Authors often feel like DHL parcels on a book tour, delivered from one venue to another. Small things can feel like big problems: iffy internet service at the hotel; a plane or train being just a few minutes late; forgetting where you put something because you've packed and repacked your bags so many times.
So how do you maintain control?
First thing, never be shy about arrangements at your venue. I've done hundreds of readings and talks on three continents, and I keep finding myself set up to speak from a stage, behind a podium, far from the audience. It's not something I enjoy because I like to be close enough for good eye contact, so I ask about setup in advance if I remember.
If I don't, I check it out well beforehand when I'm on-site so the changes can be made in time. I'm also never embarrassed to ask for the lighting to be turned down because it's usually too bright and glaring, which makes reading harder. And I check to see if the venue is too warm. I don't mind if it's on the cool side because I put out a lot of energy when I do a reading, which is also why I always ask for bottled water to be at the podium or table.
But there's realistically just so much you have control over. Things go wrong all the time. Books get lost or haven't been ordered. There may be more competing events that night than your event organizers realized. It's crucial to not be flustered. Stay calm, stay cheerful, stay focused. It doesn't matter if you're speaking to five or five hundred people, you have to give your audience your best.
Obviously, the energy in a crowded room gives you more to work with, just as if you were on actor, so you may find yourself scaling down what you do with a smaller crowd, or actually working harder. Whichever feels best, do it, always remembering the people who did come deserve your respect as an author. That means not letting your disappointment show in any way at all. The show must go on.
I just did a twelve-day book tour in Germany for my memoir My Germany and while my Munich reading for seventy people was more exciting, the bigger challenge was reading for no more than a dozen in Freiburg. Afterwards, the organizers at both venues were equally thrilled, which made me glad that I approached each reading with enthusiasm, focus, and preparation.
Was it a perfect book tour? Pretty close!
Follow Lev Raphael on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LevRaphael
I'm normally shy and would prefer to sit behind the table or wait to be introduced, but I began using this technique as well. It makes it easier for the audience to relate, gives you some interaction, and in my case, where I'm usually doing a workshop or speaking on a panel, I know too well the audience has come for the subject matter, not because of me or my books.
Glad your Germany tour went well.