Tayari's Blog: You're Invited... Now What?

Posted by TayariJones on February 7, 2008 10:09 AM
Filed under The Writing Life

This is part two of the post I started on Monday concerning opportunities offered at AWP and other conferences. It is not unusual to meet someone who may promise to invite you to give a reading. Imagine yourself in the hotel bar and someone says, "Hey, would you like to come to our campus and give a reading." Of course, you'll say "yes," even though you don't know the terms of the invitation.

A few days, or weeks later, you may receive an email from the person formally inviting you. This letter should have the terms-- how much your will be paid and what is expected of you for the visit. Hopefully, they are offering you a zillion trillion dollars. Sometimes the offer is more modest. How do you decide if you want to do the event? Here are some things to consider.

  • Who is inviting you? If the invitation comes from someone you respect and admire, definitely consider doing the event even if the money is too low and the workload is a bit too intense. You may even go so far as to google the person. If someone is asking you to work for little or no money, they know it's a favor and they will remember you as "gracious". (And for women, especially, that's a really good reputation to have. A double standard, I know, but it's true.)
  • Where is the event located? Key West in the winter? Well you should offer to pay them for the opportunity. Chicago in February? Not so much. But also, look at how far you will have to travel and factor in time, effort, and wear and tear.
  • Do you need publicity? As an organizer of a reading series which works on a very limited budget, I try and approach authors who have brand new books. These writers are more likely to give a freebie in an effort to boost sales in the crucial six-months after publication.
  • Is the asking organization one you respect? If the organization is a worthy cause donate your time if you have it spare.


    Next: How to say no.

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    There are 1 comments on "You're Invited... Now What?". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

    Comment #1, by Renata [TypeKey Profile Page]

    Tayari -

    You forgot to mention that it is important to consider if your shoes match your bag. If you're a Southern woman, it's important to do the matching thing. If you're a Yankee, complementary but not matching is the way to go. Or so I've been told . . .

    It was great meeting you at AWP. Hope to see you in Chicago next year.

    Renata

    February 8, 2008 07:28 PM

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