It is recommended that you begin planning your author/illustrator visit six months to a year in advance. Things to consider:

What is your budget? 

A budget for an author appearance would include:

• Honoraria (speaking fees established by the author/illustrator typically range from $1000 to $2500 per day and do not include travel expenses, for which you are also responsible).
• Expenses such as travel, lodging, and meals.
• Copies of the book. The author or illustrator will usually expect you to have their books on hand for a signing during their visit. Be sure to place your order well in advance through your local bookstore or wholesaler of your choice. You can also order books directly from Penguin Random House. 

What do you expect from the visit?

• Who will the audience be?
• How will you structure the day?
• How many presentations will you need? (Note: Most authors and illustrators prefer to give no more than three presentations per day.)

Look through our impressive roster of authors and illustrators and determine who may be best for your audience or event. You may search by author or grade level. Find an author here.

It is recommended that you have an alternate or two in mind in the event that your first choice is unavailable. 

Fill out the request form and include as much information as possible. Your request will be forwarded to the author/illustrator for consideration. 

What happens next?

• In some cases, the author/illustrator will contact you directly to follow up. 
• If the author/illustrator is unavailable for your event, you will be notified by either the author/illustrator, or author appearance coordinator and other options can be explored.
• If the author/illustrator accepts your request and the request is being handled by the author appearance coordinator, she will email, both you and the author/illustrator, a written confirmation letter listing all the known details of the visit. You will be asked to review it and sign it.
• Once the confirmation has been signed, you will be in direct contact with the author/illustrator to coordinate travel/hotel arrangements, inquire about necessary equipment, and discuss any details of the day. Please plan to do this soon after the confirmation has been sent.
• If you don’t receive a confirmation of receipt of your request within 5 days after sending it, please contact our author appearance coordinator at PYRAuthorVisits@prh.com.

You’ve confirmed details with your author. Now it’s time to prepare for your event. Here are some tips to help your event go smoothly.

Prepare the audience and venue ahead of time

• Order books for your event.
• Publicize the event in advance with displays and classroom activities.
• Make sure your audience is familiar with the author’s/illustrator’s books. Many authors/illustrators request that the students have read, or are familiar with, at least one of their books prior to their visit. 
• Test any needed equipment for the presentation to ensure that it is working properly.

Tips and considerations for authors/illustrators

• Create an itinerary for the visit and share it with your guest ahead of time. Let the author/illustrator know exactly what you have planned so that they can come prepared for a successful day.
• Please schedule an ample amount of down time between events on the day of the visit so that your guest can take necessary breaks.
• If you are planning a lunch/dinner with the author/illustrator, please check with them to make sure that they will be up to it after a day of traveling or presenting. Please inquire about any dietary restrictions that your guest may have.
• If you are booking travel arrangements for the author/illustrator, please check with them prior to any reservations being made to ensure that they are comfortable with the arrangements. Please also take into consideration the timing of the events in relation to the guest’s arrival and departure times so that you ensure ample time for the author/illustrator to get from place to place without feeling rushed.
• Please assign a staff member or parent volunteer from the school to be with the author/illustrator for the entire day to guide and assist them through the planned events.
• Please pay your presenter on the day of the event and send reimbursement for expenses as quickly as possible. If you cannot pay him/her on the day of the appearance, please notify the author/illustrator ahead of time and work out a payment schedule. 

And of course, as we tell our author and illustrators, bring your “A” game the day of the event! Organization and enthusiasm are the key elements that will help make your event a success and one that your students or patrons will remember!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I’ve submitted my request but haven’t heard anything back. Can you help?
  • If you haven’t heard back 5 days after submitting, please contact our author appearance coordinator at PYRAuthorVisits@prh.com.
• I don’t have a budget for visits. Do you offer free visits?
  • Some of our authors do. If you’re available to Skype, we have many authors participating in the Skype in the Classroom program. Indicate this as an option on your request.