Affording a Book Tour with Family Priorities In Mind

By Judith F. Brenner

Scheduling a multi-city book tour is tricky, and paying for one can be tricky as well. Authors can’t be in two places at once. Here’s how I combined family events and a book tour, while minimizing conflicts about costs or precious family time. Groans and cheers were in the mix.

You can help your book gain exposure by organically adding an extra day to a family or business trip. Each multi-purpose trip—especially if you sleep on cousin Vinny’s couch—means you won’t have to pay for an overnight stay, or it is a budgeted expense, anyway. In some cities—think Chicago, LA, Atlanta—horrid traffic means you should have spare time on your side and an audiobook ready to play.

Once you know your book’s estimated release month/year, look at your family calendar and any business trips to view the big picture of travel possibilities. Then, search for book fairs and bookstores in the vicinity. Estimate costs if you stay an extra day before or after to fit in a book tour stop. Then start the research to make those invitations happen. Send holiday cards telling relatives you’ll have a book out, so when you call Aunt Diane to sleep over, the welcome mat is extended. Of course, take her out to breakfast and get in sincere quality time. For book fairs, learn how far in advance to reserve a vendor/author table. Then reach out to bookstore managers in the area to make them aware you’ll be in town. Book club invitations come later, so have a mindset to get to those when you can in person, knowing zoom is an option.

My family is supportive of my book endeavors, but occasionally priorities clash. Sometimes there is resistance or resentment on my part or theirs. Good communication early helps to build an understanding. Enlist cheerleaders to know “year one” of the book release is important to you. Compromises don’t work because you’re either at a book event or you’re not. There is no middle ground to be present.

Thankfully, people were present during my Minnesota book launch event in May 2022. After the pandemic, about 45 friends and family gathered in-person, and twenty more saw it via Zoom. Next, it was time to get a multi-city book tour going, and I asked all long-distance attendees to tell their local bookstores and libraries about the book. 

I discovered book fairs in the states I could easily travel to within a day near a relative or a friend’s home where I could stay.

In June, my family flew to New York for a wedding. We added time to visit The Strand Bookstore, where my novel was on display, so I could get photos and sign some copies. In July, my spouse and I planned to visit my 22-year-old daughter in Washington, D.C. However, I chose to travel separately from my spouse. He had a particular week he wanted us to go, but I had an invitation to a book club near D.C. the following week. We had budgeted for two airline tickets. My daughter didn’t mind having quality time, overnight visits with each parent. I asked the bookclub host if my daughter could join as a guest at the event. It worked out!

Then there are those family invitations that either override your great plan or you discover an alternative. Here is a time when my “Mom-guilt” surfaced! Each September, my hometown Chicago hosts an annual book fair. The dates fall on the same weekend as a daughter’s birthday, which also coincides with her Greek life parent gathering at a Big Ten football game. I explained the conflict, begging for forgiveness during my book launch year. Instead of joining her and my spouse, I traveled solo to Chicago, a key market since I’m a native and my novel is set there. There was an understanding that I’ll get to her repeat event this year instead of the book fair in 2023 when these two events collide again. 

Two more events collide this summer, and I will only attend one of them. I’d love to repeat participation at a book fair in St. Paul. In 2022, my spouse helped me unload the car and tent, but this year it collides with the same weekend we plan to help my eldest daughter move from GA to Georgetown to start her nursing career. I’ll have to request a refund for that vendor table deposit. However, while I say no to that, I secured a yes for another opportunity. Five days before my novel’s anniversary on May 17, I am scheduled for a book event in Florida. Another bump: they changed the date; the original date—May 25—would have been perfect! Wouldn’t you know the new date conflicts with a daughter moving out of her dorm? My family supports me to honor the new date and she’ll get home without me traveling with them.

In reality, it’s hard work to make trips a reality, and there is a give and take. Advanced planning with a budget is crucial to make book marketing happen. Thank goodness for zoom/virtual book talks, but there is nothing like meeting readers in person and signing books with a personalized message. For me, it is a dream come true. Authentic quality time with friends and relatives along the way is the bonus! I hope you’ll find support for your book-related travels.

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Judith F. Brenner owns Creative Lakes Media, LLC, a freelance writing and editing services company. She is the managing editor and publisher of Sharpeners Report, a national publication with paid circulation in a professional service and repair industry. Her personal essays have been published in Writers in the Know (WINK) literary magazine, (available at winkwriters.com), and Minnesota Parent magazine. She completed the Iowa University Mini-MFA Workshop in 2019. Judith is a member of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and the Professional Editor’s Network. She resides in Minnesota with her husband and has two daughters.

The Moments Between Dreams

A story of hope, courage, and perseverance

Carol misses red flags about Joe’s need for control before she marries him, dashing her dreams for herself and her family. Trouble escalates after their daughter Ellie is paralyzed by the polio virus and Joe returns from WWII. Carol realizes how brutal waking life can be, and she conceals bruises and protects her children the best she can.

The Moments Between Dreams is a captivating story of a 1940s housewife who conforms to the rulebook of society until Joe pushes her too far. His constant intimidation shrinks Carol’s confidence while she tries to boost Ellie’s. Church-going neighbors in Carol’s tight-knit Polish community are complacent, but Sam, a handsome reporter, stirs up Carol’s zest for life. Despite impossible circumstances, Carol plans a secret escape. Along a risky path, she empowers her daughter to know no limits and teaches her son to stop the cycle of violence and gender discrimination.

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Category: How To and Tips