How to Host a House Reading
Updated November 2024
I have been hosting book readings in my home since 2015. I have done well over 100 now. There is a core group of friends who help me, and by all accounts, guests and authors seem to greatly enjoy them. I have written down my method because I have been asked by several people for advice. I am certain there are variations on what I do, and you should create your own scene!
The setting
I host these events in my home, which can fit about 70 people when full. I have seating for about 50, and others stand in the back. The furniture has to be moved around a little on event days, so I have a couple of friends who come by early to do that. I invested in a little podium, which authors seem to like. The room is small enough and the audience quiet enough that non-amplified sound is usually adequately audible. I have a very large television set which can be used as a monitor if the author has an a/v presentation of any kind. I would say about a quarter want this, and the others just do an old-school presentation. I also have parking for about 20 cars (a luxury for sure), and there is relatively ample street parking around me. My house is also accessible by public transit.
Recruiting authors
This might seem like the hardest thing, but it’s not. Authors are almost always looking for outlets to talk about and sell their work. My method is simple. I scour places that write about books to find out about new and forthcoming books I am interested in. This is something I have always done, so it’s not really added work! I have pasted below the links to the sites I frequent, and I actually have set them up for reading using Feedly, which makes it even easier and quicker. My taste runs toward politics, art, history and culture, and these links reflect that. You can certainly find your own!
Book sites I read:
When I read about a book I like, I simply write to the author. Many of them are academics and others are just plain accessible, so it’s not often that I come across someone I can’t find. I send them a very polite email, telling them that I read about the book, and look forward to reading it. I tell them a little bit about myself, and how many and what kind of people might show up if they come. I tell them who else has read here. And I tell them we have the ability to sell books. (See below.)
I live in Boston, so I am lucky in that SO many academics who work here write books, and a lot of others come to Boston for research or speaking engagements, etc. So often with those who DON’T live here, I am able to piggyback on another trip they are making here. I can’t pay any travel expenses, and only a couple of people have asked. (I do have an empty furnished in-law apartment in my house, and have been known to offer that because hotels in Boston are so expensive, but most people don’t ask.) For local authors, I use the subject line “Reading in Dorchester” and for out-of-towners, I use “If you ever get to Boston.” I am AMAZED at how many people write back and express interest. Then we work on scheduling.
Selling books
We partner with our local indie bookstore. They order and bring books, and they sell. We provide a table and chair for them in the back of the room. They take credit cards. I never touch any money, which is what I prefer. I recommend finding a similar situation. Alternately, you can order books from the publisher and sell them yourself, but this requires that you set up an account, and you’re responsible for sales tax and all that. Definitely a headache. To find a store near you, you can try Bookshop.org. Stores might be a little flummoxed by your request, but if you can convince them that they’ll sell some books, it can be worth their while. We don’t require that guests buy books, but many of them do, because people LOVE to have signed books. I’d say on average that about 40 - 50% of our guests purchase at the event.
Inviting people
If I HAD to point to the key to making this work, I’d have to say it is my extensive rolodex of interesting people whom I can invite to such events. This is very important. My events are private. They’re not advertised, or posted on social media. They’re in my home, so I am not really comfortable just opening up to everyone. However, people I know bring people I don’t know, and then I know them. So the circles just keep expanding. I used to use Paperless Post to send invitations, but they stopped their free service. After a lot of experimenting, I am using Evite Pro, which isn’t perfect but it’s okay. (It’s $250 per year.) This allows me to track things pretty closely. I do SOME curating, but not a lot. I figure if people aren’t interested, they’ll just send regrets.
The invitation has the details, a page with a blurb about the book, and a page about the author. I just cut and paste those latter two things from the publisher’s site or Amazon. I also include a link to bookshop.org to buy the book in advance if they want. I have no idea how many people do.
The sweet spot for invitations seems to be about 3-4 weeks before the event. I send the initial invitation, and at least two reminders to RSVP, about a week apart. One or two days before the event, I send a reminder to those who are coming, with details about what to expect for timing, parking, etc.
