Here are some things I’ve learned as an author giving readings of my work:
Do not select a piece that fills your entire reading time. If your reading slot is 30 minutes, PREPARE A 15 MINUTE PIECE (with a 5 minute extension prepared in case you end up rush-reading it and are left with extra time). If your reading time is 1 hour, select at most 30 minutes of reading material with a 10 minute buffer (though that much time just sitting quietly and listening to you read can be a bit much to put an audience through).
What about the rest of the time?
You will need a few minutes to say hi and do intros and get started.
If the piece you are reading needs some setup and context, you will need time for that.
And you may want some time for questions and answers after the reading, to engage with your audience and increase their interest in you and your work. Be prepared with a few example questions to help prime the pump and get the Q&A rolling as the audience may be shy at first in asking questions. Or loosen up the audience with some trivia questions, anecdotes or jokes.
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