Guest post: I finally nailed book events...on Book 9. Here's how.
Bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong on exactly what a book tour needs
A few announcements before we get into today’s lovely guest post:
On Wednesday, 5/20 at noon ET, I’ll be doing a Substack Live about everything authors need to know about book festivals with the amazing Abra McAndrew, who writes The Booktender and is the executive director of the Tucson Festival of Books. Here’s the link! Watch and participate on the Substack app or desktop (or stream afterward as a video or podcast).
I have upcoming book events in Kalispell, Brooklyn, Minneapolis, the Hudson Valley, and more, in part to mark the 6/16 paperback publication of The Last Ferry Out, my queer, puzzle-box mystery set on an island with creepy ruins and stunning beaches and secretive expats and many more fun things. (If you like my newsletter, I think you’ll love it.)
That’s right, it’s a guest post! Because I don’t actually know everything, I’m excited to share from-the-trenches pieces by authors and publishing professionals. This from-the-trenches one is from Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, whose enormously fun non-fiction book, PARKS AND REC, is out now. Enjoy!
It’s hard to say when I knew I really nailed my book events this time around, for the release of my new book Parks and Rec: The Story of the Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America.
It may have been when I was introduced at the storied 92nd Street Y in New York City along with my conversation partner for the evening, Pulitzer Prize winner and New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum. Or when I was in Chicago at the American Writers Museum chatting with Nick Offerman’s amiable father, Ric. Or when I was sitting next to a crackling fire at the picturesque Starlite Motel in Upstate New York, sharing stories with a local mayor while we ate and drank Parks and Rec-themed snacks and cocktails.
What I’ve learned over time—over nine books and 15 years as a traditionally published author—is that events do make a difference, despite what your publisher will tell you. (To me, there is something essential about getting out and talking to humans about the book, and especially making meaningful connections with booksellers.)
But I have also learned that playacting at “book tour” doesn’t get the job done; it’s putting the effort in to craft a special experience that makes all the difference, especially in these post-pandemic times, when it’s harder than ever to get folks out of the house, even though they also really want to do cool stuff IRL.
Besides the writing itself, event planning is one of the few things we have some control over in this process. We can put on a good show. I write about pop culture history, so I’m keenly aware of the power of a little razzle dazzle.
Once upon a time, the bar was lower. We could simply show up and read a few pages, answer a few questions, drink cheap wine and call it a night. I did roughly this up through my fourth book (and my bestseller) Seinfeldia in 2016. It’s tempting to play the part of “author” by simply “going on tour,” booking yourself at a few bookstores, and then being sad when no one shows up—but I’ve come to believe that giving people a special experience is where it’s at. This gets easier the more you build a track record and relationships with venues and booksellers, but here are some of the key things I’ve done to nail it this time around:
1. Choose your venue carefully, and ask questions.
For starters, propose events only in places you know you can draw a crowd on your own—i.e., you have friends and family there. (If a venue invites you, that’s different; that means the crowd is on them. It doesn’t mean they’ll definitely get you a crowd, just that it’s not your problem.)
Standards are rising; I’ve heard from some venues that you need to be able to draw at least 50 people (!) or it’s not worth the financial investment in books and extra staff for them. It’s not a bad idea to actually ask whether they have a minimum crowd size in mind. I’ve had this come up way too late in the game—like two weeks before the event—when a venue threatened to cancel because they hadn’t sold enough tickets yet. (It worked out great, we had 100 people, but it was stressful.)
In related news, don’t try to make the most of a trip to another city by double- or triple-booking yourself for multiple events in a short period of time. You’ll only dilute your pull.
And finally, if you do find places that have built-in audiences, hold onto them for dear life. I’ve had wonderful luck with the American Writers Museum in Chicago (where my friend Alison does a beautiful job running programming) and The Common Good bookstore in Upstate New York, which prides itself on being a community gathering spot.
2. Make it special.
This one is key in 2026 and beyond, and it’s what I’m most proud of on this tour. I learned what this really looked like when I did the Jewish Book Council for Seinfeldia. Sub-lesson here: If you’re not familiar, this group actually books authors to come out to Jewish centers across the country, and covers travel. This means every stop is of the “they invited me” variety, so you don’t have to worry about your crowds. (To qualify, basically you and/or your book must be Jewish.)
