Virtual Author Visits for Picture Book Authors: How to Plan, Price and Sell Books (US Guide)

A virtual author visit lets you meet a whole grade of students without a plane ticket, a hotel or a day off work. For self-published picture book authors in the US, virtual visits are often the easiest way to start working with schools: the booking is lower-risk for the school, the prep is lighter for you, and, set up properly, they still sell signed books. This guide covers how to plan a virtual author visit, what to charge, what to send the school, and how to make sure books actually reach children afterward.

1. Decide what kind of virtual visit you offer

Schools find it easier to say yes when you give them a short, clear menu rather than "I can do anything." Two formats cover most picture book visits:

• Read-aloud and Q&A (20–30 minutes): you read the book, show a few behind-the-scenes images, and answer questions. Ideal for K–2 and for a first booking with a new school.
• Interactive presentation (40–45 minutes): a themed session, such as "How a picture book is made" or a writing or drawing activity tied to your story, plus reading and questions.

Keep each option tied to something teachers care about: literacy, a writing unit, a theme in your book (kindness, change, nature, feelings). That link is what helps a teacher or librarian justify the booking.

2. Set your fee (and your free option, if any)

Virtual visits are usually priced below in-person visits because there's no travel. Fees vary widely by region, experience and session length, so there's no single "right" number. A practical approach:

• Price a single virtual session as a set fee, and a discounted rate for two or three back-to-back sessions on the same day.
• Decide in advance whether you'll do any free short chats, and cap them (for example, a set number per month) so they don't crowd out paid work.
• Offer a "book bundle" option: a lower visit fee if the school pre-orders a minimum number of signed books. Schools with tight budgets often find this easier to approve.

For a fuller breakdown of how to think about fees, read our guide to author visit fees for US school visits.

3. Test your tech before you pitch

Many schools use Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, and some districts restrict which they can use. Ask which platform they prefer and be ready to use theirs. Before your first visit:

• Use a wired connection or sit close to your router.
• Light your face from the front (a window or a simple lamp is fine).
• Hold the book close to the camera, or share clean page images on screen so children at the back of the room can see.
• Do a 10-minute test call with the teacher or librarian a few days before. It solves most problems before they happen.

4. Pitch the visit with a short, specific email

Your first email should be short: who you are, the book, the grades it suits, one or two session options, your fee or a "contact for rates" line, and a clear next step. Send it to the school librarian (media specialist) or the literacy coach, not a general office address, wherever you can.

We've written a full, copy-ready version in our school visit email template for picture book authors. For a virtual visit, simply add one line: "I also offer virtual visits on Zoom, Meet or Teams, so distance is no barrier."

5. Make sure books get sold

This is the step that's easiest to skip, and without it a virtual visit may not sell a single book. Children can't buy at a signing table if there isn't one. Instead:

• Send a parent letter and order form to the school one to two weeks before the visit, to go home in book bags or in the school newsletter.
• Set a clear order deadline a few days after the visit, when excitement is highest.
• Offer personalization: a signed copy with the child's name is often what makes a parent order.
• Deliver in one batch to the school (or by mail to the school office) so the teacher hands them out together.

The Picture Book Launch Kit includes a fill-in Parent Letter & Order Form template built for exactly this, alongside a School Visit Pitch & Menu template so you can lay out your virtual and in-person options in one tidy page.

6. Plan the session itself

A simple structure works well for a 30–45 minute picture book session:

1. Hello and a hook (3 minutes): show something real, such as a first sketch, a rejected draft or the object that inspired the story.
2. Read-aloud (8–10 minutes): slowly, with pauses for predictions.
3. Activity (10–15 minutes): a draw-along, a "what happens next?" writing prompt, or a vote on a character's choice.
4. Questions (8–10 minutes): ask the teacher to collect questions in advance so quieter children get a turn.
5. Goodbye (2 minutes): remind them, gently, that signed books are available through the form their families have received.

7. Follow up within 48 hours

Send a short thank-you email to your contact with the order deadline, a link or copy of the order form, and a line asking whether a colleague at another school might like a visit. Word of mouth between librarians and teachers can fill a visit calendar. Log each school, contact and result in a simple tracker so you know where your bookings and book sales actually come from.

Put it all together

Treat virtual visits as a small, repeatable system you set up once and reuse all year. If you'd like the templates ready to fill in (School Visit Pitch & Menu, Parent Letter & Order Form, Event Checklist, Outreach Tracker and Sales Tracker, plus 13 more), take a look at the Picture Book Launch Kit. It's a 47-page instant PDF in a UK & US edition, written for self-published picture book authors.

Not ready yet? Start with the free Picture Book Launch Checklist and see where school visits fit into your plan.