The release of my first published novel Vulcan’s Forge is just two months away and with it comes my first in person event as an author, a book signing on March 28th at Mysterious Galaxy.

I admit that even two months out I am nervous.

Now, I am not one of those people who have a terrible fear about public speaking. I have been on a number of panels at science-fiction conventions, made presentations at my day job, excelled at my speech class, and even performed in a play before a paying audience, but I am also nervous and unsure about things I have never done before. I am looking forward to the event and I am planning on more in the southwest region to help promote the book.

What should I do at the event is one of those questions I haven’t yet answered.

I have been to a number of author events and I’ve seen it handled in one of three basic ways.

• Read from the work being promoted. This is good for hopefully generating interest in the work and moving units.
• Make a speech/presentation. There are very successful authors out there who do not read from their work but rather use the time to talk about the process, the world, and what the writing means to them.
• Read from some other work. This can be used as sort of like a Blu-ray bonus material. The people who go the events get peeks at short stories or novel in progress that people who buy the book will never have,

All three of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages. I think I could do any of them fairly well. I am just going to have to decide and which one.