Category: Uncategorized

by Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig

It’s funny that writing promo usually equals signings in the minds of non-writers.

Frequently, I’ll have an acquaintance or friend ask me if I’m planning to have a signing at one of the local bookstores.  Or they’ll suggest a bookstore in another town that they’re familiar with.

I’ll always try to summon up some enthusiasm and a polite response, but usually I’m shrinking away a little.  Signings are my least favorite form of promo.

The problems with signings:

It’s randomly targeted marketing instead of directly targeted.  You’re basically just hoping that someone who walks into the store that day is interested in having a signed copy of any book.

The signing table that the store provides is usually not in a great spot.

You’re having to basically do direct sales.  If you sit there mildly at your little table without saying a word, you likely won’t have any sales at all.

Making a tough situation better:

Don’t sit at the table.  Stand up or even walk around a little.

Have something to do…handing out bookmarks is a good thing to do (and can be a conversation-starter).

Plan the signing in a good location.  This could mean having it in the town you grew up in (where you still are acquainted with lots of people, but maybe they haven’t had the perfect opportunity to buy your book).  This could also mean thinking outside the box and having the signing at a local craft fair or venue other than a bookstore.

Goodies for the bookstore staff are always popular.

Goodies for the shoppers are popular, too.  You can just put a little basket of individually-wrapped candy on your table and many more people will come by.  Some writers are especially clever and will have little tie-ins for their books attached their giveaway.

Before you leave your signing, ask the store if you can sign the leftover stock (and if they have some “autographed copy” stickers.)

Unless you’re a big name, signings are usually not the best way to sell a bunch of books (although I’ve done well at signings in the town I grew up in…because my mother drums up business among her friends!)   Online promo is a free way to reach readers all over the world—who are interested in either you or the genre you write.

How do you feel about signings?  Have any additional tips to share?

Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.

The Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 12,000) searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web’s best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .

In big news this week, my writing and computer programming friend Mike Fleming has launched his Hiveword Novel Writing Software! To check out what it’s all about, just click here. For an interview with Mike on Krissy Brady’s blog, just hop over here. Congratulations to Mike!!

Why Writers Must Read: http://bit.ly/tJ585H @Ava_Jae

Making Connections: Buses, Weaving and Poetry: http://bit.ly/vLq1J8 @sueorton

5 Reasons to Use Social Bookmarking to Promote Your Blog: http://bit.ly/uBNPAt @blogherald

How To Focus Amidst Background Static And Ghost Channels: http://bit.ly/umRuh3 @coachcreative

Layering Complexity,Texture &Theme Using Subplots, Secondary Characters,& Villains: http://bit.ly/s33IUT @RobinPerini @MireyahWolfe

Generating Story 4: The Story Setup: http://bit.ly/tNt86X @authorjohnbrown

10 tools to keep your writing fresh: http://bit.ly/uqvxAA @novelpublicity

Writing and age: http://bit.ly/uSIDi8 @HopeClark

How to format your manuscript: http://bit.ly/thUwa0 @LaurenClark_Bks

Thoughts on Convention Panels: http://bit.ly/rrPGLz @jimchines

5 Absolute Essentials for Making It as a Copywriter: http://bit.ly/rEAkIu @TiceWrites

On running gags in our stories: http://bit.ly/v2s2u4 @lydia_sharp

3 Crucial Aspects of Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/snR5ur @VictoriaMixon

How to be professional as a writer: http://bit.ly/tlwavP @nicolamorgan

Amazon Reader Reviews: 12 Things Everybody and His Grandmother Needs to Know: http://bit.ly/tGKwQw @AnneRAllen

6 Steps to Building a Strong Team for your Writing Career: http://bit.ly/v5NRHY @LyndaRYoung

An agent advises us to make a holiday writing plan: http://bit.ly/tHV4If @RachelleGardner

