Have you got an artistic friend who can design you an eye catching flier? Think about unusual fliers – there are many online companies who will print 250 business cards very cheaply – could you use these as fliers? Do you know someone with access to b+w printing at work? Printing black on coloured paper can be eye-catching. You need to start thinking about your fliers and posters about 6 weeks before the day, so that you can get willing helpers to plant them about.

Use all your social networks – set up a Facebook page and invite people to your event, Tweet about the event, make a blog – but don’t send out too many invites from different addresses to the same event. It’s annoying. Make sure the venue has copies of your flier and lists the event on their website. If there are local writing and reading groups, let them know about it too. Libraries are a good place to put an A4 poster.

Find out the local papers contact info and get your event listed – this normally takes just an email, and a lot of listings websites have an online submission form. If your event is a bit wacky or topical you might even find yourself interviewed by the local paper, as I was for an ME4 Writers Alternative Royal Wedding Open Mic event!

Finally get your contributors to bring all their friends along! If you are charging entry maybe offer a pound off for contributors’ friends and family, using a guestlist. That way you can usually get a bit of an idea about numbers before the day – which can be quite reassuring.

Be early

On the day you have to get to the venue at least half an hour early (more really) – sometimes audience members will turn up early and you have to decide whether to let them sit there and watch you set up, or whether to ask them to go to the bar. If your venue has a bar or cafe, that’s great, but if not you have to decide if you want to risk sending that person away, as they might not come back. You might have to set up seats and move tables – so if you are concerned about spoiling your clothes – bring your best stuff to change into. Now is where it really helps if you’ve got some friends to share tasks with. Check audio is working if using a mic, (hopefully you will have a techy friend or group member who can sort the audio-visuals out for you.) Make sure you know where the toilets and the fire exit are and let people know in your introduction.

If there are a few of you – assign roles, one person to meet and greet, one person to collect entry fees, one person to look after the contributors and let them know where they are in the lineup and how long their set is. Let them know where and when they can sell their pamphlets/books if they’ve got some. If one of you is a good photographer, get them to take some photos of the event or video it, and post to Facebook and Youtube after. You should let people know that there may be photos/film taken of them and let them say no, if they don’t want to be on film.

In your intro make sure you let people know the format of the evening – eg, half an hour, followed by a break, followed by a quiz or raffle with some super second hand book prizes (it’s optional for your event, but a quiz goes down well), then another half hour of readings etc, and thank the audience and writers/readers for coming.

At the end thank everyone again and let them know they can join an email list to find out about upcoming events – have a book and pen ready at the back of the room!

So that’s the event done.

It doesn’t end there though! Now’s the time to collect some informal feedback and use it to make your next event even better. You can do this with a comment form, or just ask people what they thought and if there was anything they would like to see next time. If you enjoyed it and it went well – then do it again! Organising a literary event can be great fun and it gives you that important extra interest for your writing portfolio.

To do list

If the venue charges a fee for the space, then work out how much you will need to charge to cover your costs via an entry fee. Talk to the venue owner or manager, once they know what you’re doing isn’t going to make loads of money (sorry, but it isn’t), and will bring in new customers, they might give you a discount, or give you the venue for free in exchange for including their logo on your publicity. If it’s an unusual venue, check whether you might need permission from the owner, and ask about public liability insurance.

Readers and writers

Do you have any actor friends who might like to showcase their reading skills for the night? Sometimes writers are brilliant at reading their own work, but sometimes a reader can bring something extra to it. For the writer, particularly of drama, it’s often really helpful to hear someone else perform your work, so you can check out what works.

Contributors

Most likely you won’t be able to offer your contributors a fee, but you could offer 2 free tickets if you are charging, and reduced price tickets for friends. They could also bring copies of their pamphlets/books to sell. And of course they will be promoting their writing. If you have a friend who is well-known or already on the live literature circuit – invite them as a guest and let them do a 10-minute guest slot. Make sure you put their name on your fliers and other promotional materials.

Always have a Plan B in case somebody is ill on the day or can’t make it. Here’s your chance to showcase your work, bring some extra poems or a story, just in case. And don’t forget to schedule a slot for your reading! It’s really easy to miss yourslf out when you organise an event, but remember, you are building your profile here as well as organising a fun event and showcasing other writers.

Next read the final instalment, on how to promote your event once you’ve got all this essential planning done.

ME4 Writers' Open mic picnic

ME4 Writers Anti-Valentines flier

I have been organising and hosting live literature readings under ME4 Writers’ ‘Write Now!’ banner for two years. It’s an occasional live night of readings, fun activities and cupcakes, with the aim of introducing and showcasing a variety of genres of writer, with the emphasis on local writers. I have also organised showcase and discussion nights for female playwrights, and am developing a new playwriting night to start in Kent in Autumn.

