FAQ Virtual Author Visits
For Schools and Book Clubs

FAQ

What grade levels do you present to? Fathom authors can present to all grade levels and adults.

Can book clubs order books at a discount for author visits? Yes, we discount for books ordered by book clubs. Please use this form to order.

Do libraries get a discount? Yes, all libraries get a discount on orders from Fathom. Please use this order form.

How should I prepare my students for an author visit? The more excited the kids are, the better the day goes. Familiarizing students with the author's books and using them as inspiration for art projects in the weeks before the author visit makes the presentation even more involving and effective. The American Library Association provides good general information on author visits.

What equipment do we need to supply for grade school visits? For grade school visits, paper and pencils.

How should we prepare our book club members for an author visit? Book club members should have read the book and developed a list of questions prior to the author visit. It's helpful if the list of questions is provided to the author prior to the visit. Leaders or attendees will be able to offer additional questions in the chat.

How long is an author visit? You can choose the length of the Zoom author visit up to an hour. We recommend shorter times (30-40 minutes) for grade school students.

When should an author visit be scheduled? A Zoom author visit is best scheduled 4-5 weeks in advance. If you are ordering books from Fathom, it can take up to 5 weeks for the books to arrive depending on your location.

Where are in person author visits available? The following authors are available for in person author visits.

Teena Helmericks in the Palmer/Wasilla, Alaska, area.

Rachel J.E. Sprague in the Seattle area.

Bonnye Matthews in the Palmer/Wasilla, Alaska, area.

What does Fathom provide? Fathom provides the Zoom room for the session and bookmarks for attendees.

Some books have a teacher's guide available for the teacher/leader.

Some children's books have downloadable activity pages available.