Wayne Jordan, VASA Board of Directors

If you’ve never hired a storyteller before, you’re not alone. Most event planners I speak with say something like, “We know stories are effective, but we’re not sure where to start.”

That’s what this guide is for.

Storytelling can turn a pleasant event into something folks talk about later. The right teller keeps an audience awake after lunch, brings strangers together at a festival, or calms a nervous crowd at a fundraiser. Once you understand how to hire a storyteller for an event, the whole process feels much less mysterious.

As a member of the Virginia Storytelling Alliance (VASA), I’ll walk you through the process and show you how VASA can help you find the right teller without taking over your budget or your booking decisions.

Start With Your Audience

Before you look at a single headshot or website, think about the people who will be in the room.

Are you planning:

• A community festival with kids racing around on a sugar high?
  
• An evening program for adults at the library?
  
• A retirement community event where folks would rather hear stories than fiddle with another craft project?
  

Each group has different needs.

Ask yourself:

• Who’s this event really for? Adults, families, school groups, seniors, or a mix?
  
• Why are they gathering? Celebration, education, team building, or entertainment?
  
• How do you want them to feel on their way out the door? Relaxed, inspired, ready to talk to each other?
  

You don’t need a perfect answer. A rough idea’s enough to get started.

When you interview tellers, this information helps them suggest material that fits the mood of your event, rather than reaching for a story that worked somewhere else but falls flat with your audience.

Take a Look at Your Venue

Once you know your audience, the next character in the story is your room.

Storytelling is intimate work. It relies on eye contact, shared laughter, and a sense that everyone’s part of one conversation. The right room makes that easy. The wrong room makes the best teller work twice as hard.

Here are a few things to look for.

Size and layout

If you expect fifty people and you put them in a hall that seats three hundred, the space will feel empty. Folks spread out, and suddenly the teller is speaking across a small pasture.

If that happens, there’s no need to panic. You can:

• Rope off the back rows
  
• Move chairs closer to the front
  
• Set up small clusters of chairs instead of long lines
  

The goal is simple: Make it easy for people to see and hear the storyteller.

Sightlines and lighting

Good storytelling depends on clear sightlines and comfortable lighting. It lives in facial expressions and small gestures. Give the audience a clear view and a comfortable light level, and you’ve already done half the work

Ensure that windows aren’t glaring into anyone’s eyes and verify that the performance area is evenly lit without casting the teller into shadow.

Sound and distractions

A quiet room is a gift. If you know there will be noise from the kitchen, air vents, traffic, or the arcade next door, tell your storyteller about it ahead of time.

You don’t need fancy sound equipment, but you do need a plan:

• If the room’s large, provide a microphone and stand
  
• If the audience has hearing challenges, consider a sound system for even a small group
  

A storyteller can often adapt, but only if they know what they are walking into.

Where VASA Fits In

Now that you understand your audience and venue, you’re ready to look at storytellers. This is where the Virginia Storytelling Alliance can help.

VASA is a statewide network of storytellers. We don’t act as a booking agent, and we don’t take a cut of anyone’s fee. Instead, VASA gives you two easy ways to connect with tellers who might be a good fit.

The Storyteller Directory

On the VASA website, you will find a Storyteller Directory. It works like a photo album and a contact list rolled into one.

You can:

• Browse member profiles, each with a photo and location. Don’t get distracted by a teller’s listed location. Many of us travel out of state for events.
  
• Click through to personal websites, videos, or email links when the storyteller has provided them
  

Some members focus on historical tales. Some specialize in personal stories, ghost tales, or programs for children. As you review the directory, keep a notepad handy and record the names that match your audience and event type.

You’re free to contact any storyteller directly to ask about dates, fees, and ideas. All those conversations, and any contracts that follow, are strictly between you and the storyteller.

The “Find Event Storytellers” Form

If you would rather not start from a blank page, VASA offers a “Find Event Storytellers” form on the website.

Here is how it works:

1. You fill in details about your event: date or date range, location, audience, budget range, and any special needs.
   
2. VASA sends a Call for Tellers to its members based on that information.
   
3. Interested storytellers contact you directly if they fit your criteria.
   

Again, VASA doesn’t set fees, negotiate terms, or arrange travel. The organization simply spreads the word so that you hear from tellers who are genuinely interested and available.

Many planners use both tools. They skim the directory for likely candidates, then submit the form to see who else might raise a hand.

How to Hire a Storyteller for an Event

Once you start hearing from storytellers, it’s tempting to say yes to the first pleasant voice that calls you. Take a breath. A few extra questions now can prevent awkward moments later.

Here’s a simple way to move from “I have a list of names” to “This is the person I want to hire.”

Look for the right kind of experience

Instead of asking, “How long have you been telling stories?” try questions that get at practical experience:

• Have you worked with this type of audience before
  
• What kinds of events do you do most often
  
• Do you travel to my part of Virginia regularly
  

A teller who has spent years in school assemblies may not be the best fit for a corporate retreat at a winery, and the reverse is also true. You want someone who already understands your setting.

