Guest blogger Dora Hiers on "Romancing the Library"

Good morning, Seekerville! Myra here, and I'm so happy to welcome my friend Dora Hiers. I first met Dora last year at a Carolina Christian Writers meeting (our area ACFW chapter). As we started getting to know each other,  she graciously invited me to join her and Jennifer Hudson Taylor as panelists in an upcoming library program. Since then, we've done several programs and author events together, and I can tell you Dora really knows her stuff when it comes to "romancing the library"! Please give her a hearty Seekerville welcome.

“So, honey. I could use your help. I need a way to crash a plane,” I said. Hubby and I were eating lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. I needed his thirty-plus years of experience and contacts in the fire service for plotting my current book.

His eyebrows practically arched off his head. His gaze darted around the room. A couple local police officers sat a few tables away. Hubby nodded at them then leaned back and inhaled, deep and shaky. “Crashing a plane. Hmm.”

“Yeah. Or maybe a poison.” That swirled around in my head for about thirty seconds. “Yeah, poison might actually work better. Just enough of a drug to make the pilot a little woozy, but not enough to kill him.”

Hubby scrunched his face, gave another quick glance around the dining room, and hunched his generous body lower in the bench. In the smallest voice he’s capable of, which would still be booming, he said, “Poison. OK. Give me this afternoon. I’ll make some phone calls and find you something to work with.”

A head from a nearby booth jerked and swiveled in our direction. Frowning, the man leaned toward his lunch partner and whispered, began frantically punching numbers into a cell phone.

Hubby bolted to his feet and held out a hand. “You ready to go?”

Flinging a desperate glance over his shoulder, he offered an apologetic wave to the police officers and hustled me out the door.

I’m thankful for my real-life hero. And that we live in a small town.

Hubby is an integral part of my writing journey, from character development to plotting to marketing.

When our local library contacted me about speaking, I balked. What would I say? Who would listen? Hubby encouraged me, even offered some basic topics to tackle. Thankfully, the library manager allotted me a few months to hammer out a presentation and bolster my confidence. When I stepped to the podium, my knees buckled and my voice trembled. My nerves finally settled, and I actually found that I enjoyed the interaction with readers.

Over breakfast a few weeks later, I mentioned visiting a friend who lived a couple hours away.

“Why don’t you visit the library and donate a copy of Journey’s End?” Hubby asked. “The library gets a new book, and for a minimal investment, you’re getting your book in the hands of readers who may buy future books. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.”

Did I mention how supportive and encouraging my hubby is? His suggestion opened up the door for many library invitations.

Here are some tips on Romancing the Library:

Plan your trips and vacations. Map out your route and check library systems in advance to make sure they don’t already stock your book. I have a better success rate with smaller-to-mid-sized branch libraries, so I target them as much as possible. If you’ll be vacationing, email the local librarians to let them know the dates you’ll be visiting. A librarian in Virginia invited me to speak while we stayed in the area for a fire conference.

Dora speaks at the York County Library

Bring your smile and your one sheet. Your enthusiasm breeds excitement. Smile and introduce yourself, trailing your finger along the book covers on your one sheet as you talk.

Inquire if they are receptive to author events and procure the manager’s email address/contact info. Many library managers complain that their readers aren’t interested in straight book signings, but their eyes light up when you offer information their patrons can use. A skeletal presentation can be expanded to cover many topics, depending on the library’s needs. My presentations include: A Glimpse into Publishing, Social Media for the Beginning Writer, and Heart-to-Heart.

Dora speaks at Steele Creek Library

Request a tax donation form. This will ensure that you receive credit for your investment at income tax time.

Follow up. Email a few days after your visit, reminding the library manager of your donation and your presentations offering. Specify a target time frame, i.e. fall or early 2013. Attach your one sheet so they can remember you.

Recognize that library opportunities take time. You may not hear from a library for months. Don’t get discouraged. Writers know all about waiting, don’t we?

Don’t discount the contacts you’ll make in a library. A newspaper reporter wrote about a library’s summer reading program and mentioned my program. Another presentation prompted an invitation for a radio interview. In another, a patron invited me to speak elsewhere.

Romancing the Library is a win-win. Hubby was right. Poor guy. He never knows what awaits him on a lunch date. 

If you’re interested in Romancing the Library, make sure you check out Myra Johnson’s great article on What Works and What Doesn’t at Libraries.

What about you?

Does your loved one support and encourage your writing journey?

Have you considered romancing the library?

Thank you so much for allowing me to visit. Join the conversation today for a chance to win a print copy of Journey’s Edge.

About Journey’s Edge:

A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiancé, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?