Author Blogging 101: Blog Design: http://bit.ly/ugTRSc @JFBookman

Volume is important. Pace counts. http://bit.ly/u6Trqm @StoryFix

NaNoWriMo Tip: Fill Out a Character Chart: http://bit.ly/vZNH3g @GalleyCat

The refusal of the hero’s call to action: http://bit.ly/tP9het @TheresaStevens

3 perfect gifts for writers: http://bit.ly/spLh5w @BookEmDonna

Spacing books in a series: http://bit.ly/u5SUhx

An Open Letter to Simon and Schuster CEO: http://bit.ly/tg861A via @PassiveVoiceBlg

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Plagiarist: http://bit.ly/v0tXcQ @scholarlykitchn

Too much tech? 7 authors respond: http://bit.ly/sWKIXS @junglereds

Dealing with criticism: http://bit.ly/sGUEjB @BryanThomasS

Too Many Facebook Friends: Blessing or Curse? http://bit.ly/tcvWN6 @JaneFriedman

50 Handy Expressions About Hands: http://bit.ly/rIqcQK

Why 1 writer/editor sought certification: http://bit.ly/uRFE8M @Eliz_Humphrey

4 Reasons to Mimic the Masters—and 3 Reasons Not to: http://bit.ly/rTx9hX @KMWeiland

Breaking in, Breaking out, Dropping out of Publishing: http://bit.ly/tQMkbk @sarahahoyt

Setting up the punchline: http://bit.ly/tvLx6n @TheresaStevens

A Selfpubber’s Morning: http://bit.ly/vF5sRI? @gerarddemarigny

5 Scriptwriting Tips that Will Make Any Story Better: http://bit.ly/rXSEX4 @LiaLondon1 for @JeffGoins

5 nontraditional publishing models from around the world: http://bit.ly/voS43H @artsylliu

There Are Suckers Born Every Minute and They Are Writers: http://bit.ly/vuRjNm @DeanWesleySmith

Indie publishing isn’t for people who couldn’t get published. It’s for people who could. http://bit.ly/u8h6dA @DirtyWhiteCandy

Self-Published Authors Invited to the Kindle Owners Lending Library: http://bit.ly/sLmUNE @PassiveVoiceBlg

Hearing Voices? Maybe You’re a Writer: http://bit.ly/s5FaCZ @2KoP for @writeitsideways

Ads for ebooks – are they worth it? http://bit.ly/uAtqqZ @HowToWriteShop

Why querying isn’t a popularity contest: http://bit.ly/uD51lZ @sierragodfrey

How to Hold a Google+ Hangout and Why You Should: http://bit.ly/rNTjcN @smexaminer

Freelancers: 5 ways to sell more articles by being yourself: http://bit.ly/u21E1V @lformichelli

100 Questions to Help You Write, Publish, and Sell Your Ebook: http://bit.ly/sHtlhS @lifehackorg

Why Daydreamers are More Creative: http://bit.ly/tS43kW @sbkaufman for @creativitypost

Will Neuroscience Kill the Novel? http://bit.ly/szd6aN @bigthink

The going rate for freelancing: http://bit.ly/u4sP1T @TiceWrites

Google Alerts for Authors: http://bit.ly/scyLJc @CuriosityQuills

6 key writing lessons a writer learned from horses: http://bit.ly/uixN49

Defining success in publishing: http://bit.ly/vJYUtC @fingers_murphy

Living the stuff of novels: the ghostwriter’s lot: http://bit.ly/rMUgPy @dirtywhitecandy

5 Subplot Blunders to Avoid: http://bit.ly/sd12xT @LynnetteLabelle

Revising Away From The Computer: http://bit.ly/tRcvDV @YAHighway

Do you suffer from one of these maladies? http://bit.ly/up1SDY @NathanBransford

Your book…2nd and 3rd acts: http://bit.ly/vBYfhz @AlexSokoloff

A Social Media Survival Guide: http://bit.ly/u6hyMd @jennreese for @RLLaFevers

For some kids, a book is just an iPad that doesn’t work: http://bit.ly/snV91L @ivortossell for @globeandmail

