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Hi all! Stacey here with my buddy and fellow PubCrawler Stephanie Garber. There may come a time in your life where you will be asked to moderate a panel or facilitate a discussion. Here are our ten hot tips for moderating success.
1) Read the panelists’ books. The best panels in my opinion are the ones in which the moderator asks questions tailored to the author’s works. Obviously, this isn’t always possible, but at least be familiar with the book’s main ideas and stand out points. Don’t be afraid to ask your panelists’ publicists for books. It’s in the publishers’ interests for you to be informed about their author’s works. My secret weapon is to listen to the panelists’ audiobooks, when available. You can make your commute go by faster, and you can listen to them at 3x speed.
2) Send questions ahead of time. Some panelists can answer questions easily on the fly; others would rather visit the dentist than be unprepared. The more you can make your panelists comfortable, the easier time you will have facilitating a conversation.
3) Introduce your authors using the same tone and length. Often moderators will simply read an author’s bio for the introduction, but this invites problems. I recently participated in a panel where the moderator relied on our bios. My own is short and humorous, and doesn’t mention awards or distinctions, whereas the bio of the woman next to me mentioned every degree and award she had received. By contrast, I couldn’t help feeling like the village idiot. This might take a little work on your part to make your intros ‘match,’ but you’ll come across as more polished, and your authors will thank you.
(Note: I have encountered diva/divo panelists who want to be introduced a certain way. I tell them I will do my best, but make no promises. I firmly believe in treating every panelist with dignity and respect, and that means not putting one above the other).
I have spoken on panels where the moderator asks each author to introduce herself, which I find awkward and painful. Not everyone is comfortable talking about herself, and on the flip side, some authors can run at the mouth, viewing the intro as a way to self promote. You can avoid potential awkwardness by doing the honors.
4) Help your audience distinguish between panelists by presenting them as individuals. I have used labels such as, “a rising star,” “a thrilling new voice in contemporary fiction,” “a living legend,” “a NYT bestselling author.” Obviously, make sure your descriptions are complimentary.
5) Go with the flow. A recent panel I moderated featured two authors who were good friends and pros at public speaking. They had great chemistry, and meandered from topic to topic without much prompting from me. I had prepared questions in advance, but found myself needing to replace them with ones that were more natural to the conversation at hand. An additional challenge was to include the third panelist in the discussion as much as possible. This is where a good working knowledge of the authors and their books is essential, because sometimes you have to improvise, and the best way to improvise is to come prepared.
6) Resist letting authors read from their books. I personally find this a waste of time. The audience is there to learn something they can’t learn by merely picking up the book. Plus, not every author is good at, or comfortable with, reading out loud.
7) Remember, it’s not about you. As the moderator, your job is to guide conversations so that the panelists shine. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t bring yourself into the discussion by using examples from your own life to illustrate a particular question. And if you’re asking panelists individual questions, they love it when you’re able to sincerely mention how much something in their writing resonated with you.
8) The moderator sets the tone for the panel, so be personable and engaging. Think of yourself as the first sentence of a novel, the thing that pulls readers into the story. It’s the job of the moderator to engage the attention of every guest in the room.
9) Repeat questions asked by the audience. Just because you can hear a question doesn’t mean the entire room can hear it. Repeating the question also gives your panelists a little more time to think about their answers.
10) Try to have a little fun! Everyone appreciates humor, so if at all possible, weave some into your questions and your introductions—as long as your humor is respectful to the panelists.
Swati Avasthi does a brilliant job moderating a panel at the Multnomah Library that includes myself, Tess Sharpe and Isabel Quintero.
In the comments, let us know if you’ve seen a good moderator recently. Why was s/he good? What things could the moderator have improved upon?
As someone who once made a living selling office supplies, such as business cards, stationery, envelopes, etc, I am here to tell you that a professional-looking business card is THE most important supply you will need if you want to be taken seriously as a freelancer. Your business cards represent who you are, what you [...]
0 Comments on The Importance of Business Cards for Freelancers as of 10/31/2009 1:09:00 PM
You always read ads where people are offering to do odd jobs. They usually mean things like mowing, home repair, tree trimming, trash hauling, you know. But I talked to a client today who has a website about making money, and he told me a story that made me really laugh out loud. See, the [...]