It’s really hard to get noticed as a writer, so developing a portfolio of related additional interests is a really good idea.

Organising literary events is a great way to start to develop this portfolio and gives you a chance to showcase your work, as well as that of others. This series of articles is to help you set up your own live literature event.

I will be covering Planning, and Themes and in this article. Further articles will cover Venues and Contributors, and Promotion.

The key is planning and organisation

The first event I put on was a baptism of fire; though I had helped out at events and arranged fundraising parties for plays before, I had never really organised and hosted an event. But somehow I ended up organising and hosting four literary events in as many weeks.

Having a back-up plan is important, and being flexible as people will always drop-out at the last minute. It’s all about what you can get done for free or very little money – you would be surprised how helpful people will be, once you explain what you’re doing.

Before you even start to think about who will be performing…

Think about why you are doing the event, what are its aims and where would be a good venue. If you do go for an unusual venue, check out that whoever owns it has the relevant public liability insurance.

Have a theme

I think the best literary nights take you on an emotional journey, so think about the order and try to start and finish with your strongest writers. The theme could be very loose, and every writer will interpret the theme differently – at least, make sure they do, as no-one wants to hear five pieces of writing that are all of the same pace, and the same story.

Brevity is best

Keep individual stories down to 1,000 words, or less (works out around 8-10 minutes when read). Unless you have a brilliant storyteller, listening to the same person telling a story becomes soporific – maybe this is due to where we are used to hearing stories, as children, at bedtime. In fact you want to try and get some brilliant readers involved if you can – a point I deal with in the second in these articles.

A slot for a poet should also be no more than 6-10 minutes. This could be as little as reading 1-3 poems – they can always do more later, if time allows, it is important to break up the sound of the reading voices and the styles of writing. Make sure you stick to the running order, so you don’t end up with writers who haven’t had a chance to perform as other people have run on.

So that’s the introduction to planning your own literary event. If you are inspired, read the next article dealing with Venues and Contributors.

The first interview was for editor in a medical organisation. This was the first interview I’d had in 8 years. I went very naively to this interview, believing that if I was truthful it would stand me in good stead. I have since learned that though you should tell the truth at an interview, it is better if it’s the truth the employer wants to hear.

Don’t look ‘different’; dress to suit the work environment
I also had bright red hair at this interview – which having had for so long, I had forgotten all about, but which I think probably was not suitable for that particular company. Though this was not for a public facing role and hair colour shouldn’t really matter, I still have a feeling looking ‘wacky’ counted against me in the ultra conservative environment I found myself in. Now if it was a media job – my hair would have fit right in!

If there are two equally good candidates and one of them has something that makes them different – a visible tattoo or wacky hair – I think it’s likely (and unfair) that the candidate who doesn’t show any quirkiness will win over the one who could be considered a bit alternative.

Put yourself in the employer’s shoes; give them what they want
When they asked what my reasons for wanting the job were I honestly said, ‘it’s a job I could do standing on my head and I want to move back to the area, this seems like a good way to do it’ (or words to the effect).

I now realise this was a big mistake, you have to think from the employer’s side, and give them the answers they want to hear. They didn’t want to hear I could do the job. They wanted to hear how passionate I was about the role and the company and the opportunity it offered me to develop.

Your real reasons – that you want a job, any job; how well paid the job is; how near it is to home; that you could tell them how to do the job – will not impress.

Research the company; read the papers
I recently went for an interview at an organisation with a very outspoken Chief Exec. That morning there was also a front page article about something he’d said on one of the broadsheets, I had been lucky enough to see it when I went for a coffee before the interview. I didn’t get the job, but I felt prepared when asked what I thought of his comments. I agreed of course. Also make sure you check out the company website – in all publishing jobs they will ask you how they could improve their website!

A personal story can work wonders
Another job I went for was editing publications for a charity that focuses on lung health. I was able to give them a personal story (all true). I got that job. In charity roles particularly think of any way you might have a link to their organisation – has anyone in your family experienced whatever the charity supports or campaigns on? They will like that.

Stand out, but don’t stand out
It seems like a catch-22, how can you stand out but not stand out? Take time to give your answers. If you really are stumped, ask them what they would do in that situation. You are going to be working in the team, after all.

For graduates, try to build up a portfolio of additional skills which could make you stand out from the competition. Voluntary work, especially in the arts, is a good way to look like you mean it. Learn about social media. And learn from your interview mistakes. Or mine.