Love them or hate them, book signings have become a necessary part of what it means to be a published writer.
I think that even if you’re an extrovert (not that many writers are—which is why we spend hours at a solitary activity), there are stressful aspects of book signings. How many people will be there? Will people give you the cold shoulder or come up to your table? Will it be worth the gas money you spent getting there?
Today I’m signing books at Books-A-Million in Anderson, SC (where I grew up.) Unfortunately, the publicity I carefully sent out in advance didn’t run (with the whittling down of news room reporters, the stacks of paper on individuals’ desks and emails in their inboxes has grown.) So…no publicity set up. I’m not even sure if the store has a sign up on their door announcing my signing or not.
Can this book signing be saved?
I think so. But I have to adjust my expectations going in.
Things I know:
Any buzz generated about my signing there will be carefully orchestrated by my parents, who still live in Anderson. Thanks, Mama and Daddy! It does help when you’re doing a signing in your hometown or a town where you were a former resident.
Most shoppers are not going to come up to my little table. I’ll have some bookmarks and other publicity info to hand out for them. Sometimes that makes people chat with me for a few minutes.
There will be several people who come up and ask me what my book’s about. I’ll have a snappy, quickie answer for them.
There will be several people who will ask me where the self-help/humor/children’s literature sections are. At least two people will ask me where the restroom is. But later on, they sometimes come back near me (in this bookstore, they usually have me close to the cash register.)
Still, there’s something exciting about being in a bookstore. I enjoy being in a bookstore at any time—I could cheerfully kill a day there. My biggest problem is staying near my little table instead of wandering around the store.
I love attending book signings – it’s so much fun to get to meet the authors behind the books, and as a new author, I learn so much just from meeting and listening to other authors. But as publication of my first book comes closer and closer and I’m working on lining up book talks and signings, I’m realizing how far just the thought that I will now be the one to actually host the talk and signing takes me outside of my comfort zone. But there’s also an element of excitement to it, and I’ll cling to that, rather than the sheer terror :-)
Good luck with your signing – and never underestimate the buzz of the parental marketing machine :-)
Looking forward to hearing how it goes, Elizabeth. Should be fun in your home town with your parents beaming at you.
Karen
“My biggest problem is staying near my little table instead of wandering around the store.”
LOL!
I hope your hand gets very tired signing all those books. Good luck!
Good luck with the signing. I’ve never done one ‘solo’. Our RWA chapter organizes small group signings, and one huge one right at holiday time. I’m not extroverted enough, or thick-skinned enough to sit there alone and watch people walk by (or ask where the restrooms are, because you’re spot on with that one). Maybe if my books were more widely available so people might have heard of me….???
Come to Texas and I’ll have our BAM put on a killer book signing for you! What fun we could have!!!
Sharon
Funny on the bathroom comment, I would probably be the person asking for directions on that one.
Hope the day goes well. You deserve it.
PS – love that painting (your image)
I do wander! After 300 some signings, I’ve found people won’t come up to your table, so I wander the store with a book and bookmarks to hand out. This probably generates most of my sales, as people will eventually come to my table once they know about it.
And I’m lucky – I AM an extrovert.
I used to love bookstore signings, but over the years, they’ve become less fruitful. It used to be a novelty to meet an author, but now there’s just so many of us. I still do them, but it’s at my speaking engagements where I have the best success.
L. Diane Wolfe “Spunk On A Stick”
http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
Try to avoid sitting down behind your table. Somehow, standing and smiling is more inviting. And I wouldn’t avoid walking around a bit and saying hi to people. I’ve seen authors do that and it works.
Have fun. That’s the most important thing, I think.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Elizabeth — You have my sympathies. I’ve done signings where I’ve driven hours to discover the person who had set up the signing was fired the week before (for embezzlement, in one case!) and the bookseller only had 2 copies in. Ouch. I learned to always carry a case of books with me.
I’ve also learned that the best used for bookmarks at a signing is to get up during dead spells and walk around the store passing them out (especially in the relevant genre section, where you have a self-selected audience). Tell them you’re signing over in the corner and that you’ll be back there in 2 or 3 minutes, and invite them over. You’d be surprised how many will wander over and buy.
Have a great signing! And may you have a delightfully painful writers cramp from signing ALL those sold books!