0 Comments on Now THIS is an Odd Job! as of 9/28/2009 3:25:00 PM
We’d love to hear how reading has benefited your family. Leave us a comment below or, better yet, leave us a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
0 Comments on Andrea’s Guest Post: The Family that Reads Together as of 8/17/2009 10:06:00 AM
We’d love to hear how reading has benefited your family. Leave us a comment below or, better yet, leave us a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
Happy Reading!
0 Comments on A Family That Reads Together…. as of 1/1/1900
Today we stray from our standard format to read a few listener comments about the importance of holding an actual book while reading aloud to a group of students. If you feel strongly one way or the other, we’d love to hear your view.
Book on screen? Book in hand? It depends on your goal. As an author who visits schools, I’ve heard librarians say they prefer visiting authors to read from the book as children watch them, rather than showing the pictures on a screen. It may not be the same reasoning behind the preference, but it’s an insight from people who live for books.
Is the story what you want to convey, or is it the experience of sharing books? One is Story alone, which has a place. The other adds Relationship to the equation. Remember the feeling you got as a child when a teacher read to you? If it’s been a while, like it has for me, I bet you remember some of those books.
When I was a kid, teachers used opaque projectors. Some put books in them so we could all see the pictures. I don’t remember any of those books, but I can tell you at least a half-dozen titles that were read to me by teachers without AV assistance. There was nothing like Mrs. Jacobson the librarian, reading Winnie the Pooh to our first grade class 46 years ago.
Maybe it’s because I’m visual, or imaginative, or I’m just more of a day-dreamer than most, but those memories are strong, and it’s a Heart Thing. Use projection when it best fits your needs, and when you want to instill more than Story into your reading time, leave space to dream.
Heidi Estrin said, on 10/23/2008 8:59:00 AM
From 15 years’ experience of reading books to library storytime groups, I have to go with the majority opinion that live-reading is preferable to technologically assisted reading, if your goal is to create a Love Of Reading and a real connection to the book. If you want to get the kids jazzed up and impress the parents, then go with the technology for its cool factor, but as others have noted, the long term impact will be shallower.
The best way would be to read the book first in the traditional way to form a human connection to the story, then to use the document camera afterwords for what it has to offer - the ability to read aloud as a group (or as readers theater), or the ability to examine and discuss the illustrations.
Remember the quote in Jurassic Park about being so excited that you COULD do something that you don’t stop to think if you SHOULD? That’s what classroom technology can be like. I feel that you shouldn’t replace traditional methods with technology unless it offers unique benefits, rather than just a coolness factor.
Today we stray from our standard format for an unplanned and extremely rambly chat about our observations of and unqualified opinions about self-publishing children’s books.
Great topic. I also think there is a big difference between books that are self-published with POD companies and those that are independently published. Quality comes to mind*** there are limitations with POD services. Also, I know what you’re talking about with the magic ponies…
I would say about 1 in 500 self-published books have potential. Nevertheless, people who have a creative impulse and love children’s books can get their ideas in print. And that can be a satisfying experience for both adults and children.
Monday morning moan… at David Maybury | Blog said, on 9/29/2008 1:37:00 AM
[…] The crew at Just One More Book have a really interesting discussion on independent/self-published […]
Interesting discussion about indie publishing. Andrea really hit the nail on the head when she made the point that writing the book is just the beginning and such a small part of the process; and that the real challenge is letting people know that the book is out there. That’s enormous, even for the big fish in the mainstream publishing biz. Getting the word out. Almost everyone who discovers my self-published book (The Call to Shakabaz) has a terrific time with it and I’m proud to say I have sold over 1,200 copies. Only 7% of all the books published sell over 1,000 copies so this is a big accomplishment for a really really tiny little fish like me. But the work continues endlessly and ongoing — getting the word out. I hope authors who are thinking of self-publishing listen to your podcast and take heed!
Keep at the good work, you guys.
Amy
Karl Schroeder said, on 9/29/2008 2:56:00 PM
Great discussion. You guys hit on several critical elements in producing a quality self-published book. There are so many publishing options available now – information is critical.
