Book signings a la Lisa
Today in my "what I didn't know until I got published" series, I'm going to talk about book signings. I'll probably continue this topic into Monday, because I've got a lot to say -- don't I always? ; ) But first a disclaimer to this post and all posts in this series -- this is the way I do things; it works for me, but it is far from the only way to do things. Use what sounds good to you and discard the rest. I'm just trying to provide an insight from my point of view as to what it's like.
The first thing about book signings is to forget what your imagination is telling you -- unless your last name is Rowling, it's highly unlikely that there will be hordes of fans waiting in line for you. The reality is that sometimes no one shows up. It's nothing personal against you or your writing, it's just a fact of author life. In my case a "horde" can be anywhere from 10-30 people.
I've never done a "solo signing" which would be me sitting at a table with a stack of my books listening to myself breathe. Not my idea of a good time, and I don't ever see myself doing a solo signing. I was fortunate to have my first signing be with a fellow fantasy author James Maxey. We'd never met prior to the signing, but we'd emailed a bit. We really hit it off; people said we had chemistry and played off of each other really well -- James and I pretty much took our act on the road. ; )
The format the Barnes & Noble CRM (community relations manager, ie store event guru) chose was a reading/discussion/signing. This worked wonderfully, and I highly recommend it as your format of choice (at least it's my favorite). This way, you're not sitting at a table by yourself; you get to interact with an actual audience. However the size of the audience depends on a lot of things: conflicting event somewhere else, weather, being able to talk your family and friends into coming out to support you. Promo for the event isn't just up to the CRM. She will do her part, but you need to do some advertising yourself -- post it on your website; talk it up in your blog; get your blog buddies to do the same; post to any forums, writers clubs, or professional organizations you belong to. The Internet is a magnificent way to spread the word. Also tell people you know where you work, go to school, or go to church -- unless you write blazing hot erotica, then you may want to be a little circumspect with that church announcement. ; ) BTW -- My church actually carries my books in the church library. Cool!
Another advantage to doing a signing with another author or authors, is that you get access to their fans, and they get access to yours; meaning after they hear you read and get to ask you some questions, some of those people just might buy your books and become your fans as well.
Another myth is that you're going to sell a lot of books. Uh, no. Chances are, that's not gonna happen. If you sell 10-12 copies, you're doing really good. The main reason I do booksignings is to meet my fans. I LOVE meeting my fans!
What to wear? I dressed up for my first signing; I thought it was the "authorly" thing to do. It was also the uncomfortable thing to do; what I was wearing just wasn't me. (Jeez, whatever inspired me to wear ivory pants? I was constantly paranoid that I was going to sit in something.) I'm a jeans, boots, and blazer kind of girl. While it's important to look "put together" and professional, it's also equally important that you're comfortable. If you feel good with what you're wearing, you'll be able to relax and have more fun. Maybe this is just me, but if I go to see one of my favorite authors, I'd be kinda disappointed if they looked like they just walked in off the street. Be comfortable, but make an effort to make the event special for your fans. Spend a little extra time in front of the mirror.
On Monday, I'll finish up this post on doing book signings with dealing with your nerves, choosing a passage from your book to read, having fun with the audience Q&A, and good bookstore CRM/manager/event coordinator etiquette. What can I say? I'm a Southern girl; I've been taught to write thank you notes and bring a hostess gift. The CRM has invited you into their store for the evening, therefore they're a host/hostess. ; )
Coming up tomorrow: Instead of the Saturday Fun Pic, I'll be joining the ladies over at The Book Smugglers for their "Chat With an Author." (The link will take you to their intro to the festivities for this weekend.) There will be cool prizes, and an interview where I tell how I got published, give tidbits of new characters in upcoming books, give a sneak peek at what I hope will be the ultimate fencing/fight scene between Raine and a new villain, and I'll also answer the question -- am I a Mychael or Tam kind of girl? ; )
Next week: I'll continue the "what I didn't know until I got published" series with promotion, where to get really cheap/free promo materials, tax write-offs, dangers of burnout, Amazon rankings (ignore them), gifts for your publishing "team", advertising, and more.
Happy Friday!
