SLJ‘s two-day Leadership Summit, held on September 22-23 in Arlington, VA, covered a range of topics under the theme, “The New World of Reading,” including exploring how librarians, teachers, and authors are using social networking to engage readers.
In the session “Authors Engaging Readers through Social Media,” Laurel Snyder, Erica S. Perl, and Michael Buckley spoke about the ways in which authors can reach classroom and library communities through the web. Snyder, for example, used social media to give away more than 800 copies of her novel Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains (2008) to schools and libraries. And this fall, she plans to Skype with 100 schools to read and talk with students about her latest book, Bigger than a Bread Box (2011, both Random). “The entire initiative was accomplished via my blog, Twitter, and Facebook,” all because she had existing relationships in these communities, explains Snyder. “I wasn’t just shouting into the void—I was asking my friends for help.”
Perl also said social media keeps her connected to readers and important gatekeepers such as librarians and media specialists—and she makes sure to align her online presence with causes she believes in, like First Book and indie bookstores, as well as to provide educators and readers with engaging content, such as book trailers and videos, through Skype. In short, “seizing opportunities to turn virtual connections into real ones,” Perl says.
For more on the Summit, check out: SLJ’s 2011 Leadership Summit a Huge Hit.