The landscape of a virtual book fair has been made possible thanks to our technological advancements that led to better internet services, gadgets, and computers—remarkable progress for humanity, no doubt.
Independent publishers, like ReadersMagnet, have been blessed to hold virtual events such as our upcoming The Festival of Storytellers Chapter 5 (TFOS5). Our ability to give self-published authors a virtual platform is a huge plus for us because we reach so many people who couldn’t attend physical events. Additionally, the option to go virtual makes it easy for us to provide a convenient avenue for attendees, given that they have smartphones or computers.
Today, we’ll be examining some basic virtual etiquette and offer tips that you can use for other virtual affairs.
Do a Test Run on Your Tech Before Attending Virtual Book Events
Proper preparation a day or two before the virtual event takes place is a must. You wouldn’t want to be experiencing technical difficulties when the event starts, right? Minor inconveniences like bad audio and a lousy internet connection, because you didn’t connect to an ethernet port, are issues that could easily be prevented with proper preparation.
Stay in a Quiet Area During the Virtual Book Event
You’re not going to enjoy your time at virtual events if you constantly hear the rubber wheels of cars zooming past your window. Even that cute Yorkshire Terrier that your neighbor has starts to sound annoying if the barking incessantly crawls its way into your ears.
Finding a quiet place to sit down and focus on the virtual event is what you’re going to need. Not only will you be able to hear everything happening in the event, but you can better comprehend lessons and participate in various activities.
Don’t Be Late to Make Sure You Catch Up Everything
Of all the tips when attending virtual book events, this one is among the most important. You owe it to yourself to make the most out of the virtual event you’ll be attending, so don’t show up 10 minutes late and miss out on many of the fun things the event offers. For example, if you are on time for our virtual book fair (The Festival of Storytellers Chapter 5), you can listen to every story that our authors have to share.
Being late puts you in a disadvantageous position because you end up missing out on some things. It’d be impossible to make the most out of the event if you didn’t even hear or see the beginning act.
Be Respectful and Courteous to the Moderators
Moderators, as their name implies, are needed for any virtual event because they help facilitate the flow of the event. It’s their job to aid in keeping things in order so things won’t get too out of hand. Without them, many of the viewers will just spam obscene chats, slurs, and troll other attendees/presenters.
Let’s help make their jobs easier and the virtual event more enjoyable by being courteous and respectful towards them. It’s the best we can do to follow basic rules of etiquette for attendees at virtual events.
Put On Headphones to Listen Properly
You can effectively block out the background noise you can’t avoid by using comfortable, noise-canceling headphones. As anyone who owns a dog and a doorbell can attest, there are instances when noise in the house is inevitable. It helps to have good headphones.
Be Sure to Mute the Microphone of Your Headphones
Turn your microphone silent unless you are conversing with other attendees or speaking. Bad things to do include chewing, sneezing, and, if you’re outside, having the wind blast through the microphone.
Don’t Be the Interrupter
Most of us have probably been to gatherings where someone dominates the conversation. Learn about the raised hand options, Q&A time and rules, and chat features. This is so you can get the response to your query or remark without lecturing or interjecting. Put another way, read the virtual space and allow other participants to participate.
Apply These Virtual Book Fair Etiquettes on Any Virtual Event
Be it a physical event or a virtual one, manners still matter. However, don’t be too rigid about following these etiquettes. Virtual events are often pretty relaxed and easygoing. Just be respectful and polite when attending virtual events, and you should be fine.
We hope to see you at our biggest virtual event soon (The Festival of Storytellers Chapter 5), which we guarantee you’ll enjoy. Register today if you’re not done yet by simply visiting our TFOS website. For more information, send us a message to contact@thefestivalofstorytellers.com or directly call ReadersMagnet at 1-800-805-0762. Contact us now!
