to absolutely hate 'Book Week' at d3's school when the activities consist of 2 self-published authors coming in to flog their books?

[lollington]

To be fair, KS1 (where d3 is) has a nice morning where they have stories and book discussion in the classroom. But the other two activities for KS2 are two afternoons where two random authors are coming in to talk about their (frankly rubbish sounding) books, of course these books will be available to buy and some of them may even be autographed (big whup).

They did this last year, the author did nothing but school tours and is published by a company that ONLY prints books where people do talks and presentations in schools/clubs to push the books.

I HATE IT. I would rather they get parents in to read aloud/teachers read aloud/get kids to bring in fave books etc that this thinly disguised selling opportunity.

Wilson is absolutely right - I was shocked when I found out how much they charge. So shocked that I can tell you if you like . . .

We have this too and there is a lot of pressure to buy the books.

I have dt's and they both come out after an afternoon of being revved up wanting to buy books which to me seem pretty expensive compared to other places I buy books ie Amazon.

I don't object to visiting authors, that's great, but the children are a captive audience and I don't send them to school so that someone can flog stuff to them.

I agree a lot of self published stuff is crap, with little quality control.

I also agree that these writers are no doubt being used by the vanity publishing companies. If you google vanity publishing you will see many aried explanations as to why it isn't a good idea (especially as you can self publish nowadays for free with the kindle).

BUT I don't see why OP is fussing over them going into school.

I went to a primary school out in the sticks. Visiting speakers of any kind were rare and an "event". I think children can learn a lot from them., without buying anything.

PS congratulations kitchen on having 20 books published. That's a pretty huge achievement.

I blame it all on not having a muse PetiteRaleuse - you get a lot more done when those buggers aren't lurking around, putting you off.

I really, really doubt that these authors are going back to live in palaces to relax in gold-plated bathtubs drinking glasses of Chateau de Tres Expensive 1954 on the proceeds of the odd parent spending £5.99 on their book.

They're coming in to give an (I assume) educational and hopefully entertaining afternoon to children, not trying to indoctrinate them into an evil cult. I think there are better things to worry about!

Oooh Kitchen I think I do need to know!!!

Powered OK, there are about 50 million other things I could be worrying about for sure. But actually, I do think that people who are a bit crap at their job, paying for access to schools so they can market their sub-standard product to children is a bit off actually.

My 9y DD has gone to hear the author Cathy Cassidy at another local school today and was looking forward to it. We haven't had to pay and haven't been asked to send money for books either. There is a book fair at her school this week and books for sale - think DD's session is today but there is no expectation that you have to buy a book, they are from a wide range of authors and include fiction and nonfiction books. Not sure if I will buy, will have a look later.

The infant school I work at has had an author in last week, Caryl Hart. Again the children did not pay and nor were they asked to send money for books. In the past they have had author readings after school and book fairs where books have been for sale, but having the authors in hasn't cost school anything.

DD loves listening to authors read fromt heri books. At the Wychwood frestival this year she went to 4 or 5 author readings and was enthralled. Yes, they are selling books, and will sign books, but it is just another form of promotion. There is no pressure to buy, that's down to the adults. You can say no. DD knows this and would never expect to have something bought just because they are for sale.

Make sure you're sitting down when you get the PM I've just sent you Wilson . . .

then get up and start a self-publishing company.

sitting down?
I've just come round from my swoon!

We had the author of Bo the Poodle books in to see the KS2 kids this year. DS1 was not impressed especially as he is reading 4/5 years above his age.

ICapturedTheKitchen I am intrigued to as to what you write. Would it be something our bookish family would have read?

I think YABabitU.

My friend is a self-published author, doing school tours, waterstones book signings/readings etc. She wrote the book as a thank you to the neo-natal unit which looked after her DD born 10 weeks prem. All proceeds from the book are being donated to the neo natal unit - and its a good book, no errors (I am a grammar & spelling pedant).

RantyMcRantPants (I don't want to abbreviate your name - it's sooooo good!), in a word - no, I very much doubt you would have read any of them.

I'm a ghost. I write memoirs - and MN seems to hate those! I am going to start my own stuff soon though, promise, promise, promise.

thank you M'aam, I'm rather partial to it myself I must say I like yours too, love Dodie Smith :)

Ghost writer sounds fun, I love memoirs. I like reading about other peoples lives, good, bad or ugly. Nosey caah that I am.

Oh! and good luck on your new career of writing your own stuff. You will have to let MN know when the first one is published.

I have never read a self published book that was anything other than shit...

Just remembering the book of self published poems that mil's friend did. They were so bad they were almost good . Mil of course was ever so impressed.

This is all making me remember the phrases which strike fear into my heart - I feel a blog coming on - and the main one is, 'of course I am a self-published author already, so there is very little work for you to do.'

Nooooooooooooooooo . . . . .

Oooh, it's really bad form here to try and guess who people are in RL isn't it? Do you blog a lot about this topic because I think I might be following you on twitter...

Drink did every last word rhyme and did every line have a 'daDAdada DAdada DAdada DA' rhythm, cos they're my very favourite poyems

Wilson - sadly, I am so old and useless that I don't even understand Twitter, never mind use it. I have looked, but there is rarely more than two words in sequence, then it's all hashtags and stupidity, so I leave.

I also blog so boringly that I doubt anyone but other sad people read it.

However, I'm keen to know who you do mean!

howpublishingreallyworks.com/

This woman here - although I haven't been on her website for a while and when I went to search it I thought 'oh no, she's gone over to the self-publishing dark side' but she's got this new thing where she'll review self-published books but if she gets to 15 grammatical errors she stops reading.

Will now stop writing books and read about writing books instead - all distractions always welcome!

Wilson Yes! How did you guess? Occasionally there'd be a profoundly deep incomprehensible poem which was especially ick.

And worse, an artist friend, trying to get in on the act, illustrated them.