Purchase Link for Journey’s Edge

About Dora Hiers:

After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son didn’t want her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing books. Dora belongs to the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Carolina Christian Writers.   

When Dora isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!

Readers can connect with Dora:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Blog: Seriously Write and Heart Racing, God-Gracing Romance

Library Events: What's good, what's bad, what works, what doesn't.

Myra here. Let me just state for the record that I am not an “out there” kind of person. I would much rather sit at home in my comfy writing chair with my nifty adjustable laptop desk with its built-in cooling fan and my trusty MacBook Pro open to my work-in-progress.

But let’s face it. Writing isn’t just about writing. We want readers. Faithful readers. Readers who tell their friends what great writers we are so their family and friends will buy our books!

And that leads us to the dreaded word promotion, which in turns brings us to one of the primary methods writers use to promote their books.

[Cue scary music here.]

PUBLIC SPEAKING!!!!!!!!

When I first dreamed of becoming a published novelist, it never occurred to me that I’d eventually be called upon to speak in front of various sized groups whose interest varied from “You are beyond fascinating!” to “Where’s the nearest exit?” 

My first few post-publication speaking gigs were for church gatherings or my local writers group, where I knew I’d be among friends. But when you have no idea whom you’ll be addressing--much less how friendly and open-minded they’ll be--it’s a lot different.

It also makes a difference whether getting up in front of an audience comes naturally to you. For some authors--the extroverts among us--public speaking is a breeze. Others, like introverted moi, need some encouragement.

That’s why I was very grateful after moving to the Carolinas and joining Carolina Christian Writers, the local ACFW chapter, to connect with Dora Hiers, a writer who has developed a real knack for working with area libraries to schedule author events. (You’ll have a chance to hear more from Dora in November when she joins us for a guest blog.)

Although I’ve done several library programs with Dora this year, I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on the subject. But these experiences have brought a few things to light that I believe are worth passing along to other authors interested in braving the library circuit.

Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Dora Hiers, and Myra Johnson

The first program I shared with Dora was actually a three-author panel that also included Jennifer Hudson Taylor, another Carolinian. The audience, comprising readers who enjoy inspirational fiction, proved very welcoming. Each author gave a 10-15-minute talk describing our journey to publication, providing background about our novels, and sharing a few thoughts about writing Christian fiction. Afterward, we took questions and then visited with attendees and autographed books.

A couple of weeks later, and feeling more comfortable now that we’d gotten to know one another better, the three of us repeated our program at a public library in another city with even more success.

Here I am speaking again. Not a library event, but a speaking engagement that came about as a direct result of one of our library programs.

Sharing the program with one or more author colleagues definitely takes the pressure off! That’s why, when Dora asked if I’d be interested in working up a joint program for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library System Summer Reading Series, I immediately said yes, and soon we were hammering out a talk on “Writing Inspirational Fiction” that would be presented at two different libraries.

We organized our talk in a “she said/she said” format, beginning with each of us sharing our personal background and highlights of our writing journey. We went on to discuss our individual writing styles, where we get ideas, advice about finding an agent, and an overview of several Christian publishing houses. Each participant received a handout with a list of our favorite craft books and writing websites.

We ended the program with Q&A, which was a great opportunity to zero in on participants’ individual needs and interests. Afterward, we stayed around for book browsing and more casual conversation. Overall, the program seemed to go over quite well.

Now for the good, the bad, etc., etc.

Good: People who attend library events are avid readers.

Bad: Library patrons like to check out books, not necessarily buy them.

Good: It’s fun and inspiring to chat with people who are really interested in books and writing.

Bad: Turnout is unpredictable. At some events we had 10-15 or more in attendance. At one of the summer programs we had only two.

Good: Librarians are your friends. Get to know them and they will recommend your books to readers and suggest upcoming releases as possible library additions.

Dora and I display our books.

What works: Contacting libraries well in advance of your desired program dates.

What doesn’t work: Expecting the library to get you on the program calendar within a month or two. It can take several weeks to several months to get library approval.

What works: Planning ahead of time whether you will address primarily readers or writers and adjusting your content accordingly.

What doesn’t work: Not clearly advertising your program as Christian or “inspirational.” People have been known to walk out at the first mention of faith.

What works: Promoting the event on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc.; also finding out what forms of promotion the library will be using.

What doesn’t work: Scheduling your program either too early or too late on a weeknight evening.

What works: Arriving early enough to get your table and book display set up, visit the ladies’ room, get some water, and mingle with attendees as they arrive.

What doesn’t work: Trusting Google Maps to send you to the right location, then arriving so close to start time that you’re flustered and out of breath.

Dora and I take questions following our "Writing Inspirational Novels" presentation.

What works: Giveaways (bookmarks, postcards, chocolate, etc.) and handouts containing supplemental information.

