June 18, 2020

Seeking Diverse Contributors for "Birth Stories for Books" and "Have Swag Will Travel" Blog Series

The blog has been quiet for awhile. I've been quiet for awhile. I'm doing my best to listen. To learn. To reflect on how I personally contribute to and benefit from systemic racism. To make changes in my own behaviors. To become a better ally.

I first started my blog as way to provide free, accessible activities and learning extensions related to my books and my training and consulting company, SmallTalk Learning. Many of the teachers, librarians and families that I serve via my infant/toddler sign language workshops and early literacy training and consulting business hungered for more resources than I could effectively and affordably supply in person. Many of my workshop participants are from communities of color, and the educational resource aspect of my blog continues to be something I'm proud of and that I feel confident makes a positive difference in my community and in our world.

As my blog evolved over time, I started creating different collections of posts, for example, Quick Ideas for Getting Started with SigningStart to Finish Story Time, (as well as the expanded version of that series, Start to Finish Story Time, Expanded), and Birth Stories for Books.

I'm especially proud of my Birth Stories for Books series, and my Have Swag Will Travel series, as these posts help me (and my readers) meet and learn from a variety of different authors, and they allow me the opportunity to amplify the voices and works of other authors. The first posts in these series started with a general outreach to my personal/ professional social network seeking contributors for guest posts and/or interviews. Since then, contributors for each series has evolved through word of mouth.

What I am not proud of is that as of this writing, I have only hosted one guest of color on my blog. This is not due to a lack of interest, but it is due to a lack of intentional outreach. This must change. As I pay closer attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, and as I reflect on and learn about my own contributions to racism and the systemic inequities in our society, I understand that I personally must do better. Going forward I will intentionally seek out a wider range of voices to amplify. I will seek opportunities to discover and reach out to writers and illustrators of color that are outside of my current personal/professional circles. I will work to establish a more diverse network of contributors.

If you are a person of color, or a person from another underrepresented community, and you have an interest in your work being featured on this blog, please reach out via the contact form on the left, or through a DM on my Twitter account. I want to learn about your unique path to publication. I want to hear about the unique obstacles you faced in finding a publishing home for your book(s). I want to learn your professional tips and tricks for book events and other book promotions. I want to shine a light on you and on your work.

Please feel encouraged to share this post widely so that I can begin to expand and widen my outreach to a more diverse cast of book creators.

And ... if I've made a mistake on how I've worded something, or characterized something in this outreach, call me out. I want to be made of aware of my mistakes so that I can learn, and so that I can do better.

June 17, 2020

Have Swag Will Travel: Tips for Planning Book Events, Summary Post

Over the past couple of years, I've developed several different collections or series of blog posts, for example, Quick Ideas for Getting Started with SigningStart to Finish Story Time, (as well as the expanded version of that series, Start to Finish Story Time, Expanded), and the Birth Stories for Books series. Once there's a critical mass of posts in a particular series, I create a summary post that provides an updated list of the posts for the series.

Last year I started a series of posts called "Have Swag Will Travel: Tips for Planning Book Events." At long last, I've now created a summary of posts for this series. Keep in mind that the first several posts in the series were created by authors in a pre-pandemic frame of mind, but many of the ideas in these posts can be incorporated (in some cases with modifications to align with current circumstances, ) into the promotional events and plans for your own book(s).

This will be a good post to bookmark and follow, as I will add links to this page as new posts are added to the series.

Here goes:

Debbie Zapata, Up and Adam (wonderful resources for planning inclusive story times and book events)

Kirsti Call, Meow Says Cow and other books

Way Past Worried and other books by Hallee Adelman (heaps of resources and pro tips for innovative events, activities and learning extensions)

Interview with Anna Monders about her Booktalk Blog (pro tips for creating your own booktalks)

Chicken Break! by Cate Berry (EGGcellent ideas including author collaborations, playful reviews, karaoke songs and videos, and themed refreshments)

untitled, by Timothy Young (school visits, sculptures, and other art-infused give-aways)

My Quiet Ship, by Hallee Adleman (interactive school visit and classroom activity plans)

There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth, by B. J. Lee (business cards, note cards, & posters)

If you like these posts, you might also be interested in Start to Finish Story Time, Expanded.

If you've found these posts helpful, I encourage you to bookmark and follow this page. I will add new links to this page as more posts go up. (And, please get in touch if you'd like to share YOUR tips for planning book events).