The Reckoning: Inviting an Author or Illustrator to Speak? What you need to know

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There is something very special about having your favourite book creator come and talk at your school, or meeting a new author or illustrator who shares their stories and makes you laugh. They are definitely favourites at schools and libraries, but what do the organisers of these events need to consider? Seasoned and award-winning author Melinda Szymanik fills us in.

Perhaps you are planning to invite an author or illustrator to speak at an event or give a workshop. Maybe you’d like them to take part in a panel discussion or do a reading for a special occasion. Maybe you work in a school and want them to speak to the students and inspire them to read and/or write. Or provide some professional development (PD) for teachers. What do you do? What do you need to know?

This article will provide the answers and outline the etiquette around asking and paying.

How to approach a creative

There are a few ways to engage a creative. You can book them through an intermediary like Read NZ. If you are a paid up Read NZ member you are entitled to one subsidised (potentially free) visit a year. Read NZ will make arrangements with the author/illustrator and facilitate payment. Alternatively, you can approach the author/illustrator directly. Many have contact forms or contact details on their websites or blogs. You could also approach them via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

It’s good to sort out beforehand what you want and when you want it for. When is your event, book week, PD? How long would you like the talk to run or the visit to be? How many people will they be speaking to? And what ages? What kinds of things would you like them to talk about/discuss/focus on?

A common misconception around visits or events is that these are amazing opportunities for promotion or book sales for the author/illustrator involved and payment is therefore not required. 

Payment

Another thing you will need to consider is budget. A common misconception around visits or events is that these are amazing opportunities for promotion or book sales for the author/illustrator involved and payment is therefore not required. 

If authors/illustrators sell books at the event/visit they must purchase stock and manage payment. If they work through a second party for sales, such as a bookshop, they will receive the usual royalty (which is most often in the vicinity of five to 10% of the book’s price depending on the type of book and royalty arrangement). They will need to sell an enormous amount of books to cover the costs of their time and effort, and in my experience book sales rarely get into double digits. Logistics around this—such as students having the money to cover the price of a book, and having a kitty to give change—can also be prohibitive. An author/illustrator might choose to make books available for sale during a visit, but this is not an equitable substitute for payment for all the work involved. 

‘Promotion’ is an intangible and usually ineffectual proposition, especially for children’s writers and illustrators. In the best possible scenario, promotion may result in a few book sales, or future invites to speak on the same terms. Neither of which compensate the speaker for their time, effort, knowledge or experience. 

A 2022 Creative New Zealand survey found that creative professionals earned a median income of $37,000/year—well below the national average. Income for many full-time writers generally comes from two key sources; one is the sale of rights to publish and the subsequent sale of actual books, and the other is from secondary sources associated with writing such as workshops, author visits, speaking engagements, and maybe editing or mentoring or assessing the work of others. All of these things are their ‘job’ and are how they make a living. 

When you use your specialist knowledge and experience in your job you expect to be recompensed for this. You would not work for free. Authors and illustrators are no different. 

Authors and illustrators have specialised knowledge and experience—it’s why you want to engage them to talk. Many have several degrees and/or will have attended workshops and conferences to increase their knowledge and skills, as well as having experience working with children. When you use your specialist knowledge and experience in your job you expect to be recompensed for this. You would not work for free. Authors and illustrators are no different. 

But, I hear you say, you’ve got other speakers on your panel or addressing your group or school and they’re giving their time for free. Surely the author/illustrator should do the same? There might be several reasons why those other professionals are not charging for their time. First, they might already be earning a salary in their day job which recompenses them for their knowledge and expertise—they can afford to give their time charitably. Second, they might be new authors still wishing to practise speaking in front of a crowd. Or thirdly, perhaps they have a special connection with the inviting school or organisation. A ‘freebie’ should be at the speaker’s discretion, and should not be assumed. 

Please don’t embarrass authors or illustrators by asking them to perform for free. They will have spent time organising their talk beforehand, will have travel expenses, and might be putting aside other paid work to do your talk.

A ‘freebie’ should be at the speaker’s discretion, and should not be assumed. 

What to expect

• Many writers and illustrators have a range of presentations they can give, often created around their books, or recurring or key themes in their work. They will have different presentations depending on the age of their audience. They will do their best to accommodate any specific requests you have but it will often be within their existing presentations. 
• Many writers have not been teachers and will be unfamiliar with today’s curriculum and standard classroom procedures so may need some guidance if you want to tie in with particular topics. 
• Authors and illustrators should not be left alone with students as they won’t be familiar with the tools you use to manage your student group and will be focusing on their presentation. Also, if your school has specific rules or values they should abide by while visiting, you will need to make the speaker aware of them.
• Many authors/illustrators will use some kind of technology for their presentation. It’s a good idea to mention what tech you have available and whether it is incompatible with any particular systems.
• Will they have to travel from class to class? Note, if they are using technology or have a lot of props, they may find it easier to stay in one place throughout the talks.
• Microphones are great, especially in large spaces or for large groups but are best on a stand if there is to be a reading—turning pages is a mission with a microphone in your hand. 
• Ask the author/illustrator if they have any special requirements/equipment to enable them to deliver their talk/workshop. Where is the best place for them to park? Are there any quirks to finding the reception office or speaking venue? Will you provide lunch/snacks or will they need to bring their own?

 And when it comes to money…

• Assume there will be a fee to be paid (mine are based on Read NZ fees). You will pay more for workshops and PD talks, and there might be travel expenses on top of the fee, especially if they have to travel far, fly, stay in accommodation, etc.
• It is a good idea to ask what the fee is when you first enquire.
• Be clear about what you would like the author/illustrator to do. Is it a workshop, talk, Q and A or reading? Is it to junior students, senior students, or adults? Will they be presenting to the whole school or specific year groups? If it’s a panel discussion who will they be on the panel with? Is it for the morning, the afternoon, the evening, or all day. 
• If the fee quoted is more than you anticipated or can afford, it is okay to say this. And it is good to let the author know, rather than just never replying to their quoted fee. Sometimes an author may be able to negotiate on the fee or suggest a different and cheaper kind of visit. And if they can’t it is better to know the visit won’t go ahead this time. Authors understand that budgets can be tight. 
• Don’t try to shame the author into dropping their fee because you have others visiting for free (this has happened!). The circumstances for those other folk may well be very different. 
• Consider what the mechanism for payment will be. If you make arrangements through Read NZ, they will sort this. Otherwise consider: will a purchase order number or other official form of ‘request’ be required? Who should an invoice be directed to, and so on. 
• It might be possible to consider funding a visit by a gold coin donation/student if the author/illustrator is amenable.

I hope this information helps you to plan your event and to find and engage a writer or illustrator to speak at it. And if in doubt about any aspect, just ask! Writers and illustrators are passionate about books and their craft, and will work with you to help make your event a great success.

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