Meg Cabot's Author Book Tour Tips

Posted on April 27, 2006

You may be lucky enough to be heading out on your very first book tour. But are you ready? Meg Cabot shares her best tips for authors getting ready to head out on a book tour. Here's a small snippet of the must-read essay for authors who are novices at touring:

1) DON'T BE A SLOB
Writers, I recognize that you are sensitive artists who want to be known for your creative writing, not your fashion sense. But for the love of God, people, you are at a book signing. Your readers are seeing you live and in person for the first time. SO WHY DIDN'T YOU BRUSH YOUR HAIR?????
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2) DON'T BE A WEIRDO
If there is anything that burns me up more than an author who makes no effort to look nice for his or her readers, it's authors who act all weird because they think people in the "creative arts" are "special."
I am not talking about throwing on a tiara and a feather boa, either. I am talking about authors who pretend their books aren't written by them, but by their characters. As in, "I didn't want to kill off So-and-So, but Name of Main Character insisted on it! There was nothing I could do!"
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...I fear that some authors say things like this so often, they are actually starting to believe it. I know this because authors are saying it to ME, in private conversations, with no readers present. And I find myself going, "Uh-huh. Really? Your characters actually talk to you? That's so interesting, because you know, I made my characters up, so they can't talk to me, because they ARE NOT REAL."

Not being a slob or a weirdo is very wise. We also advise paying particular attention to her advice about mentioning your Spirit Guide. That one tip alone could boost you to the bestseller list.

We love Meg Cabot: you can read our review of her new book, Size 12 Is Not Fat here (scroll down to the third review).