A lion tamer at Bertram Mills Touring Circus, Ascot, 1936. Photo by Edward G. Malindine
Certainly our work is the most important component of an author event. With that in mind, most of us choose what we’ll read with care, incorporating the anticipated audience, reading time allowed, and how much backstory setup is required for a particular passage. Maybe we practice reading aloud and timing ourselves. I know I do.
As a person who has issues with anxiety, I need to feel prepared. Yes, a large part of that is about what I’ll speak about or read. But I also pay more attention than I probably should to my personal presentation.
Below are some of the tricks I found during the pandemic launch of my debut novel. I used these all again for the launch of my second novel, two weeks ago. Note: Many of these are for virtual events, because #covid.
“Pointless fluff!” you might scoff. Perhaps. But for me, using these tools helps me feel prepared, and that takes the anxiety level down a notch.
Sound your best! Publishing Guru Supreme Jane Friedman recommends corded Apple earbuds with mic for good sound if you don’t want to invest in or wear a full-on headset. Keep a glass of water handy in case your voice gets scratchy. I once replayed a recorded interview where I had my volume turned way up and I was irritatingly louder than the interviewer throughout. You might ask your host to run a sound check with you ahead of time, or else ask someone you trust to tell you if your audio equipment needs to be upgraded.
Be aware of ambient noise. I have twice done live radio interviews from my closet, while three power mowers droned away outside the house. Will the air conditioner kick on while you’re talking? Turn it off. Might your landline ring from the table beside you, then broadcast a voicemail? Unplug it. Will your roommate walk through behind you, wearing skivvies, and shout that your puppy just made a mess on the carpet? Put a sign on the door.
Spend some time with your camera. First, be sure it’s quality and that your image isn’t grainy, thanks to old technology. Second, do not ignore camera angle! An adjustable laptop stand is great to set your screen and camera at eye level. If you don’t have one, prop up your laptop on a sturdy stack of books. If you use an external camera, be sure that is at eye level. Nobody wants to look up your nostrils, trust me. Try not to look at the screen while you’re speaking, look at the camera lens. Also, be sure there isn’t a big smudgy fingerprint over the camera lens on your laptop screen.
Consider investing in some accessories. Ring lights are available cheaply. Look for one with an adjustable stand, a phone holder, and variable light. The one I have has adjustable brightness and can adjust from cool to warm lighting like a makeup mirror. Also, a laptop stand can be a big help, especially if you’re lucky enough to be able to set up a sort of “station” area where you can leave things in place for multiple events.
Explore your event app. Be it Zoom, StreamYard, or Facebook or Instagram Live, whatever you’re presenting on, take some time to look around the dashboard and see which features are available to you. If you’ll need to screenshare be sure you have host access to that feature. Do you know how to turn your mic on and off? Do you know how to make sure your camera is on from the start? You never know what you’ll find “under the hood.” For example, did you know that Zoom can enhance your appearance? I didn’t, until Jane Friedman told me about it. It’s called—you guessed it— “Enhance my Appearance”. Here’s how: With Zoom on and your face showing, go to the “video” setting with the camera icon on the lower left corner of your screen. Click on the up arrow and select video settings. Under the heading “My Video” you’ll see “Enhance my Appearance” with a slide bar. The setting will stay as you place it. I use about 50%.
Jane Friedman has some great posts about presentation, like this one by Gigi Rosenberg on How To Nail Your Next Reading.
Preview your lighting. I watched a video I found helpful about lighting and makeup for virtual events, here. One of the tips was to check lighting by turning your phone on selfie mode and walking around your house until you find a spot with nice light. Of course, the light will change through the day but avoid overhead lighting, backlighting, and harsh, bright lights. If you use a ring light, check to see if it’s reflecting circles in your glasses (which can be distracting to viewers). Turning the ring light (or other light source) perpendicular to your face vs. parallel can help. To check your lighting before a virtual event, log into Zoom from your own account.
Consider other visual tools, too. For example, on Canva or PowerPoint you can develop a slideshow for book clubs or for virtual book talks to show settings or research. Sometimes I also have props at hand, such as the 1923 copy of Emily Post’s Etiquette book or an antique hotel key that inspired my first novel. When I saw Patti Callahan Henry speaking about her latest book Surviving Savannah,(which I just loved) with Tim Ehrenberg, she showed some actual artefacts from the shipwreck that features in her novel. It was fascinating.
Print your notes in large font. This can help you to stay engaged with your audience of viewers without thinking too much about what you’d like to say next, as it’s right there in your peripheral vision. Bonus: If you wear reading glasses but would rather do without them, this might do the trick.
Consider having prewritten paragraphs to answer frequent questions, especially the dreaded What is your book about? Avoid using the very same answers every time. Mix it up. With historical fiction, I have dates, names, and figures from my research I need to recall accurately. I printed these out in large font and pasted them to a 3’ tall cardboard triptych that I positioned behind the screen of my laptop. Yes, it’s a crutch, but when you have ten minutes of live radio time to fill with someone who hasn’t heard of you or read your book, it can help.
Cultivate your unique ‘author look.’ Before my launch I bought some new makeup, some purple shampoo to brighten up my white hair, and some Crest white strips to whiten my teeth. I wear more makeup on Zoom than I do in real life. I did an event with author Jennifer Steil, and she wears a signature vivid red lipstick that looks fabulous. Janet Fitch wears distinctively chic and edgy eyeglass frames. Craig Johnson always wears his signature cowboy hat. Hank Phillippi Ryan always looks polished on camera. She has a setup in her office where her many awards show behind her and she always wears vibrant lipstick, a tailored black top, and a chunky necklace. Another author with a strong signature look is Neil Gaiman, who usually looks like he just rolled out of bed and slept in his clothes (in a good way).
And my final—and possibly most important—tip:
Before an event, get your head in gear. For me, that means a long walk and/or meditation session on the Down Dog app, which I love. You can choose the voice, duration, music, and intention of your session and listen anytime you like. They also have a fabulous yoga app. I also freely admit that I have a little ritual that never fails to get me pumped. I blast my earbuds or car stereo with “Get Ready For This” By 2 Unlimited before I go on.
What gets you pumped for writer events? Do you have tips and tricks to share?