How to Write a Blog Post About Writing: http://bit.ly/szHfBV Dell Smith for @BTMargins

Plotting Through “What’s Next?” http://bit.ly/uCun8D @Janice_Hardy

Applied Description: http://bit.ly/u710RN @author_sullivan

How blogging can help an aspiring writer: http://bit.ly/sCylL2 @nickdaws

Write with the door closed, edit with the door closed and open: http://bit.ly/sBrS0X @eMergentPublish

Writing SF&F military: rank and rank systems: http://bit.ly/ulq9qE

A series on Goodreads promo: http://bit.ly/tdWcdR , http://bit.ly/uxbH6Z , http://bit.ly/uYvYtD , http://bit.ly/vNd5h4 @rsullivan9597

When do readers trust you? http://bit.ly/tzJGvH @HopeClark

Prompts for creating conflict in a scene: http://bit.ly/sWCb4C @DeeWhiteAuthor

Why 1 writer is keeping his agent: http://bit.ly/tFDVpx @jimchines

Stephen King, James Frey nominated for Bad Sex awards: http://tgr.ph/usOPtD @TelegraphBooks

The bus route of a writer: http://bit.ly/teBIyZ @sherrinda

5 Important Tips for Building a Strong Brand: http://bit.ly/sB4ZAW @JeffGoins

Back up your work: http://bit.ly/uf0n8N @mistymassey

6 Common Writing Excuses (And How to Overcome Them): http://bit.ly/rDfbaA @aliventures)

Writing a Selling Query or Pitch in 4 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/sRTVta @elle_strauss for @Janice_Hardy

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers: http://bit.ly/viggLT @JamiGold

So, You Want a Book Blogger to Review Your Ebook…: http://bit.ly/vwmxRk @topshelfebooks for @GoblinWriter

4 Reasons for writers to be thankful: http://bit.ly/sufzqG @JulieMusil

Use the Symbolitron: NaNoWriMo Tip: http://bit.ly/tZt3rL @GalleyCat

Are Zombies Truly the Harbinger of Genre Crossover? http://bit.ly/vGvDvD @ryancbritt for @tordotcom

Does Sentence Structure Affect Tone? http://bit.ly/tQjPcQ

Online “Best of 2011” Book Lists: http://bit.ly/thP1BL @largeheartedboy #books

Publicity: Soul Crushing or Life Affirming? http://bit.ly/tjlH1k @thebirdsisters

How to Build a Blog Following From the Ground Up: http://bit.ly/s5gba5 @JodyHedlund

13 ways to begin a novel: http://bit.ly/sVgfDo @gripemaster

Serial Fiction With Author Entrepreneur Sean Platt: http://bit.ly/uQ92rN @SeanPlatt for @TheCreativePenn

A profanity-laden shotgun blast of smart advice from @ChuckWendig: 25 reasons readers stop reading your story: http://bit.ly/rRPy2u

Tension or frustration? http://bit.ly/sYspND @KatieGanshert

Stimulus and Response: The Writer’s Path through Story: http://bit.ly/vZCglT @4kidlit

Twitter: “Social Media,” not “Pyramid Marketing Scheme for Your eBook”: http://bit.ly/tWoURZ @GeoffreyCubbage

Balancing the Scenes that Make Up Your Novel: http://bit.ly/uLnYdV @KristenLambTX

1 writer’s screenwriting process: http://bit.ly/tJJyGm

8 Steps to Hosting a Successful Twitter Chat: http://bit.ly/vTkGBa @hubspot

Screenwriting : ratcheting up the tension using parallel stories: http://bit.ly/suW3MW @jacobkrueger

Suspension of disbelief in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/uz0GNG @mkinberg

Writing Like A Lawyer: http://bit.ly/ueCjyw @inarascott for @4KidLit

How to Launch a Writers Group: 6 Pieces of Advice: http://bit.ly/vvvEkH @JeffGoins

