Laying the Groundwork:
I began lining up community support in 2005 for Book ‘Em North
Carolina, even though the first event would not take place until 2012.
The purpose of the event is to raise funds for literacy programs in
Robeson County, reducing crime, and helping authors network and find new
fans.
We gathered support from the City of Lumberton (always important to get local leaders involved), the Lumberton Area Visitors Bureau
(instrumental for publicity efforts, and God bless the LVB's Executive
Director, Mickey Gregory, who is an entire cheerleading squad wrapped up
in one body), area businesses (sponsorships), civic groups
(volunteers), schools (school-age attendance and volunteers with
boundless energy), non-profits (to whom the literacy funds will go),
among others. When we were offered Robeson Community College for the location, we were ready to get started.
Lining Up the Authors:
We began contacting authors in March 2011. Katie Huneycutt joined me
early on and has been instrumental in the event each year. Originally a
librarian with Columbus County, she is now the Director for the Robeson County Public Library. She helped me email
authors and post blogs to raise awareness of the Book ‘Em event. Thanks
to Katie, we lined up two New York Times best-selling authors as headliners: Carla Neggers and Michael Palmer (necessary to attract large crowds). I developed our website,
posting every author’s picture, bio and links as they registered. Over
time, I added dozens of informational pages. As of this writing, I
continue to maintain and pay for the website myself.
Sponsorships:
We solicited businesses for sponsorships, instrumental for promoting
and marketing the event. We lined up pillars of the community, including a host of businesses who donated $250 to $2,000 apiece. We secured grants from the Lumberton Area Visitor’s Center to cover promotional efforts and Kiwanis Club of Lumberton, who provided money to buy children’s books to give away.
Publicity:
We began periodic press releases in the spring, which were picked up by
mainstream and Internet media. We obtained media sponsors, including Lumberton Magazine and Robeson Living Magazine, and have been working steadily with newspapers, television and radio stations.
In 2012, we picked up our first national sponsor: Southern Writers Magazine, who continues to sponsor us.
Our
big promotional campaign begins January 2. Brochures are in all the NC
Welcome Centers on I-95 and with local businesses; flyers will be
distributed with all Lumberton utility bills; and our full Talks
Schedule will be published in various magazines, including Southern Writers Magazine and Lumberton Magazine.
Logistics:
The conference and book fair features more than 75 authors selling and
signing their books, which means we must have tables and adequate space
not only for the authors but for traffic flow. Over our first three
years in Lumberton, we've also added publishers, literary agents,
Hollywood producers (for making books into movies) and even rock stars
who believe in our mission.
We’ve
divided two buildings into fiction, non-fiction, young adult and a
special Children’s Corner, meticulously measuring hallways and
classrooms. We have four to five sets of talks going on simultaneously - panel
discussions and solo talks for every genre – plus readings for small
children.
Each
talk requires a moderator; each hallway and conference room requires a
Team Captain and host of volunteers. There is an Author’s
Lounge, requiring a Food Committee. Golden Corral of Lumberton Catering
& Buffet stepped up to provide breakfast and lunch for our authors
free of charge. We’ll have greeters, on-going events in the Children’s
Corner, and centralized cash registers, each requiring a team of
volunteers.
When
our event began in 2013, a strong rain descended on Lumberton. It was
heart-warming to see scores of volunteers in their light blue Book 'Em
North Carolina t-shirts rushing out to each author's vehicle as they
pulled in front of the triple doors at the Lewis Auditorium, to unload
their books and transport them to their tables. When the authors parked
and made their way indoors, they were pleasantly surprised to find their
books awaiting them at their designated tables.
Attendees:
Over the first three years of the event, attendance has grown to
encompass visitors from across the country. We've had fans and aspiring
writers journey from as far away as California, Missouri, Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida - as well
as from across the Carolinas. During a blizzard, one group left St
Louis, Missouri and traveled for two days to reach the event. They found
it so beneficial and fun that many plan to make the trip again in 2015.
Afterward: When
the event is over, our work is not: we’ll clean up the space used,
reconcile all the funds received, pay authors and publishers their
portion of the book sales, award the non-profits funding for literacy
efforts, and donate remaining books to literacy groups.
Then
we start the whole process over. It takes a full twelve months to
organize the event and ensure its success. Tune in next Friday, January 23 to find out how we manage it all!
Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers
Conference and Book Fair is held on the last Saturday of each February
in Lumberton, NC. The event is FREE and open to the public; doors open
at 9:30 am. A portion of every book sale is donated to the Dolly Parton
Imagination Library of Robeson County, Communities In Schools, and
Friends of the Robeson County Public Library for literacy campaigns for
all ages. The Book ‘Em Foundation was founded by author p.m.terrell,
who wrote this blog, and Police Officer Mark Kearney, to raise
awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy
rates.