Some stops were great, some were duds, but one taught me the true meaning of “book event”: In Louisville, the local JCC produced a beautiful evening at a local restaurant, where we had Seinfeld-themed cocktails and I spoke along with Jonathan Wolff, the composer responsible for the Seinfeld theme, who also played some of his theme creations on piano.
Since then, I’ve had a cosmos-and-cupcakes party at the Ace Hotel in New York City for Sex and the City and Us and the aforementioned Starlite Motel event for Parks and Rec (masterminded by The Common Good’s Matthew Goldman).
3. Add other elements.
Even if you can’t get a slick venue or themed cocktails, you can always add a unique element or two. I’m genuinely grateful, as an attendee of others’ events, that novelists have gotten hip to the idea of having conversation partners instead of just reading from their books. (It’s hard to do a good reading!)
My go-to, if I have to present alone, is to show some clips from the shows I’ve written about and then share some stories and insights about them. This is obvious for the kind of work I do, but you can use this as a jumping-off point for your own creativity. Can you show some photos or clips of inspirations behind your book?
I’ve also tried to get slightly more creative with my conversation partners this time, inviting Parks and Rec star Nick Offerman’s dad, Ric, who is the mayor of the small Illinois town where Nick grew up (above), and Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, who started his own career in the parks and recreation department. There could be equally fun, thematic guests for novels, like a real-life detective for a mystery. Lastly, I try to dress at least subtly on theme, whether it’s a blouse the character of Leslie Knope wore or a T-shirt for a band featured on a show.
4. Go to Canada.
This is something you’d have to work out through your publisher, but it’s magical if you can make it happen. Canada appears to still operate on an older (better!) version of authorhood. My Canadian publisher invited me out to promote Sex and the City and Us, and I felt like I suddenly had a Fairy Godmother of Publishing.
They put me up in a beautiful hotel, paid for everything, and took me on rounds to many, many daytime news and talk shows before my perfectly executed event that night, which I did not have to plan. I had a similar experience when I pitched Canada for promotion of my Mean Girls book, So Fetch, because it was filmed in Toronto and many of the supporting cast live there.
5. Consider alternatives to the traditional “event.”
Andi and I discovered this together when we visited a meet-and-greet with promoter extraordinaire Jo Piazza at the upstate bookstore Rough Draft. She just hung out at a table and chatted with people and signed books while everyone milled about on a busy weekend afternoon. No pressure to corral a crowd, just a way of meeting folks and telling them about the book.
I did something similar at the Newburgh Brewing Company during their regular trivia night. They invited me to do a Parks and Rec trivia round and give away a few books. I talked to people who were obvious fans during the breaks, had some great conversations, and made real connections. Perfect.
After my stellar run of events this time, I have vowed not to do events in the future just to look like an author, but instead to make them indispensable. Good events also make for better photo ops for social, and they’ll make people more likely to come out for your events in the future.
I do have one more event for Parks and Rec, in LA, on June 2! If you’re there, join me at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, blocks away from the building that stands in for city hall on the show, with actress Allison Becker, who played reporter Shauna Malwae-Tweep.
Giveaway!
Jennifer will send a signed copy of Parks and Rec to one lucky paid subscriber. (Contest open to those residing in the lower 48 states; enter by 11:59pm ET on Friday, May 22.)
From the New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia, the definitive story of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation, with exclusive interview content from its cast, crew, and creators
More than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered, it has become a streaming staple. It’s beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions—the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the authoritative history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself.
Through new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic.
Lovingly told and deeply researched, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work.
To enter, comment #parksandrec below (and feel free to ask Jennifer any questions about nailing a book tour!).
Futher reading:
"My big theory about life is that we're all desperate to connect with each other and just need that nudge."
Nancy Reddy, author of THE GOOD MOTHER MYTH and the Substack Be Less Careful, and I discussed how to make book events incredible: what people really want from a launch, specific tricks to make the evening interactive and memorable, and more.
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This was GREAT, super actionable and detailed!
Great advice!! 🙌🏻