Authors 'Round the South

Columbia, SC - September 17, 2008 -

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) is pleased to announce the opening of the Southern Traveling Authors Registration Service (STARS).  STARS is a part of the Authors 'Round the South website, and operates as a speakers bureau, managed by SIBA and geared specifically towards bringing authors to Southern independent bookstores and their customers. 
 
How does it work?

STARS introduces authors to booksellers: One of the most common questions SIBA receives from its bookstore members is how to find authors for store events. And one of the most common questions it receives from publishers is how to place authors in bookstores. STARS was created to answer both requests.  With STARS, authors can easily reach booksellers who are interested in their books. And booksellers have a resource to find authors interested in their stores.

Authors who are traveling in the South and want to make the most of their travel plans by scheduling events while on the road can list their upcoming trips on their STARS profile page.  Each time they enter a trip on STARS, an announcement is sent to close by SIBA stores, notifying booksellers that the author will be in the area and is available for events, speaking engagements, book club discussions, etc.  Booksellers interesting in having the author for an event can log on to the STARS site to see specific information about the author, including descriptions of their books, links to their websites, blogs, newsletters and online press kits, and publicity contact information.

Booksellers, in addition to using the STARS list to augment their own event schedules, can also promote the list as a resource for their customers, and to their community.  Schools, libraries, book clubs, and civic groups, among others, can find potential speakers, presenters and workshop leaders on the STARS list.  All speaker and event requests are then brokered by SIBA via the closest available independent bookstore. In this way STARS helps to build relationships between authors, booksellers, and the greater community.

Scheduled events are then listed by booksellers on the ARTS calendar, which is distributed by SIBA weekly to media across the South along with the Southern Indie Bestseller List and which is promoted in their popular monthly newsletter for Southern Literature, Lady Banks' Commonplace Book.

Who can use STARS?

The STARS list can be used by anyone as a resource for finding writers: Book clubs, libraries, schools, arts organizations and bookstores are all encouraged to make STARS their first stop when seeking speakers and presenters for programs and events. All requests, however, will be brokered by an independent bookstore in the area.

Who can list on STARS?

Authors:  Any author with a book in print can sign up for STARS and being listing their trips.  The site lists both the city and town the author travels from, and the locations he/she is traveling to.  Authors do not need to live in SIBA territory to use STARS, but the only trips they can list are those within SIBA territory (AL, AR, GA, FL, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, KY, VA).

Publishers:  Publishers and publicity departments who are members of SIBA automatically receive listing priveledges for all their authors. A publisher can maintain STARS pages on behalf of their authors, or allow their authors to create and maintain their own pages.

Literary Organizations:  Writers' and Literary Organizations who are members of SIBA receive the same listing privileges as Publishers. They can maintain STARS pages on behalf of their members, or allow their members to create and maintain their own pages.

What does it cost?

Listing on STARS is not open to the public. You must be a member of SIBA to participate. However, in order to develop the STARS list, SIBA will give a free year's membership to any author who signs up before December 31st.  That is a $195 value!!

How do you sign up?

Email Nicki Leone, the STARS administrator with your request: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


Nicki Leone
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

The Southern Traveling Authors Registration Service-STARS-is a specialized "speakers bureau" of sorts created by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and designed to build relationships between authors and independent booksellers.  Authors want to give readings at bookstores. Bookstores are often looking for authors for events. But unless an author's publisher is really on the ball, setting up events is a haphazard process left entirely to the author, who often is pressed for time, inexperienced in publicity and marketing, and forced to make cold calls to stores without even the benefit of up to date contact information.

STARS was built to help authors and booksellers find each other. Authors who register for STARS can create profiles, enter book information, and most importantly, list their upcoming travel plans and areas they are willing to visit. SIBA will collate this information and forward it to their member independent booksellers as potential events.  The bookstores, in turn, will use STARS as a resource for finding authors, and will promote the site to other organizations in their area that need to find speakers and presenters for events. This includes book groups, civic organizations, libraries, schools and business alliances. Independent booksellers are active in their communities and are often approached as a resource for finding speakers.

Even better, events scheduled by SIBA booksellers are entered onto the ARTS calendar, which is forwarded to media throughout the south every week as part of the Southern Indie Bestseller List, and in the popular monthly newsletter on Southern Literature, Lady Banks' Commonplace Book.