Lisa
The first thing about book signings is to forget what your imagination is telling you -- unless your last name is Rowling, it's highly unlikely that there will be hordes of fans waiting in line for you. The reality is that sometimes no one shows up. It's nothing personal against you or your writing, it's just a fact of author life. In my case a "horde" can be anywhere from 10-30 people.
I've never done a "solo signing" which would be me sitting at a table with a stack of my books listening to myself breathe. Not my idea of a good time, and I don't ever see myself doing a solo signing. I was fortunate to have my first signing be with a fellow fantasy author James Maxey. We'd never met prior to the signing, but we'd emailed a bit. We really hit it off; people said we had chemistry and played off of each other really well -- James and I pretty much took our act on the road. ; )
The format the Barnes & Noble CRM (community relations manager, ie store event guru) chose was a reading/discussion/signing. This worked wonderfully, and I highly recommend it as your format of choice (at least it's my favorite). This way, you're not sitting at a table by yourself; you get to interact with an actual audience. However the size of the audience depends on a lot of things: conflicting event somewhere else, weather, being able to talk your family and friends into coming out to support you. Promo for the event isn't just up to the CRM. She will do her part, but you need to do some advertising yourself -- post it on your website; talk it up in your blog; get your blog buddies to do the same; post to any forums, writers clubs, or professional organizations you belong to. The Internet is a magnificent way to spread the word. Also tell people you know where you work, go to school, or go to church -- unless you write blazing hot erotica, then you may want to be a little circumspect with that church announcement. ; ) BTW -- My church actually carries my books in the church library. Cool!
Another advantage to doing a signing with another author or authors, is that you get access to their fans, and they get access to yours; meaning after they hear you read and get to ask you some questions, some of those people just might buy your books and become your fans as well.
Another myth is that you're going to sell a lot of books. Uh, no. Chances are, that's not gonna happen. If you sell 10-12 copies, you're doing really good. The main reason I do booksignings is to meet my fans. I LOVE meeting my fans!
What to wear? I dressed up for my first signing; I thought it was the "authorly" thing to do. It was also the uncomfortable thing to do; what I was wearing just wasn't me. (Jeez, whatever inspired me to wear ivory pants? I was constantly paranoid that I was going to sit in something.) I'm a jeans, boots, and blazer kind of girl. While it's important to look "put together" and professional, it's also equally important that you're comfortable. If you feel good with what you're wearing, you'll be able to relax and have more fun. Maybe this is just me, but if I go to see one of my favorite authors, I'd be kinda disappointed if they looked like they just walked in off the street. Be comfortable, but make an effort to make the event special for your fans. Spend a little extra time in front of the mirror.
On Monday, I'll finish up this post on doing book signings with dealing with your nerves, choosing a passage from your book to read, having fun with the audience Q&A, and good bookstore CRM/manager/event coordinator etiquette. What can I say? I'm a Southern girl; I've been taught to write thank you notes and bring a hostess gift. The CRM has invited you into their store for the evening, therefore they're a host/hostess. ; )
Coming up tomorrow: Instead of the Saturday Fun Pic, I'll be joining the ladies over at The Book Smugglers for their "Chat With an Author." (The link will take you to their intro to the festivities for this weekend.) There will be cool prizes, and an interview where I tell how I got published, give tidbits of new characters in upcoming books, give a sneak peek at what I hope will be the ultimate fencing/fight scene between Raine and a new villain, and I'll also answer the question -- am I a Mychael or Tam kind of girl? ; )
Next week: I'll continue the "what I didn't know until I got published" series with promotion, where to get really cheap/free promo materials, tax write-offs, dangers of burnout, Amazon rankings (ignore them), gifts for your publishing "team", advertising, and more.
Happy Friday!
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:13 AM
2 Comments:
Good suggestion, about going in with other authors. However, it's not always practical when you live in "flyover country," like I do. Even with my history books, I tend to have to go it alone; it's even trickier with my SF/F.
Had any luck with indie bookstores?
Hi Robert, great to hear from you! You're right, group signings work well when you live in a metro area like I do. But in other areas, like you said, it might not be an option.
I love indie stores, and I did try to get a signing at a prominent local one, but since I already had a signing scheduled at a B&N, their event planner thought that particular store (the B&N) was too close to pull in a good crowd at their location.
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