Author Talks Training at the Kennedy Center

On February 8, 2020, a group of 20+ Shout Mouse Press authors and staff gathered in Studio J at The Kennedy Center’s REACH for our first-ever Author Talks Training. We were able to host authors in a professional studio at the REACH thanks to Shout Mouse Press’s membership in their inaugural Culture Caucus, which has the goal of connecting the public with culture-in-progress. Authors from Beacon House, Free Minds, the Latino Youth Leadership Council, Next Wave Muslim Initiative, and Reach Incorporated came to training.

Our books are written in #OwnVoices by young authors and advocates who are Latino immigrants, formerly incarcerated, Black, Muslim, and of many other identities. This was a wonderful opportunity to bring a collective of SMP authors, many of whom had never met, together.

Alexa Patrick (pictured above), Programs Manager at Shout Mouse, kicked off the day by facilitating  the creation of group agreements to guide the day’s conversations. Next up were questions from the group for SMP staff, which ranged from silly to serious: what are our expectations of authors post-publication? Can I get a ride home? How should we expect to get paid for speaking opportunities? How will future author talks be coordinated? Kathy Crutcher, Founder and Executive Director of SMP, addressed their many questions.

The next phase of training outlined author expectations with the goal of preparing them for future professional opportunities, whether through their work as SMP authors or otherwise. This session offered information on how to communicate professionally before and during public speaking engagements. 

Then, it was time for break, so we all took a trip outside to take group photos -- again ranging from serious to silly 😊 -- while authors excitedly held the books they’d written.

We gathered back in the studio and settled in with an example of an excellent author talk: Elizabeth Acevedo (SMP loves Liz!) making a television appearance. Next came advice that is critical to successful public speaking engagements: how should one respond to a hard or insensitive question? How do we effectively share our motivations and the story behind what we have written? What makes a successful Author Talk? Lastly, the day wrapped up with snacks, conversations among new friends, and optional headshots by the one and only Lana Wong, Community Impact and Partnership Director at Shout Mouse.

We’re looking forward to offering this training on an annual basis to our growing network of 300+ authors to support their development as advocates and public speakers!