There are several turn-key POD options available now like Outskirts Press, Inc. which allow authors to contract editors, illustrators, marketing services, even reviewer information, and distribution all under one roof.
Amy – congratulations on your work. Publishing does not stop when the writing is done. Even the best content out there will have a hard time generating sales. Readers will need to learn about the book and about how to get it.
Phil Davis said, on 9/29/2008 5:52:00 PM
Book quality is a big disadvantage with many POD publishers. But it is not always the POD company’s fault. I run a digital printing company and we work with many Independent authors. Some books come out so great I can’t believe we printed it. Other books do not come out looking so great. The primary difference is the graphic design. As costly as independent publishing is, I highly recommend authors work with graphic designers who have experience designing books. It really makes all the difference. Afterall, if you choose to use LuLu or Wordclay, those PODs are going to print what you send them. If you work with a local printer who specializes in book printing, that printer should consult with you on the design or even offer design services. It is not that expensive to have a professional designer work on your book. $500 is a good ball park figure. And a good design is worth every penny.
jenny sue kostecki-shaw said, on 9/30/2008 3:05:00 PM
Such a great episode and discussion. So many important points have been made in the podcast and comments. From seeing some friends go through the process of self-publishing, I’d say (again and again), just slow down. Don’t be in such a hurry to get your book ‘out there’ because rushing it will make the book suffer, and you only have ‘one shot’ in releasing your book. Some sigh at how long publishers take at releasing a book, but with my first book, I’ve seen how important that time is to making it a successful package. I would also recommend that when you make your very first ‘dummy’ (to read to kids + get feedback), just make simple b&w sketches and integrate the text–not as an after thought–but as an integral part from the very beginning. This process of reading it out loud to kids will also help you edit your story and pictures to the most essential. At least, that process has helped me so much. We’re always learning…Thanks for sharing!
Amy Wachspress said, on 9/30/2008 3:43:00 PM
Jenny is so right on the mark! I thought my book was done done done when I started to prepare to publish it and then I did SO MUCH more work on it and postponed the release date. Also, I read the entire book out loud to a sixth-grade class in manuscript/draft. I visited that classroom twice a week for 10 weeks until we got all the way through. Nothing tells an author which parts of a children’s novel move slowly better than reading it aloud to children. Talk about crickets chirping in the dead spots!
Terry said, on 10/3/2008 12:42:00 PM
Great show. I know y’all say you aren’t experts about books, but you are an expert audience. It takes a special person to be able to look at the author in the mirror and get an honest answer. It is about patience; separating yourself from the work; and separating professional suggestions from personal attack. The rule of three applies to editing, too. If three groups/people tell you the same thing needs to be changed … it does. Your observation about the saturation of a topic is so true. When I was the Sr. Editor for a publishing company, my job was to read every manuscript and provide a detailed review. My first research stop was a major bookseller to gauge the level of saturation and to point out, as Mark does, that you need to be able to distinguish your book from the others in your crowd. I’d love to chat more and compare notes …
Just One More Book!! said, on 10/3/2008 12:44:00 PM
Thanks for weighing in, all.
This topic may call for a skype panel discussion…
Lee Wind said, on 10/3/2008 1:25:00 PM
Andrea! Mark! I feel like I just had coffee with you guys! I loved this discussion, and wanted to chime in a few times:
1. YES, being part of a writers group where you can get honest and kind opinions on what’s working and what could be clarified/improved is crucial for a writer!
2. With topics that mainstream publishers are reluctant to dive into, there’s an opportunity to really appeal to a niche market. There was a self-published success story about a picture book called “Snow”
that the author sold at supermarkets all across Texas - it was VERY local, but I recall hearing him say he’s done really well with it.
3. For kids books with GLBTQ content, it’s exciting to see that there’s less self-published books today as the major publishing houses are joining in - or maybe I need to say there are more books with Gay content coming from “mainstream” publishing houses. (And by Gay content I mean children’s books where the child has either GLBTQ parents (like “And Tango Makes Three” published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers) or has a sense of “otherness” (like in “The Boy Who Cried Fabulous” published by Tricycle Press)
Here’s a theory: I think for any minority, there’s a path: self-publish to part of the “mainstream” - ultimately, people want their kids to be able to see reflections of themselves and their families, and if there are no African American kid characters, or Asian kid Characters, or physically challenged kid characters, or kid characters with two dads in books that the mainstream publishers are putting out, there will probably be some self-published titles to fill in that gap.
