5 Tips For A Successful Author Skype

Skyping an author can be the most fun you'll have all week, and it can be nerve wracking too. At least, I know it was for me when I conducted my first author Skype four years ago with author Marcus Sedgwick.

Since then we've been fortunate enough to take part in over 30 author Skypes and several more Skypes with other schools and professionals.


Here are a few things I've learned since that nervous day four years ago:


1. Promote Heavily

In the past I've organised Skype visits and simply brought classes in to meet the authors cold. This was due to me forgetting to promote or not having enough time. It's a big mistake. Promoting the Skype visit heavily before the event will really pay off. I print off posters and put them up in the Library. I then send the posters to relevant teaches via email and ask to visit their classes to promote it. Once in the classes I conduct a minute or two book-talk to drum up excitement. I also ask that students think of some questions in advance, even if they hadn't read the book.

I also keep track of what students are reading through a homemade book review system. I can use this database to see if a student has read and engaged in the book. When I find this information out, I will ensure to bring those students in to the Skype along with any other pre-arranged classes.

I also advertise the Skype visit in the staff room, staff bulletin, assemblies and newsletter. It's great to see staff come to the Library to see a Skype visit, interact with the author or just take a few minutes to check out what's going on,

2. Check the Tech

This might come across as obvious but I always try to check the technology a day or two before the event or even on the day of. We Skyped with an author a few years ago and she could see us but couldn't hear us. We could see and hear her so we took turns typing the questions to her. The key is to remain calm and try not to think about the fact that you've got 200 students sitting behind you and you don't have a clue as to how to magically make someone's face appear on the screen. If you're lucky and have a dedicated tech team at the other end of a phone, make sure you write them a Christmas card each year to thank them for being so awesome. If you are running solo, take some time to figure out how to trouble shoot Skype issues. Make sure you've downloaded the most up to date version, do a test Skype with yourself to ensure all the audio/video hook-ups are working and then do another test with the author.

3. Prepare Lots of Questions

Some Skypes go so fast that you'll wonder where the time went. And sometimes you'll be 5 minutes into a 55 minute lesson and the entire thing seems to run out of steam. This isn't anyone's fault in my opinion, it's just the way things go. I always have a bank of at least 10 questions to ask. It always pays off, usually students will have questions in their heads but are too shy to put their hands up. I find that once you get the ball rolling they will start to ask questions. It's also good to have a plan, I typically email the author and let them know what I had in mind: they'd introduce themselves, they'd discuss their books and read from one of them if possible and then take questions from the audience. However, I really like to leave it up to them. Sometimes, though, authors haven't really taken part in a lot of Skypes and enjoy having someone provide a list of things they could do. If you leave it open yet at the same time have a loose framework things will usually work out really well.

4. Follow Up

Again, it may seem like an obvious thing but it can be easy (for me at least) to get caught up in work that you forget to follow up with the author, students and staff to see what they thought of the event. I always email the author to thank them and to let me know if they thought it went as well as they had hoped, I also ask the classes and teachers for their opinion, I always take any feedback seriously and try to improve on what we could have done better. I also thank the authors on social media if they have one to discuss the event and the books that were discussed. This kind of activity will pay off greatly and allow you to prepare for the next one.

5. Go With the Flow

Another one that's easier said than done. If a Skype doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world. I once tripped over the cord that connected the projector to the laptop and we lost the entire Skype as it took a long time to get everything back up and running.

Have a backup activity planned or have the students ask the author questions over Twitter if you're allowed to use it in your school. Did the Skype end 25 minutes earlier than you had planned? Have the students take part in a writing exercise on what kind of book they'd write if they were an author and why. I once had a large group write postcards to an author to thank them after the event ended way earlier than I thought. I have also produced quizzes and other quick activities when this has happened. Things go wrong, things end early, it doesn't matter. The point is to have fun and to create a positive memory in the minds of the students. You might have a perfect event planned in your head and if the Skype event doesn't fit that model, you are the only one who is going to be bothered by it. There are plenty of things that can go wrong but if I worried about those things all the time I wouldn't have tried Skyping at all, and I'm very glad I did.