herself to make sure she is listening.
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Podcast interviews are important because they lift up someone else's voice. This is an obligation you have to being a part of your community.
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Sometimes it's a podcaster's job to just get out of the way and let people talk.
@swellcast.bsky.social
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Two fantastic guests can bring people together in dialogue who never would have met.
- @swellcast.bsky.social
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