What doesn’t work: Sitting shyly behind your book table and waiting for people to talk to you.

What works: Interacting with attendees, asking them about their reading interests, and suggesting other authors (yes, your competition!) you think they might enjoy.

What doesn’t work: Not verifying whether the library has copies of your books in circulation.

What works: Donating a copy of your book to the library prior to or, at the latest, the day of your program.

What works: Remembering to send a thank-you note to the program organizer and mentioning your interest in working with him or her in the future.

Bad: Preparing talks and doing programs definitely takes its toll on your writing time.

Good: But in the end, it’s usually worth the sacrifice!

Carolina authors at the Mooresville Library Local Author Showcase, including Carol Stratton, Jennifer Fromke, me, Mary Urban, and Dora Hiers. At this event, all we had to do was mingle--no speaking involved!

Have you braved the library program circuit yet? What do you like most about speaking events? What do you find most challenging?

If you’re a librarian, what advice would you offer authors interested in presenting a program to your patrons?

Join the conversation today to be entered in a drawing for my latest release, A Horseman’s Gift.

   Filipa Beltran is tired . . . sick and tired of living out her parents’ dreams. After years of guitar lessons and the seemingly endless string of part-time jobs to pay for them, Filipa makes a drastic decision to leave New York and the hope of becoming a professional musician behind and return to her hometown, to move forward with her life--on her terms.
    The past year has been nothing short of crazy for Nathan Cross. Once set on becoming a big business mogul, Nathan’s plans derail following his father’s untimely death and his mother’s whirlwind remarriage. Now he’s headed back home to carry on his father’s legacy running an equine therapy program . . . and trusting God to sort out his future.
    When Nathan discovers childhood friend Filipa is also back in town--to stay--he finds it hard to swallow. Maybe she wasn’t the girl he thought, or else she wouldn’t sacrifice everything her parents dreamed of for her.
    Can Nathan and Filipa find contentment in their God-given gifts?

Writers as speakers

The dreaded speaking engagement,

an introverted writer’s worst nightmare!

Unfortunately (for many of us), being asked--make that being expected--to speak is just one more aspect of life after (and very often before) publication. Whether it’s giving an inspirational or motivational talk to the local seniors group or service club, or sharing from your well of writing experience at a writers group meeting or conference workshop, at some point you may be called upon to dig deep and find the courage to step up to the microphone and speak.

Why, you may ask, when you’d so much rather just hide behind your computer screen and write?

For one thing, speaking is among a writer’s best tools for [insert scary music here]

BUILDING A PLATFORM!

Yes, a writer’s three favorite words, right up there next to

YOU MUST HAVE A WEB SITE

and

YOU MUST HAVE A BLOG.

For many of us, even the most html-challenged, creating a Web site or thinking up fascinating blog posts is TONS less intimidating than speaking in front of an audience.

A recent random poll of my Seeker sisters revealed some interesting insights into our attitudes toward public speaking.

Take Ruthy, for instance. Ruthy, as you may have noticed, is just a wee bit outgoing. On a scale of 1 to 10, her “public speaking scare factor” ranks way down at a teensy-weensy 1. She admits to getting a little nervous immediately before a talk but says that’s just normal.

Our poised and prolific Debby is only slightly higher on the scare factor scale, rating herself around a 3--as long as she has plenty of prep and practice time.

Janet says she’s “all over the place.” She may start out at a 1 when she first agrees to speak, but the closer it gets, the higher her scare factor rises. “The day of the speech, I'm a wreck and ask for prayer. But once I arrive and get involved, I calm down and enjoy myself. At least so far.”

For Missy, it depends upon the occasion. She’s a 6 for smaller groups and civic organizations, an 8 for large groups like her RWA chapter, and a whopping 10 when asked to speak for her church’s women’s group! At one point, her daughter was afraid Mom was about to hyperventilate!

Sandra doesn’t seemed at all fazed by the idea of speaking--but then she’s our intrepid explorer and mountain biker.

I’d probably rate myself at a 5--and that’s only if I have lots of prep time and extensive notes. If I had to speak off the cuff, that number would zip right up to a 10+!

Others among us, I know for a fact, shiver in their stilettos at the mere idea of speaking in front of an audience. But when called upon, we swallow our fears and--as the slogan goes--just do it.

Platform, name recognition, and book sales may top the list of reasons why we torture ourselves like this. But Ruthy reminds us that speaking to groups offers an excellent opportunity to look our readers in the eye, shake their hands, and get to know them as real people. Debby also enjoys meeting readers as she shares her faith along with her writing journey.