Watch or listen when possible

If the storyteller has video or audio clips, take a few minutes to listen to them.

Pay attention to:

• How the audience reacts
  
• Whether the teller connects with people in the back of the room as well as the front
  
• Pace and clarity
  

You’re not judging their art on a festival stage. You’re deciding whether their style would feel comfortable at your event.

Read testimonials, then trust your gut

Comments from past clients are helpful. So are references. Still, there comes a point where you know in your bones whether someone will work well with your group.

If the conversation feels easy, the teller listens to your concerns, and you can imagine them standing in front of your people, you are close to a good match.

Talking With Storytellers About Your Event

Think of your first real conversation with a storyteller as a planning meeting, not an audition. The goal is to see whether you can work well together.

Here’s the information the teller will need:

• Date, time, and location of the event
  
• Who the audience will be and why they’re gathering
  
• How long you expect them to perform
  
• Whether there will be other activities, like food service or music, competing for attention
  

Then invite the teller’s ideas. You might say:

“We have fifty adults in a fellowship hall. The event is a fundraiser, and many of them won’t know each other. We want them to relax and feel connected. What length program works best in that setting?”

An experienced storyteller can help you shape the flow of the program. They may suggest a single forty-minute set, two shorter sets with a break, or a mix of stories and audience participation.

Don’t be shy about expressing your concerns. If you’re afraid that the crowd will be restless, or that the room feels too formal, say so. Storytellers deal with real people in real spaces all the time. They’re used to solving problems on the fly.

Fees, Contracts, and the Money Question

Let’s talk about the part that makes folks nervous.

Hiring a storyteller isn’t like ordering a pizza. Fees vary. Travel is a factor. Preparation takes time. Most tellers also have day jobs, families, or long drives between events.

Here are a few guidelines.

Budget range

When you use the VASA form, you will notice a place to list a budget or budget range. Be honest. A storyteller would rather know upfront than guess.

If you’re not sure what’s reasonable, you can:

• Ask the teller for their standard range for similar events
  
• Explain that you have a firm ceiling and see whether they can work within it
  

Some tellers might reduce their fee for libraries or community events. Others can’t. Either answer is fair. You’re paying not just for the minutes on stage but also for years of experience and the time it takes to prepare and travel.

Write it down

Whatever you agree on, put it in writing. It doesn’t have to be a ten-page contract. A one-page agreement can cover the essentials:

• Date, time, and location
  
• Length and number of sets
  
• Fee and payment schedule
  
• Travel and lodging arrangements, if any
  
• Equipment responsibilities
  
• Recording or photography permissions
  
• Cancellation terms, including weather issues
  

Many storytellers already have a standard contract. If they don’t, feel free to provide your own simple document. The point is clarity, not legal drama.

Setting the Stage for Success

By the time you’ve picked your teller, settled the fee, and signed something you both understand, you’ve done most of the work. A few small touches can lift the program from “nice” to “memorable.”

Seating and atmosphere

Try to keep the audience reasonably close to the teller. Wide gaps make it hard to build energy. Intimate clusters of chairs or tables work well.

If you are serving food, try to finish the clatter of plates before the stories begin, or pause service during the main set. Loud cutlery and heartfelt stories don’t mix well.

The introduction

A good introduction should be short, warm, and easy to say. Your storyteller may provide one. If not, three or four sentences are enough:

• The teller’s name
  
• Where they’re from
  
• The kind of work they do
  
• One detail that connects them to your event
  

You don’t need to list every award they have ever won. The audience will decide what they think based on the first ten minutes of the set, not the introduction.

How VASA Can Support Your Next Event

You now know the basics of how to hire a storyteller for an event. It comes down to a few practical questions, a clear understanding of your audience, and a willingness to treat the storyteller as a partner rather than a prop.

The Virginia Storytelling Alliance is here to make that process easier. VASA:

• Maintains a Storyteller Directory full of tellers from across the Commonwealth and nearby states
  
• Shares your opportunities with members through the Call for Tellers process when you complete the Find Event Storytellers form
  

From there, everything else is between you and the teller. You decide who to hire, what to pay, and how to shape the program.

So, if you are planning a festival, a library program, a corporate retreat, or a small gathering in a church basement, consider inviting a storyteller into the mix. Visit the VASA Storyteller Directory, explore a few profiles, or fill out the Find Event Storytellers form with your event details.

You bring the audience. Let a storyteller bring the stories. Together, you can turn this year’s event into one that people will remember.

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Wayne Jordan is a Galax, Virginia storyteller and VASA member whose work draws on Appalachian history, humor, and memory. He performs at libraries, festivals, and community events across Southwest Virginia and writes about regional culture at BlueRidgeTales.com.