Authors are the gatekeepers now, but must do 10 things to succeed: http://bit.ly/t8d2jN @Bob_Mayer

5 tips for compelling back cover copy: http://bit.ly/vn58wm @amywilkins

Affect vs. Effect: http://bit.ly/uSPEXJ

Beware of praise: http://bit.ly/rMEbIn @nicolamorgan

Literary Agents and Conflicts of Interest – A Compendium: http://bit.ly/tQmT8R @PassiveVoiceBlg

Filtered perspectives: http://bit.ly/t9OTtk @RavenRequiem13

Library ebooks, Book Country, dead girls & more–this week’s news from @Porter_Anderson for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/uA0I94

3 Easy Steps to Critique a Friend’s Poem: http://bit.ly/sNNgtA @write_practice

How to Describe Your Characters—and How Not to: http://bit.ly/tp1Ksl @KMWeiland

How music played into 1 writer’s manuscript: http://bit.ly/vVAZFj @erikamarksauthr for @BYROZMORRIS

Sudoku for Writers: http://bit.ly/s3sNdj @BTMargins

Should Christian authors write edgy? http://bit.ly/tf05th @slamballonbooks

3 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for Published Authorhood: http://bit.ly/tce0qc @RoniLoren

Use a spreadsheet to help organize your writing: http://bit.ly/tuAISX @GalleyCat

1 screenwriter’s writing process and software: http://bit.ly/toip01 @johnaugust #screenwriting

A good kind of reader manipulation: http://bit.ly/v7rYPX @jeanniecampbell

Fanfiction can be an eloquent tribute – it deserves more respect: http://bit.ly/s2sajA @mathildia

20 Types and Forms of Humor: http://bit.ly/sT54P8

Writing a Marketable Superhero Novel: http://bit.ly/v4lXpp

Platform and Social Media Must Not Be Your Center: http://bit.ly/rv99wI @thewritermama for @JaneFriedman

5 Online Distraction-Busters for Writers: http://bit.ly/vINxPD @krissybrady for @writeitsideways

Don’t sign dumb contracts: http://bit.ly/s2NAi9 @PassiveVoiceBlg

Black Friday: Writing Style: http://bit.ly/siMlSn

How to be a genius (or just look like one): http://bit.ly/vx8S1B @justinemusk

The Critical Aspects of Digital Publishing: http://bit.ly/uhXr20 @barryeisler

4 Steps For Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel: http://bit.ly/vfI5sY @JodyHedlund

Disney parents–dead mothers & absent fathers: http://bit.ly/vMQtQi @FantasyFaction

The Dangers of Outsourcing Your Freelance Work: http://bit.ly/vGSmf7 @fuelyourwriting

Top 5 Writing Tips the Grinch Stole: http://bit.ly/vpWK3L

Habits that Lead to Creative Writing Discoveries: http://bit.ly/tsMlEX @Musesland

Understanding Heroes: http://bit.ly/rJucyr @TheresaStevens

10 Modes of Modifiers: http://bit.ly/uAY8Lv

Hiveword Novel Writing Software Launched: http://bit.ly/ukwM6f @Hiveword

Can Search Engine Optimization Help You Sell More Books? http://bit.ly/thYqT9 @TheCreativePenn

How to make your own book trailer: http://bit.ly/vpMx8P @BubbleCow

40 Synonyms for Praise: http://bit.ly/vkwqjM

Remember the agent-writer relationship is a business arrangement: http://bit.ly/w0EelM @PassiveVoiceBlg

1 Author’s Writing Path: http://bit.ly/vCaqRl @Storyfix

1 writer’s scriptwriting process: http://bit.ly/u2pJvx #screenwriting

The Psychology of Attraction: The Intertwining of Sex and Aggression: http://bit.ly/s24aDt @lkblackburne

Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Prologue Work? http://bit.ly/tKrBFn @Janice_Hardy

An exclusive on slush? 1 agent’s response: http://bit.ly/rK56FS @literaticat

The 10 Secrets to Making a Spellbinding Video Trailer for Your Next Blog, Book, or Product Launch: http://bit.ly/sxbhBX @problogger

