Why An Author Panel is Awesome
On Saturday, October 5, I was part of the For The Love of Reading event hosted by the West Grey Library at the Durham Town Hall. Since launching into the publishing world full time, I have been working hard to build a relationship with the library and encourage them to lean into our creative community, support the authors we have right here in West Grey, and believe in the people of our small town, trusting that they too appreciate the talent that surrounds them. Part of my vision for my business is to be a local champion of the arts, and being able to brainstorm with the library and encourage them towards events like this is definitely part of it.
While this event wasn’t a big money maker for myself or the other twelve (TWELVE!) local authors, it was a brilliant opportunity to tell our town it’s time to wake up on all the incredible literature they’ve been sleeping on!
With visits from the mayor, Kevin Eccles, our MP, Alex Ruff, and neighbouring community council woman, Monica Singh Soares—it was encouraging to see the support of leadership as well as local townspeople.
The day was a full affair, with a book sale, a Local Author Speed Spotlight (in which we were each given ten minutes to share about ourselves and our work) and keynote speakers of high regard. I was one of four authors invited to participate in an afternoon mediated panel discussion on The Writer As Reader, and this was, by far, my favourite part of the day.
l-r: Barbara McLean, me, J. K. Gravier, and Susan Cullen
Mediated by West Grey Library’s Communication and Programming Coordinator, Kimm Culkin, we entered into an enthusiastic discussion about our love of books and how our reading influences our writing. Despite how serious our faces look in the photo above, we had a playful back and forth that was a million times more fun than doing an author reading.
My most embarrassing part of the discussion: when I had to admit I was currently reading The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: an Oral History by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally (while everyone else had much more profound titles on their bedside tables).
My proudest moment: when I discussed how reading Canadian authors has given me permission to embrace real Canadian settings within my own work, rather than hiding behind made up names like I did in my first books (even though Fallmoore is very obviously based on Durham). Also, how I proudly proclaimed Pet Sematary as my favourite Stephen King novel and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire as the book I’ve read more than three times while others shared earnest tomes like Ulysses and the work of Henry Miller. I believe that showcasing honest personalities is the only way to make a panel successful, and I am not usually a deep, heady reader. I give my time to a book because I want to be entertained.
Five reasons an author panel is awesome (for the author)
Sharing the stage with others helps to distribute the load of conversation and sparks fresh rabbit holes.
Personalities shine through open discussion, which can (potentially) make us more attractive/interesting to new readers.
Diverse backgrounds, genres, and generations provide really rich take-aways for the audience and the writer.
Honest answers highlight reasons why someone might enjoy our writing.
Writing is lonely work. Having a public discussion about something we all love reminds us that we’re not in this alone!
Five reasons an author panel is awesome (for the audience)
You get to observe the author outside their normal comfort zone.
You learn new things about the author that may (or may not) attract you more to their work.
Watching how an author’s brain processes in real time can be a fascinating experience.
Assumptions you’ve made about an author will either be affirmed or erased.
You can walk away with a more informed opinion of the author and their work.
I have attended some great author panels in the past and I hope to be a participant in more in the future. It’s such a valuable way to connect with a new potential audience. If you have a love for literature and the opportunity presents itself to support an author by attending a panel, please consider it. Looking out into a room of engaged faces is the greatest of compliments!
