Your First Book Reading

You’ve been asked to do a reading. Start your thinking with these realities:

• Some writers would rather paint walls than read their work out loud to an audience.  Some authors are so enamored with their own words that they tend to forget an audience exists.
• Some adults love to close their eyes and sink into the sound of another person reading out loud.
• Some adults close their eyes while another adult reads out loud because the whole experience is a bit uncomfortable.

Even the most polished reader performer needs to think carefully about the opportunity and ask a few questions:

• Who will be in the audience?
• What is the occasion?
• What are the facilities like?
• How many minutes have been designated?
• Are there any special requests?

The occasion, audience, and setting really define the structure of a reading. Asking questions helps build a relationship with your host. A bookstore owner might like you to sit on a chair on a platform, to stand without a stand for your book, to use a microphone or not use a microphone, to keep the presentation to … Continue reading →