When do you need an editor? http://bit.ly/sjpo48

Best articles this week for writers: http://bit.ly/uDrxv9 @4kidlit

Write with fire: http://bit.ly/syfsL2 @NovelEditor

Designing our scenes: http://bit.ly/uEE5rs

Try communal world-building: http://bit.ly/vc0E2d @galleycat

When Does a Writer Become a Writer? http://bit.ly/tMQHqZ @TheAtlantic

A Creative Space of Your Own: http://bit.ly/v8BCfi @KateArmsRoberts

Cozy mysteries–what they are, how they fit into crime fiction: http://bit.ly/sccpig @mkinberg

The 50 Greatest Moments in Comics: http://bit.ly/tepP4m

Writers and traditional publishers: http://bit.ly/sqXjfy

Writers and traditional publishers: http://bit.ly/sqXjfy

The Low Cost of Books: http://bit.ly/vMaZTK @randysusanmeyer

Hiveword Is Here! An Interview with Creator Mike Fleming: http://bit.ly/rSCMqG @Hiveword

If you’re a traditional/cozy writer or reader, I hope you’ll join me over at Margot Kinberg’s Confessions of a Mystery Novelist.  I’m posting some ideas on striking a balance between the needs of cozy mysteries and the elements of crime fiction.  Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!  I’m thankful for all of you!

If you’re looking for something to read, I’m over at the Writers Read blog, talking about one of the last books I read (and I think you’ll enjoy it…as long as you don’t mind being scared!)

I’ll be at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist on Friday after 3:00 p.m. ET. 

Thanks! 

First of all, I want to thank Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at The Bookshelf Muse for giving me the opportunity to give away one of their insightful 1000 word critiques (and for honoring me as a writing hero!) The randomly-chosen winner of the critique is Rosalyn! Thanks to everyone who entered. :)

Local promotion is an aspect of marketing that I usually neglect.

I doubt I’m the only one, either. I’ve talked to plenty of writers who don’t enjoy book signings, giving book talks, or doing interviews. And it’s true that doing local promo means that you’re deliberately drawing attention to yourself among people you know.

I feel the same way. But I’ve also found that when I do local promo, it leads to a spike in sales.

Recently I spoke to a local service organization. Actually, it wasn’t even originally my idea—my North Carolina writer friend Diane Wolfe had needed to cancel and suggested that I fill in.

The talk went really well. It was a great group of people, I had a nice time. I thanked them for letting me come, left, and didn’t think anymore about it.

Until a week later. I was at a church class and one of the ladies there made an announcement before the class started. “I know something about Elizabeth.”

Of course, I knew what she had to mean—there’s nothing else about me that’s particularly interesting. But I had no idea how she knew.

Sure enough, her husband had been in attendance at my talk. And the organization had also sent out an email newsletter about my visit, with a bio and my books mentioned.

And you know, everyone in the class seemed really interested. They even jotted down my pen name and some book titles. They, of course, asked why I’d never mentioned it before (I’ve been in the class a couple of years, at least).

But writing is frequently something that doesn’t come up in conversation. Which is a good reason why we should keep doing these kinds of events.

We should also interview or suggest stories to our local paper—and the more local the paper is, the better. Does your town have one of those free, weekly newspapers? Target them, for sure. I’ve found they’ve got a great readership. Who knew?

Don’t forget your alumni magazine, either. I’m not one to talk, because I did forget it, but a professor at my college somehow made the connection between me and the school and put an article in the magazine. Soon I had old college friends emailing me that they’d bought some of my books. And the college asked me to talk to the English classes there in March.

I’m writing this post as a reminder to me, too—do local promo. Even if it makes me uncomfortable.

Do you do signings, lectures, or interviews locally? How has that worked for you?

Hope my American friends have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! And just a note that I’ll be a Margot Kinberg’s blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, on Friday, talking about cozy mysteries.