If you want Richard Carrier to visit your city, for any organization you are a member or officer of, check this out. Thanks to generous donors covering my losses from a burglary and exceeding that request by several thousand dollars, I have some money I will apply to the cost of visiting other cities to speak next year (mostly in reducing my honorarium, covering book procurement for resale, and some transportation costs). I promised I’d give these benefits to the cities the donations came from, by proportion. Although unfortunately, as I also noted, I can only do this for North American donors. I received generous support from such countries as Norway, Japan, Poland, England, Germany, and Australia, which I will just count toward recouped losses. Thank you so much, all of you. (But one island nation, which donated unusually generously, might prove an exception–private negotiations for a possible visit are underway; I can’t say more just yet.)

Many cities are receiving the benefits. I have some small discounts, and some large discounts. I’ll describe them in that order (lined out items have already been claimed!)…

I received small amounts (all welcome!) from many cities, and averaging out, I’m giving $25 off my usual $250 honorarium (for a reduced rate of $225) to the following cities (any group, any event, any venue):

In the US:

• CA: Anywhere in the East Bay
• CA: Los Angeles
• DC: as in Washington
• LA: New Orleans
• MI: Kalamazoo
• MN: Minneapolis
• NC: Greensboro
• NY: New York
• OR: Portland
• SC: Charleston
• WA: Spokane
• WA: Tacoma or Seattle

In Canada:

• Vancouver, BC

That’s good forever (for one occasion). Just mention it when you contact me (I won’t remember to apply the discount if you don’t remind me, especially if it’s years down the road). BTW, as always, for multiple events I have more deals to offer. So if several groups in the same area want to bring me around to several talks or other events, you can save money by pooling resources to get me (and thus share a single airfare, the biggest expense, and even get reduced rates on my speaking fee).

But I am offering large discounts to the following cities, from which came an especially large outpouring of generosity:

In Canada:

• Toronto, ON

Any group there that wants to bring me out: I will waive my single-event speaking fee (of $250) and pay half the airfare (I charge only $50 $75 for each additional event, though, if you want to arrange more than one in and around the Toronto area). But you will have to procure books to sell at the event(s)…you would keep all proceeds (I’ll get my royalty from the publisher), but you also have to deal with buying the stock and with returning or selling any unsold stock after the event; or if you have a local bookstore that would be interested in selling at the venue, that plan worked well in Ottawa earlier this year (I can work with you on how to do any of this).

In the US:

• Jersey City, NJ
• Salt Lake City, UT
• OH: Akron, Columbus, and Cincinnati (see below)

Any group in those locations that wants to bring me out: I will waive my single-event speaking fee (of $250). I then charge only $50 $75 for each additional event, if you want to arrange more than one event in and around your area. That can also cut airfare expenses for you (if multiple groups share that single cost).

But for Ohio: I am waiving even that, if volunteers will be willing to drive me across Ohio, or pay for a bus or train ticket (if the routes are time efficient). I would start by flying into Akron for an event, then be driven (or go by bus or train) to appear in Columbus, and then driven (or go by bus or train) to appear in Cincinnati, and fly home from there (or the other way around: Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron). It’s less than a two hour drive each leg. If you Ohioans can pull that off, no speaking fees for all.

Anyone in the named cities above interested in taking advantage of these discounts, talk to your group(s) and have them contact me by email to discuss (richard.carrier@icloud.com). This would be for next year. But planning as much as six months in advance is advised (that’s when my calendar starts filling up). As I will be traveling a lot in coming months, I may be slow to respond to email. But don’t worry, I’ll respond eventually!