I want to share this article, which came across on one of my social media feeds. It offers several tips of what to avoid when you give a featured poetry reading. The first point, about knowing your audience, is most important. Whether you are booking a reading tour for a new release, or just doing one reading a year, it is important to do your research. Know the venue. Know the crowd. What type of style/tone do they like? If they are a rowdy crowd, mostly accustomed to performance more than what’s on the page, then keep that in mind, and vice versa. The more you connect with a crowd, the more they will remember your work and perhaps buy a book.

Some of the points are key, too. Never, EVER go over your time. Be mindful that people have lives, and though they may want to hear you read, even your biggest fan does not want to sit through a three-hour set.

Check out the article for some other useful tips!