I’d say that if you’re set and determined to self-publish, you should have a well-defined niche audience and a plan to get info about the book (and the book) to them.
Just my thoughts,
Lee
Heidi Estrin said, on 10/22/2008 8:44:00 AM
Sorry to join the discussion late, but I only just listened to this Extremely Important Episode. I am SO glad to hear you address this topic, Andrea & Mark, and also very impressed with how gentle and sensitive you were with it. I know the topic of self-publishing pushes lots of peoples’ negative buttons, especially amongst reviewers.
Working within the minority niche of Judaic kidlit, I see lots of well-intentioned self-published books written by folks who think that if their grandchildren enjoy it, that’s the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. THANK YOU for pointing out that authors need to get outside opinions. I also think they need to let somebody else read their book to these unrelated children, because you want the reader response to be based on the story, not on the power of the author’s personality or excitement level.
Thank you also for urging potential authors to read widely, both to absorb good style and to become aware of what’s already out there. I actually find it insulting when a new author claims to have published their book “because there are no good books out there for kids” on their topic … when in reality, they just aren’t aware of the good books already in existence. It shows a lack of respect for the readers and for the kidlit world.
You also made a brief mention of agenda-driven books. This is one of the main things I’d ask self-publishing authors to be aware of: if your agenda is showing, the kids will notice, and NOT in a good way. Nobody likes to be lectured to.
I probably should have taken Andrea’s excellent advice about cutting out half your words, and done that with this post! So I’ll just step off my soapbox now.
Oh wait, one more thing… I want to urge new authors NOT to write in rhyme! I find it distracts authors from focusing on their storytelling, because they’re so busy trying to force rhymes to fit. Please please please, focus on your story’s internal logic instead!
Mark was in Philadelphia last weekend to attend a conference called PodCamp Philly. The sessions focused on Internet stuff like social media and podcasting.
Following a session that he delivered, Mark was approached by Melissa Thiessen. She told him about an exhibit of art and children’s books by Maurice Sendak.
So, on the Sunday, Mark and his three new friends piled into a car and hustled out to the Rosenbach Museum and Library where they raced through the exhibit in thirty-minutes during a break before rushing back in time for Mark to participate in a panel discussion.
This episode features a discussion among four people, connected by a love of children’s books, sharing what they learned and what they love most about Maurice Sendak and his books. This proves that, like pop culture discussions, children’s book discussions can take place anywhere; even in cars.
Guest podcast appearance! « Half engineer, Half n said, on 9/14/2008 6:27:00 AM
[…] September 6 and 7 I attended PodCamp Philadelphia and met some fantastic podcasters and bloggers from Philadelphia and around the world. One of the wonderful sessions was given by Canadian Mark Blevis, where he talked about how to enhance your podcast by acting like the band the Police. Mark also talked about his podcast about children’s books called Just One More Book. Being the bibliophile that I am, I recommended he attend the Rosenbach Museum while he was in Philadelphia, as I knew there was a Maurice Sendak exhibit there at the moment. The Rosenbach is a little known Philadelphia treasure, two rowhouses in Center City once owned by two brothers who had a love of books and is converted to a wonderful library and museum. I’d been there once before and fell in love with the place. On Sunday of PodCamp, Mark, myself, and two other great Philly PodCampers rushed over to the Rosenbach during the lunch break, and saw the Sendak exhibit and recorded a podcast in the car. The result is posted on the latest Just One More Book, please listen and enjoy: The Art and Books of Maurice Sendak […]
The latest Tiger’s Choice, Naming Maya, by Uma Krishnaswami, is a response to the Books at Bedtime Reading Challenge that was extended to all readers of PaperTigers. Thanks to Marjorie for giving us all a chance to read our way through different countries and cultures–this challenge opens up a whole new reading adventure for those of us who choose to take it.
