I love author visits, and I’d be honored to speak at your school! Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about my author visits:
What’s your presentation like?
My visits are funny and high energy. Your students are guaranteed to have a great time, but they’ll also learn a lot, too. My favorite thing is hearing about students getting inspired to create their own stories together after I visit their school!
I offer two different presentations:
How to Do Magic – This presentation combines stage magic and personal stories to teach students the importance of self-discipline. I talk about my author journey in a relatable and humorous way that inspires students to pursue their own passions. This presentation is perfect for school assemblies.
Get Trapped in a Video Game – In this presentation, I use video games that students are familiar with to teach principles of storytelling. At the end of the session, I help the group put together everything they’ve learned to create an original Trapped in a Video Game story. This experience works best for grades 3-6.
Who is it for?
Most of my visits are in K-5 schools. I generally split the groups up into K-2 and 3-5 so I can better get on the students’ level. Although the majority of my books are geared toward grades 2-5, I do have an early chapter series called Leila and Nugget Mysteries that is perfect for the younger kids. I make sure even the youngest students have a great time and leave inspired!
Where do you travel?
Since I live in Cleveland, Ohio, I offer discounts and half-day rates to schools located in Northeast Ohio. Having said that, I’ll travel anywhere! I usually visit several states a year.
What’s the honorarium?
My rate varies based on travel and time, but if you’ve done author visits before, you’ll likely find my pricing to be on the lower end of the spectrum. I try to keep costs down to make my talks accessible to all types of schools. Because of that, I put a cap on how many author visits I do a year – I need time to write, after all! Visits are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you’re considering a visit, please reach out as early as possible to get a spot. Right now, I’m scheduling visits for winter and spring of the 2024/25 school year.
How do you handle book orders?
I’ll create a special page on my website for your school where parents can order signed books before or after my talk. Once all the orders are in, I’ll sign and personalize the books, then work with you to distribute them. That way, you don’t have to worry about collecting money or order forms! Some schools like to buy signed books for every student in the school. If that sounds interesting to you, please let me know, as I can provide a substantial bulk discount.
Do you do virtual visits?
Absolutely! I’d be happy to do a free 20-minute virtual visit with your classroom or library group. Just fill out the form below, and we’ll set something up.
Praise for Dustin Brady’s Author Visits
Check out write-ups of recent school visits from Cleveland.com and the Medina Gazette in addition to the testimonials below.
“Dustin Brady brought energy, humor, and excitement surrounding his books and encouraged students to pursue a passion of their own. I can’t tell you how many teachers told me this was the best author visit we’ve had!”
– April Hoy, Librarian, Lakewood City Schools
“Dustin delivers a high-energy and humorous talk to young people. He shares a positive message about time management and gives insight on his life as a writer. It was refreshing for my young students to hear such an honest story about the struggles of staying focused and writing. It was an amazing presentation start-to-finish. My students were buzzing with excitement after the visit, and my principal loved it immensely.”
– Kevin Costello, Northeast Ohio Librarian
“Dustin is a very captivating speaker! He kept an audience of 35 kids and their parents engaged at our library for an hour in creating a new Trapped in a Video Game storyline. Kids roared with laughter as he took on different characters while explaining the importance of story elements. Who knew learning about writing stories could be such fun?!”
– Sue Grame, Children’s Librarian, Olmsted Falls Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library
“Dustin presented a highly animated, fun-filled program this last summer. Twenty-one students and parents listened to Dustin talk about his love of stories and playing video games plus help create a story based on their love of video games as well. All had a fantastic time and cannot wait for him to write more stories!”
– Tim Protiva, Children’s Librarian, Strongsville Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library