HELLO!

Welcome to Series Two, Chapter 11 of The Happy Book. In this chapter, I'll be revealing the ins and outs, ups and downs and roundabouts of sparkling school visits. We'll cover EVERYTHING, from organising a visit to creating eye-popping presentations that will have kids enthralled, right through to what to charge and all the formal details you'll need to square away.

You'll learn about book sales and signing, types of presentations, age groups and numbers, equipment needed, making both teachers and students happy, and my best tips for repeat bookings-it's all included, yes it is.

Special guests mentioned in this chapter are: Cate Whittle, Susanne Gervay, Belinda Murrell, Frané Lessac, Kate and Jol Temple, and Michael Gerard Bauer.

Fire up your device, cram in those earbuds and enjoy this foray into the magical world of kids' book creation. If you have any questions or comments, you can say hello at booksATtaniamccartney.com.

I'm Tania McCartney and I'm an author, illustrator and editor of children's books. I've always wanted to live inside a book, and now I practically do. Welcome to this happy place-the Happy Book!

SHOW NOTES

00:32 Introduction

01:36 A big thank you

02:11 The Happy Book Facebook Page

02:20 A long black with cream, yes cream and a keto/health update-eep!

04:09 The creator and their multi-hatted journey

04:31 A variety of school visits

04:52 My school visits

05:30 Learning and creative inspiration from school visits

07:08 The boring stuff-requirements for school visits

07:26 Public Liability Insurance

07:46 Author business insurance

09:01 State and territory requirements-Working with Vulnerable People card

09:40 School reluctance

11:16 Randomly approaching schools

11:42 Organising visits well in advance

12:12 Approaching your target age group

13:07 Visual presentations to fit many ages

13:32 Book signings

15:48 Order forms for books

17:14 Which schools to visit

18:20 Interstate school visits

18:54 Cold-calling schools and their response

19:27 Different types of schools and what they focus on

20:21 Staff enthusiasm

20:57 Keeping notes on each school

21:56 What to charge

22:30 Exposure bucks

23:50 Doing school visits for free

24:34 Charging a higher fee for the first presentation of multiple sessions

25:23 Adding value to your visit-speaking to larger groups

26:00 What does the school want from your visit?

26:23 Creating a single presi that will stretch across grades

27:52 Equipment

29:20 Ensuring your presentation will work properly

30:07 Confirm the age groups and numbers

30:16 Navigation information and directions

30:39 Timeframes

31:15 Timing your sessions through the day

31:41 Try to be flexible

31:53 A lovely glass of sparkling mineral water, and no food!

32:10 Presentation content

32:45 Writing new presis for new books

33:10 When schools ask you to create something specific

33:55 PowerPoint presentations

35:33 Content and themes/engaging children with interactivity-Australian Story

36:57 I Love Books presentation interactivity

38:13 Be yourself

38:39 Presi ideas

39:30 Use visuals and props

39:42 Question time

39:53 Have fun, be silly, ham it up

40:28 Tips on making your presentation truly pro

46:55 Dealing with extreme nerves

47:17 My severe anxiety at my first CBCA conference

48:26 Tips for anxious...