As Naming Maya unfolds, many of its readers are presented with a new country, new codes of behavior, new flavors, smells, and daily landscapes. The taste of “honey and chili powder” mingled on the tongue, milk delivered by bringing a cow to a doorstep and milking it in view of the person who is soon to drink it, listening to the call of a brain-fever bird, seeing a tree that is adorned with flowers, coins, and a statue of ” the plump, cheery elephant-headed god, Ganesha,” these things are all vividly described and give a glimpse of Chennai, India.
Or it does for me. How about you? As you read, do you see Maya’s new world, and experience her confusion? Do the differing values of her mother’s home country that frustrate this New Jersey girl become clear as the book progresses? And is memory a gift or a curse?
As the Tiger’s Bookshelf progresses on its own adventure of searching for readers who will take part in our online book group, the question persists of how do non-virtual, more conventional book groups solve the dilemma of having members take voice in their group discussions? If you belong to a book group that has found solutions to the silence, please let us know! How do you entice the shyest, least confident members to voice their opinions and express their thoughts?
0 Comments on The Tiger’s Choice: Accepting the Challenge (and looking for answers) as of 3/18/2008 1:23:00 PM
As our mouths thaw off, our discussion of the features that we love most about great books picks up energy. Which features do you like most in children’s books?
Participate in the conversation. Leave a comment, send us your thoughts (five-minutes or less) as an MP3 file in email to[email protected], phone it in to our listener feedback line (206-350-6487), leave a two-minute MyChingo, or send your comments in email.
We recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Whitney Hoffman of the LD Podcast. We chatted about how the Just One More Book!! Podcast came to be, about literacy and learning — mostly we all enjoyed the opportunity to talk about great children’s books.
The interview is included in LD Podcast Episode #23. Listen in for tips to Maximize Your Child’s Cognitive Development, Uncle Seth…and us!
0 Comments on We’re Guests of the LD Podcast as of
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Thanks to a generous offer from blogger Bianca Schulze, Andrea had the honour today of guest blogging at 
There’s a lot of talk about the benefits of reading aloud to children. But it’s usually focused on the benefits to the children!
Today we stray from our standard format to read a few listener comments about the importance of holding an actual book while reading aloud to a group of students. If you feel strongly one way or the other, we’d love to hear your view.
Mark was in Philadelphia last weekend to attend a conference called 
Book on screen? Book in hand? It depends on your goal. As an author who visits schools, I’ve heard librarians say they prefer visiting authors to read from the book as children watch them, rather than showing the pictures on a screen. It may not be the same reasoning behind the preference, but it’s an insight from people who live for books.
Is the story what you want to convey, or is it the experience of sharing books? One is Story alone, which has a place. The other adds Relationship to the equation. Remember the feeling you got as a child when a teacher read to you? If it’s been a while, like it has for me, I bet you remember some of those books.
When I was a kid, teachers used opaque projectors. Some put books in them so we could all see the pictures. I don’t remember any of those books, but I can tell you at least a half-dozen titles that were read to me by teachers without AV assistance. There was nothing like Mrs. Jacobson the librarian, reading Winnie the Pooh to our first grade class 46 years ago.
Maybe it’s because I’m visual, or imaginative, or I’m just more of a day-dreamer than most, but those memories are strong, and it’s a Heart Thing. Use projection when it best fits your needs, and when you want to instill more than Story into your reading time, leave space to dream.
From 15 years’ experience of reading books to library storytime groups, I have to go with the majority opinion that live-reading is preferable to technologically assisted reading, if your goal is to create a Love Of Reading and a real connection to the book. If you want to get the kids jazzed up and impress the parents, then go with the technology for its cool factor, but as others have noted, the long term impact will be shallower.
The best way would be to read the book first in the traditional way to form a human connection to the story, then to use the document camera afterwords for what it has to offer - the ability to read aloud as a group (or as readers theater), or the ability to examine and discuss the illustrations.
Remember the quote in Jurassic Park about being so excited that you COULD do something that you don’t stop to think if you SHOULD? That’s what classroom technology can be like. I feel that you shouldn’t replace traditional methods with technology unless it offers unique benefits, rather than just a coolness factor.