Since my first book was released in 2023, I’ve done 10+ elementary school author visits, plus 10+ virtual classroom visits for World Read Aloud Day. Needless to say, at this point in my career, I know a bit about what makes a successful school visit. So I collected these lessons for picture book authors, and I hopeit’ss helpful.

Natasha Khan Kazi Dapplegray School Visit 2026

Marketing

I didn’t cover marketing in this article because planning for a school visit assumes you already have one lined up. But if you’re wondering how I ended up doing 10+ in-person school visits. 100% of my school visits have been word-of-mouth marketing. And the reason? Passionate parents who care about representation and diversity at their school.

Create an Author Visit Presentation for Different Grade Levels

One presentation does not magically work for every age group. A preschooler and a fifth grader may technically both be elementary school audiences, but developmentally, they’re not. They are living in completely different universes.

I break my presentations into four age groups:

Preschool, TK–Kindergarten, 1st–2nd grade, and 3rd–5th grade. The pacing, content, level of participation, and even the kinds of questions I ask change depending on who is sitting in front of me. For Preschool through Kinder, I might do more dancing and singing. I will never miss the opportunity to channel Ms. Rachel. Older kids love Q&A and hands-on writing and art. If you try an open Q&A with younger kids, you might get a lot of statements like, “I also have a cat.” There are better ways to use that time!

One mistake I see newer presenters make is turning the visit into a lecture. And listen: kids do not want a 30-minute lecture. Honestly, adults might not want a 30-minute lecture either. My presentations are usually about 20–30 minutes, followed by an activity, with audience participation built in from the beginning. I include questions, polls, and quizzes to keep kids engaged. Giving them opportunities to move, respond, and participate is vital for a successful presentation. One rule of thumb I use is that kids can generally sit and listen for roughly as many minutes as their age before they need some movement or reset. So ifyou’ree talking to a room full of seven-year-olds, don’t be surprised when you need to get them moving around the seven-minute mark.

How to Create an Author Visit That Supports the Curriculum

New Horizon Irvine 2023

When I built my first school visit presentation, it took me nearly a month to get it where I wanted it. I probably spent 100+ hours researching, designing, and practicing.

Schools invite authors because they want to support literacy, creativity, and learning. Yes, you are there to talk about your books and your work, but a school visit is not a 45-minute commercial for your book. It should feel like an educational experience that happens to be led by an author.

Start by thinking about what teachers are already teaching. Story structure. Literacy. Character development. Social-emotional learning. Art. Identity. Culture. Where does your work naturally intersect with the classroom? My very first school visit was to my kids’ elementary school, so I had the pleasure of asking their 1st- and 3rd-grade teachers. But if you don’t have access to amazing teachers, your state’s curriculum is probably publicly available. But don’t teach something you don’t know. Elementary teachers have earned degrees.

The goal is to create something that teachers, admin, and parent volunteers can see value in. And the takeaway is enthusiasm for reading, writing, and storytelling.

Contracts, Speaking Fees, and Book Sales

I call my author visit contract an agreement. Contract sounds so corporate to me! But both are legally binding paperwork that helps two parties align and confirm how they will work together. I always make sure contracts are signed before the event, and I use Dropbox Sign to streamline the process. Along with fees, an agreement should cover the following information.

• How many students?
• What grades?
• How many presentations?
• Presentation length?
• Location?
• Microphone?
• Projector?
• Who is your day-of contact?
• How will they promote your visit?
• Will support staff be onsite to help with behavior management?
• Are books being sold? If so, who handles book sales?

There is always the question of: what do you charge? My speaking engagements are paid by speaking fees (I do not require book sales). I’ve always charged for my school visits, even the very first one. When I first started, though, I did my first two presentations through book sales only. Schools had to purchase 25+ books.

Once I had some experience under my belt (3-4 visits), I switched to speaking fees. You can see my speaker rate sheet here. This is why I feel strongly that authors should be paid for their time:

• Schools regularly pay for assemblies.
• I am a trained public speaker and subject matter expert
• Royalties are a small percentage of book sales for a traditionally published author-illustrator.

Mirman School Visit 2024

School Visit Checklist: Technology and What to Bring

My packing list is extensive! So maybe it’s best to list it out.

• Charged laptop (the one time I didnt bring my own laptop, the school didnt have one)
• Toggle (Especially if you bring your own laptop, you’ll need a toggle that works for HDMI, VGA, etc)
• My presentation on a flash drive (some schools prefer to use their own laptops)
• My presentation on a bit.ly link (I once had a school where the computer was built into the wall screen and could only access websites!)
• A laser pointer/slide clicker (I have one device that clicks through my slides and is also a pointer)
• Easel, writing pad, markers (I’m in Illustrator, so I use it for my activity at the end)
• Bookmarks (I want every kid to walk away feeling like they got something special)
• Activity Sheets (For groups less than 50, I typically can do a hands-on activity; for groups larger than 50, I’ll ask if students can bring their own notebooks for the activity)
• Personal items (Water, food, Ibuprofen, whatever you might need!)

I used to carry voice amplifiers, but I found they sounded a little strange. Now I request microphones when needed. If I’m speaking to fewer than 50 students, I usually don’t need one.

One lesson I learned the hard way is to always check your presentation after exporting it. Sometimes funny things happen when you download a PowerPoint into a PDF. GIFs stop working. Formatting shifts. If you were counting on an animation to land a joke, standing there waiting for something to happen while 200 students stare at you is awkward. Now I always do a full run-through using the exact version I plan to present.

Classroom Management Tips for Author Visits

One of the most important tools I bring is classroom management. Being a parent docent in my children’s art program taught me a lot about redirecting energy, and I agree with the audience that if I need their attention, I will do X. That could be waterfall, waterfall or quiet coyote, or whatever their teachers prefer.

Teacher support matters too. I make sure my agreements include teacher or staff support. Teachers know their students best, and school visits work best when they feel like a partnership.

Arrive Early and Prepare the Night Before

School visits often start at 8 AM. So the day before, I practice my presentation end to end, print activities, gather bookmarks and freebies, and load everything into my trunk.

I also arrive 15-20 minutes before my scheduled start time. Teachers and administrators are busy. They are dealing with attendance, drop-off, morning transitions, and a hundred things happening at once. Nobody has time to manage you, too. So I try not to bug them before the 20-minute mark. Some schools will give me 20 minutes to set up; others, the room might not be available until 5 minutes before the presentation.

Foothills Country Day Author Visit 2024

Take Care of Yourself Too

Because I have a Ramadan book, I’ve done many school visits while fasting. I always think that if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could play basketball games while fasting, I can absolutely do a school visit. School visits fill my cup. But if you are not fasting, pack water, snacks, and lunch if needed. Many schools might provide your food or lunch, but it’s better to come prepared.

After The School Visit

I am so grateful to the people who made my visit possible. I always try to leave a small memento, an art print, etc to show how much their partnership meant to me. I am usually paid before or on the day of the presentation, so there is nothing to do after except send thank-you notes!

In Joy,
Natasha