20 Bookstores, 3 Weeks, 1 Suitcase
I'm getting ready to hit the road
I’m getting ready for three weeks on the road for the book tour for The Tree Collectors. This is my fourteenth book but maybe my sixteenth book tour, because sometimes there were paperback tours a year after the hardcover came out. I’m set in my ways at this point: I know how I like to do these trips, and I spend a lot of time preparing so that, with any luck, my days are planned out ahead of time and I don’t have too much to think about on the road.
On any given day, I’ll have a bookstore event, maybe stop at a couple more stores to sign a stack of books, possibly an interview or two, and then it’s on to the next city. It’s a lot! I depend on these things to survive:
Packing light is the only sport at which I excel
One small carry-on will get me anywhere for any length of time. The way I think about it is this: You only ever need three outfits, no matter how long you’re traveling—one for yesterday, which you have hopefully washed and is hanging up to dry; the one you’re wearing today; and the one that’s ideally clean and waiting for you tomorrow.
Obviously they all have to be interchangeable and hotel sink washable. One can be what I call a “travel day” outfit, which is to say something incredibly comfortable and more casual but still presentable. One might be a bit more outdoorsy and one might be a bit more dressed up, but they should all be acceptable for whatever you might be doing on the road.
I won’t bore you with packing lists (although I could seriously talk about this all day) but I will put a list of my current favorite travel clothes at the bottom for anyone who wants it.
Also, these apps keep me sane
TripIt handles my entire travel itinerary and can import airline and hotel confirmations without me having to re-type everything. Publishers will give you a long document with all your travel details, but that’s hard to read on a phone and the app is just smarter.
Expensify does the same for all my travel expenses. It pulls expenses right off my credit card, or I can snap a picture of a receipt, or forward an emailed receipt. It reads everything, organizes it into an expense report, and attaches the receipts. I used to spend an entire day with tape, scissors, piles of crumpled receipts, and my publisher’s paper form. Finally I thought, “There must be an app for this,” and there was!
The mask is going on. The cold meds are already packed.
I used to come home from every book tour with a cold. I would have to cancel interviews because my voice was shot. I’d sleep sitting up in bed, in some lonely hotel room, because I was coughing all night. I’d show up at events with a giant cup of hot water and honey, zonked out on Dayquil, struggling to speak. It was miserable. I always tried to wash my hands and I would make some effort to avoid shaking hands, but it never occurred to me to wear a mask. Now, fortunately, it doesn’t feel weird at all to put a mask on when I’m in an airport, and to slather on the hand sanitizer. Will I avoid the inevitable book tour malaise? Probably not. Wish me luck anyway.
A more seasoned author once gave me this advice
I was once at an event with a well-known, very experienced author who toured a lot. I asked him if he had any advice for authors on book tour, and he said, “Never pass up a banana.” You know what? That’s excellent advice. A banana is a solid, reliable nutritional package. I think of him every time I pick one up at the airport.
Hey, I did some podcasts!
I had a lovely time chatting with the folks at the Plant a Trillion Trees podcast, and I was very honored that my friend Debra Prinzing invited me on her Slow Flowers podcast. Give them a listen!
Virtual book launch party July 16!
I hope to see you for our virtual event on Tuesday, July 16 at 5 Pacific/8 Eastern. You can go here to pre-register, and I’ll send out a reminder on Tuesday afternoon. See you soon!
And if you live in any of these cities, please come say hello!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much of a difference it makes to me (and the bookstore, and my publisher) if people come out to see an author on book tour. Really, seeing a few friendly faces is everything. Book tours are getting smaller, in part because we’ve all grown accustomed to staying at home, so we do, and authors go out and speak to empty chairs and publishers don’t want to pay for that.
But—imagine how good it would feel to leave your house and come to a nice independent bookstore and talk about trees! I will do my best to make it worth your while. Please bring friends! And family!
Seattle
Third Place Books Lake Forest Park on Wed, July 17 at 7 PM. Please RSVP here.
San Francisco Bay Area
Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley on Tues, July 23.
Bookshop Santa Cruz on Wed, July 24.
Copperfield’s Petaluma on Thurs, July 25.
St Louis
I’ll be at the St Louis County Library on Monday, July 29. Reserve a space here.
Miami
Then I’m headed to Miami, where I’ll speak at the wonderful Books & Books in Coral Gables on Wed, July 31, and they would also love for you to RSVP if you can make it.
Washington DC
I’ll be at Politics & Prose Friday, Aug 2 and I’d be so happy if you’d join me.
Phoenix/Tempe
On Wednesday, August 7 I’ll be at Changing Hands in Tempe, AZ.
Portland
Home at last! On August 12 I’ll see you at Powell’s.
Paid subscribers are painting trees in a landscape
Today I’m showing paid subscribers how to put all of our tree-related lessons together into a landscape, or a grouping of trees. There’s a whole archive of art lessons here, and you get all that for just a few bucks a month. Join us!
The Bit at the End
I’d love to see you on book tour! Many of these events ask that you pre-register.
Order a SIGNED copy of my new book, The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession, from Broadway Books in Portland, OR.
Come find me on Instagram, or see paintings for sale- Right here
Order signed copies of some of my books from my husband’s bookstore, or order my books and many books I love at Bookshop.org
Take one of my online writing or art classes here
Leave a comment! I love to hear from you!
If you’ve read this far, you might be looking for a list of travel clothes.
OK here it is:
Pants from Athleta (shoutout to the store clerk who pointed out that I could order a tall size if I didn’t like the ankle length of pretty much all women’s pants these days) and also Betabrand for leggings-like pants, and Aviator for actual good travel jeans.
Shirts like this from Eddie Bauer or a Uniqlo linen shirt, and also some merino wool t-shirts along the lines of Unbound Merino because they don’t have to be washed often. I also buy base layers from Uniqlo—both Airism and Heattech are low on stock right now but usually there’s a huge variety, and they’re very quick-drying. (Athleta has some pretty solid quick dry base layer type shirts too)
Jackets are tricky but important for looking a little dressed up. I’m a fan of this shirt jacket from Ministry of Supply which works for the summer, and also this shirt jacket from Kuhl which is surprisingly warm, so more of a spring/fall travel jacket.
In winter, Uniqlo sells good cheap wool/cashmere sweaters and I’ll take a couple of those rather than one bulky sweater if I’m going somewhere cold. (Also for cold/inclement weather: a pair of thick tights to wear under lightweight pants, and a foldable rain shell jacket.)
I just wear one pair of black Brooks sneakers and figure if anyone’s judging me on my footwear, I’m happy to let them enjoy a feeling of superiority while I enjoy my comfortable feet.
Share your travel wardrobe recommendations! I truly want to know.
Curious—I find "the bit at the end" to be my favorite part of most newsletters. (Thanks for yours!)
Eagle Harbor Books on Bainbridge Island needs a return visit from you on this tour! Anything Ed Smith Books could do to get this on your schedule?