Page 11 - 2021.1221.The Passionate Plotter Guidebook Four.Marketing Matters_Neat

Diana Kathryn Plopa
THE PASSIONATE PLOTTER: MARKETING MATTERS

Of course, memorizing would be ideal, so you
can look at your audience more, but it’s not
required. Even if you do memorize your reading,
make sure to have a bookmarked copy in front
of you anyway, just in case the specters of self-
doubt show up to your reading, too. Be ready to
jump to reading the copy, if you feel yourself start
to fumble through your memorization. Don’t
chide the backup plan… even Broadway actors
have prompters off-stage in case they forget a
line.

Project your voice when you read. No, this
doesn’t mean yell… it just means speak loudly
enough and with a distinctive tone, so that you
can be heard without a microphone. Most
smaller venues won’t have a mic for you, and
you want to be sure that everyone in the back
can hear. If they must strain to hear your
reading, they will leave out of frustration, and
more than likely, not buy your book.

Add emotion to your reading. These
characters were real enough for you to create
an entire world for them to live in, make them
real enough for outsiders to believe in them as
well. You don’t necessarily have to read with
different voices, although that’s fun, but if you
add a little emotion, rather than reading flat,
you’ll have readers leaning in to connect with
your work. It’s what they want. Reading is an
escape for many… help them along on their
journey.

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