Marvin D Wilson
I enjoy talking about my books–sharing stories behind the stories–so I try to set up “events” rather than just “book signings.” Indies are usually *great with them. We advertise author presentation, reading, Q&A, signing and prizes. It’s fun and rather inexpensive to offer a book-related trinket to a drawing winner etc.. Folks enjoy the interaction, which feels more like a party atmosphere (to me too, and hey, we should be celebrating!) than just someone sitting there. Also, groups tend to draw browsers in.
I advertise on my website, in my newsletter (TwinkleGram) on FB, my humor travel blog and Twitter and work with the book stores best I can.
I’ve read where some authors say book stores don’t like receiving wads of postcards from authors, but the stores I work with sure do. (I ask, and they say YES!) They mail them out to clients they think would like the book/talk, or stuff bags with them. I leave 1/2 of the back of the postcard blank for such use. Some stores print event info on labels and slap them in the blank place.
Have there been a few “events” ill attended? Sure. But not nearly as often as when the only offer for action is a pen scrawling on a book page held by an author most people never heard of. (See me pointing at myself?)
I am extremely grateful to book stores who still step out on a limb to graciously host authors. It’s fun to get to know them. Even if the event is not well attended, all the advertising still gets the title out there, and store owners tell me that has a payoff.
Peace and grins and WRITE ON!
Charlene Ann Baumbich
Author Stray Affections and the Dearest Dorothy series
Ingrid–I was scared to death after my first book. It’s one of those things that gets easier after a while. I’m no fan of public speaking, but it comes easier now. Of course, I practice like crazy, too.
Karen–That’s really the reason I’m here. :) Good to see them.
Alan–It’s soooo tempting. And sometimes I do it. It usually ends up that I spend 200% more at the bookstore than I rake in for royalties.
Diane–I wish I could do that! There’s a little internal voice that tells me, “Uh-uh-uh! Don’t do it, Elizabeth…”
Terry–I rarely do one solo. I go with the Carolina Conspiracy writers’ group (have 3 coming up with them.) Only every once in a while do I do a solo one. I’m not nervous anymore, but I do get bored sometimes (and, obviously, can’t sit there reading or writing!)
Sharon–That would be awesome! I haven’t made it over to TX, yet. That would be a cool trip.
Journaling Woman–Isn’t that a cool painting? I’ve been visiting the Art Inconnu blog…unknown and underappreciated artists. Love the stuff on the site.
I always figure out where the restroom is, first thing! I know that will be a big question I get.
Helen–Good idea. I’m going to try to sit to the side of my table, if I sit. But I might stand there and pass out promo stuff.
If I wander around, I could get distracted…the pitfall of being in a bookstore!
Marvin–Thanks! Let’s cross our fingers.
Elizabeth, I’ll be starting book signings soon, so I’m interested in reading about everyone’s experience who has done one. It is good to see how you kept your composure and went right on with it even though publicity and promotion broke down. I hope you write on how the day went. wb
Thanks for an interesting post! If you haven’t done so, you might want to sign up for http://www.booktour.com for internet publicity for book-signings.
Irene
Author, Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend
http://www.TheFriendshipBlog.com
I love the artwork that you posted. I hope you meet lots of wonderful people and they all buy your book!
Good luck with the signing! We’ve never had one (that I know of) in our city. Part of being a small Canadian city I guess. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, and the nerves will help give you a bit of an adrenaline rush :) I hope you have fun!
Best wishes for a successful time – and hopes that you’re surrounded by clamoring admirers! (so nice for the ego!!)
Elspeth
Lisa–Wow! I’ve never had something like that to happen. That’s pretty bad! My contacts are usually there and everything runs smoothly.
I like your idea about going to the mystery section and talking to the readers there. That’s a great idea. I always stay so near my table.
Elizabeth–Thanks so much!
Charlene Ann–You’ve got a great idea. It’s good to try something a little different (good for both the author and the bookstore I think). Signings can get kind of stale after a while. Thanks for the tips!
Warren–It went pretty well. I sold a fair number of books and only one person asked me where the restroom was. :) The store was crowded because of a huge sale that I was lucky enough to have my signing coincide with.
Irene–Good tip! I have signed up there, but am not using it like I should. That definitely would have been the best way for me to quickly promote the event. I’ll get back on the site…thanks for the reminder (I have another signing next weekend.)
Jemi–Gosh, I think there are authors everywhere. I can’t go anywhere without tripping over a ton of them! Maybe the writers there are just shy.
Elspeth–It went well, thanks!