Homeschool World Forum

Kaza Kingsley · User Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 3

Hi everyone!
I'm a kids' fantasy author (The Erec Rex books) and I have been doing a ton of school visits on my recent book tours. Lately (with my crazy travel schedule) I've been more interested in doing online things instead of hopping from city to city. This led me to think of interacting with kids that normally might not get author visits - - homeschoolers!

Here was my thought - let me know if this sounds like it is of interest to anybody. I am getting a discussion board put up soon, and am able to use it for author/school visit chats with kids and parents. It would be interactive. There would be a set time and day where I would go online with the kids who have signed up. Kids would ask questions by posting comments, and I would go through each one and answer - up to the ending time on the discussion.

Here is a similar style discussion.
(But it's with older teens / adults. Mine would have a younger feel.)

Let me know if this is of interest. I'd love to set up an author visit with your kids!

Kaza Kingsley
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Kaza Kingsley ;D
Author of the Erec Rex series
http://www.erecrex.com

Theodore · Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject:

If you're going to be doing a live discussion sort of thing, use chat, not a web board.
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The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.

Kaza Kingsley · User Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 3

Check the link - it's actually a little saner with a discussion board. As long as it's pre-planned out as a "chat" the discussion board format allows for a little longer and more readable question/responses. I liked it better than the chat ones I've seen. I think kids would get more out of it.

What do you think of the idea in general?
_________________
Kaza Kingsley ;D
Author of the Erec Rex series
http://www.erecrex.com

Theodore · Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:16 am Post subject:

I just think that if you're going to be marketing this as real-time meetings with you, it needs to be in real time. Everyone does web boards, very few authors do actual online chats. Just go through the chat logs afterwards and post the most interesting questions / answers on your web board, this way you get the best of both worlds.

From my viewpoint, there are hundreds or thousands of authors I can access in online forums, the chances of me being interested in you personally (unless I already read your books and like them) are rather vanishingly small. The best way to set yourself apart from the pack and attract new people is to do something different. Chat is different.

Just my two cents - take it for what it's worth.
_________________
The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.

Kaza Kingsley · User Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 3

Yeah - I think we might be thinking the same thing. It actually is a chat - because it is real time, at a pre-ordained, specified time, with live questions and answers. It's basically just like a chat room, except in a more readable format.
I'd be fine doing it in a chat room if that's what people tell me they want. But the ones I've seen (like in the link I put in above) are so cool in the discussion board format. It's not at all like an author going back in a week to look at postings. This is a live chat-like event.
Check the link out!
Very Happy

_________________
Kaza Kingsley ;D
Author of the Erec Rex series
http://www.erecrex.com