Missy says she actually enjoys speaking once she gets started. She and Janet both enjoy talking about their writing and books. They also agree it isn’t about the honorarium or other forms of compensation but about connecting with their readers.


When you weigh the “scary stuff” against the benefits, it’s easy to see why authors (even the shy, retiring ones) pull up their big-girl (or boy) panties and seek out (or at least don’t immediately say no to) speaking opportunities. Here are a few Seeker tips to ensure a successful speaking engagement:

• Know who your audience will be--readers, writers, a ladies’ church group? How you approach your topic will depend upon your audience’s expectations.
• Print out the text of your speech in a large font and practice often until it starts to feel natural. Time your talk to make sure it fits into the time allotted. (Remember, when you’re nervous, you may tend to speak faster.)
• If at all possible, get comfortable enough with your talk to speak from notes rather than the full text. You can also highlight specific points and transitions on the printed speech so you can glance at it for a quick reminder.
• Place your printed speech or notes in a notebook rather than on notecards. If you drop loose pages or notecards, you may find you’re missing a page or your notes are out of order!
• If you’re doing a PowerPoint presentation or using other visuals, practice with them ahead of time. Arrange to visit the speaking location in advance to make sure you have all necessary hookups and instructions on how to operate the equipment.
• Dress professionally but comfortably. Before leaving home, check your attire from every angle and under direct lighting. You don’t want peekaboo underwear or a drooping hem!
• Upon arriving at your speaking venue, allow time to mix and mingle. It’s much easier talking to new friends than to a room full of strangers.
• If you’re eating at the event, be sure not to stuff yourself! Avoid any foods that you know will cause you allergy problems like increased sinus drainage or a “froggy” throat.
• In the days leading up to the event, and especially just before you speak, pray for calmness and the ability to focus.
• Make sure you have a glass of water at the podium. Throats can get really dry after several minutes of talking, especially when nerves are involved.
• Make eye contact around the room while speaking. And speak loudly and clearly. Slow down and BREATHE!
• At the beginning of your talk, be sure to thank the organizers and anyone else responsible for inviting you.
• Learn to laugh at yourself when you make mistakes (because you will!), and trust the audience to laugh along with (not at) you, knowing they want you to do well.
• Personal stories are always well received. Think about just being yourself and making a connection with your audience. Focus on making the audience comfortable. No one will enjoy a speaker who looks terrified!
• Consider offering a prize giveaway, such as a basket of your books, at the end of your talk. Have 3x5 cards available for people to sign up for the drawing as they arrive. (This could also be an opportunity to add names to your newsletter mailing list.)
• Allow time for questions at the end of your talk. Thank audience and the organizers.

I know, I know, one big issue we haven’t addressed yet is what on earth you’ll talk about! This is less of a problem when speaking to a group of writers. Writers always want to know how other writers do it--plotting, characterization, description, how you organize your work, etc.


But if you’re asked to speak to groups who are mostly readers (you hope!), it can be a little harder to narrow down a topic. Even so, most people are fascinated with the life of a writer--everything from where we get our ideas, to how long it takes to write a book, to what a manuscript goes through during the editing and publishing process.

Janet and others have found this especially true when speaking to book clubs. “Speaking to them energizes me,” Janet says. “I've even had book clubs do lovely things like replicating a meal from one of my books or decorating with hats in honor of my milliner heroine.”

Another no-fail topic is the story of our writing journey. Most of us who’ve gotten this far have had to persevere in the face of rejection, discouragement, and hope deferred. As Christians, we can speak of the role of faith on the journey, or of the serendipitous moments and “divine appointments” only God could have orchestrated.

Missy most enjoys talking about persistence and the first sale, and she loves to be an encourager to others. She still a little intimidated speaking to writers or teaching conference workshops because she feels like she’s still learning so much--yet she loves to teach. And the truth is, no matter where you are on your writing journey, there’s always someone who can gain from the benefit of your experience.

One of Ruthy’s favorite talks begins something like this. Holding up her first published book, Winter’s End, she says:

"They told me no one would ever publish a romance about death. But then," and I hold up the second book (Waiting Out the Storm), "they told me they'd never publish an interracial romance..." and then I hold up the third book (Made to Order Family): "But then they told me that no one is ever, ever, ever going to publish a book about two alcoholics trying to make a go of it.

"It appears THEY were wrong."

Finally, here are some resources that may help you prepare for the inevitable author’s speaking engagement:

CLASServices Inc.

Toastmasters International

Connect! A Simple Guide to Public Speaking for Writers, by Linda C. Apple

If you’re a writer with speaking experience, what are your favorite tips and resources?

If you’re a writer who’s dreading that first speaking engagement, share your questions and fears.

Leave your e-mail address in a comment for a chance to win a copy of Linda Apple’s book!