I have found that the “flake rate” (the number of people who say they are coming but don’t) is about 50 percent. (Rude! It’s such a strange coincidence when four people I know get a flat tire in the same hour!) A much smaller group doesn’t respond and just shows up. So I always over invite.
Food/drink
We order sweet and savory bites for about 40 people, and we seldom run out of food. We order from a locally-owned operation. We serve ONLY food that isn’t terribly messy (fewer spills!) and nothing requires utensils. (Lately, we’ve been doing dumplings - a big hit!) We also serve wine, beer and soda. All is set out for self-serve. One of the best investments I ever made is a big water dispenser. No refilling pitchers during the event. I’d say all in, food and beverage runs about $350 per event, and I just eat that cost, though others have offered to pitch in. Also, people often bring things. Sometimes I end up with more wine than I had at the start.
The format
Most of our events are on weeknights, though we have done a few Sunday afternoons which were great, and we should do more of those. The invitation says people should arrive at 7 for mingling and refreshments, and the speaking program starts at 7:30. One of my most useful tools has been a giant bell, which grabs people’s attention and lets them know we are starting. (The mingling can get pretty loud!) I try to always start on time. I do a 1-2 minute intro, telling people where the bathroom is and where the bookseller is, and a little bit about the author.
Authors are told ahead of time that they should expect to speak 20-30 minutes, and take questions for about 30. I let the authors call on people as opposed to me doing it. An hour total seems about right.
We’ve only ever had one author go on too long. He just wouldn’t stop. I tried! There have been a few instances where I had to stop the q & a before it went on forever, but I do it because I think people appreciate that they can count on about an hour program.
After the talking, the author signs books. Where you put them will depend on your room setup. We’ve done it a few different ways. It’s a good idea to have a selection of pens, including Sharpies, in case the author doesn’t carry.
I also buy a little gift for the author, which I present during the introduction. I am not going to tell you what it is, because they are always delighted when I present it, and I don’t want to spoilt the surprise. But DM me if you want to know!
Other things that might be helpful.
- Almost no one has read the book before coming. A few people I have invited have confided that they haven’t come because they don’t have time to read the book. I tell them not to worry – no one has. I do try to read them beforehand, so I can have some intelligent questions teed up if needed.
- When you identify a book you like, check a website to see the list price. Some academic press books are REALLY expensive. I have had situations where the book is $40, and I feel like that’s just too much to ask. Fewer books are sold, which is bad for the bookstore and not great for the author. I always check now, having learned the hard way. I have not invited authors because the book was too expensive.
- Authors say they like reading here because the audience is engaged and it’s intimate. While not everyone in the audience knows each other, they are all somehow connected because they all somehow got to my house, so it feels different than reading in a bookstore.
- I generally don’t invite authors who have self-published, because it is a hassle for the bookseller. It’s also important that you invite authors for whom you know you can fill a room. I have to feel secure in my desire to introduce a book to my friends and acquaintances. This has definitely put me in some awkward situations where a friend has written a book and wants to do a talk. But telling them no is better than an awkward evening with a small turnout. I stick to things in which I am interested: politics, music, art, history, philosophy. We only do fiction and poetry if it’s someone whose work I REALLY like and I know will draw peoples’ interest.
- I keep business cards handy for people who come as other people’s guests and then want to be added to my list.
- I bought a bunch of really affordable folding chairs at Ikea.
During COVID, we pivoted to virtual, which was great in the beginning when people were scared and lonely in lockdown. But by 2022, there were diminishing returns. We went back to live in early 2023. The one great thing about virtual was that you could invite people from all over the world. Either way, I am very happy to be back in the living room.
I hope that’s helpful. Have a great event!
That’s me introducing author Warren Zanes at a reading at my house. Artwork behind us by John Crowley.
Those sales figures are actually pretty great, Joyce. A friend of mine who worked for bookstore once told me that if they sold to 20% of the people in attendance, it was considered a success. The price of books is, of course, an issue, but then of course, there are situations with superstar writers where money is no object. A friend of mine were called moderating an event with the art critic Robert Hughes for his book American Energies. The book was lavishly illustrated and cost $50, which was pretty much the high-end at the time. Nonetheless, for a book of art criticism.