I didn't schedule book signing events for my last two books on publicity topics because they are niche books targeting very specific audiences and, quite frankly, are not of interest to the average consumer poking around a bookstore. I also prefer to put my energy into promotional activities that will reach the widest number of target customers with the least amount of effort, and book signings are limited to local audiences. Conventional bookstore book signings, then, haven't made sense for me from both a marketing and time management standpoint. Book signings can be effective for many authors, but they aren’t right for everyone. In today’s guest post, publicity expert Sandra Beckwith discusses the keys to a successful book signing.
1. Don't approach a bookstore to discuss a signing unless you've written your book for a wide consumer audience (vs. an industry or other type of niche - lawyers or rock climbers, for example). Many bookstores won't host signings when it's clear that the audience for the book is too narrow. Ask yourself if there's a better place to meet your niche audience face-to-face.
2. Plan an event, not a book signing. The book signing where you sit at a table and try to make eye contact with shoppers is increasingly passé and often a waste of time. You need an event where you can speak to and engage your target audience, whether your book is fiction or nonfiction. My goal buddy Marcia Layton Turner is doing a Barnes & Noble book signing for her newest title, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vision Boards, but she won't be sitting at a table near the entrance. She'll be in the function room teaching people how to create vision boards before they try it themselves with materials Marcia and the bookstore provide. "I'll share the message of the book and show how to apply it," she says.
3. Consider non-bookstore locations. Go where you'll find your audience - it might not be at a bookstore. When Irene Levine introduced her community to Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend, Irene's hair stylist hosted a book signing at her salon. They invited lots of friends - who brought friends. Borders was on hand to sell books to about half of the 150 attendees. Be creative - if your book is a vegetarian cookbook, schedule an event at a natural foods market or the produce section of a supermarket. Your new mystery takes place at a museum? Talk to the most popular museum in your area about hosting a presentation and signing.
4. Market to warm. Are you an active member of a supportive group? Jackie Dishner, author of the regional travel book Back Roads and Byways of Arizona, sold more than 60 books at her signing at the weekly meeting of her businesswomen's group. Members knew she was writing the book and welcomed the opportunity to celebrate its publication with her. Do you belong to a similar group that might support you? For whatever reason, people like to say that they know an author. A signed book is proof of that connection.
5. Do your share to get the word out. Don't expect your event host to do all the promotional work - collaborate so you reach as many people as possible. Contact the press, send an e-mail to locals in your address book and ask them to forward it, and use social networking tools such as Facebook events and Twitter to spread the word.
6. Don't just sign your name. When I sign copies of my humor book about men, Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman?, I write the person's first name, add "It's all true!" and sign my name. For Publicity for Nonprofits, I use "I'll see you in the news!" People like that additional touch because it feels more personal.
7. Be prepared to invest time. Planning, promoting, and executing a successful book signing takes time, thought, and effort. It will all be worth it, though, as you watch those cases of books under your table empty and your hand gets tired from writing with your favorite pen.
Sandra Beckwith is a recovering publicist who now teaches authors how to generate priceless media exposure for their books. To subscribe to her free book publicity e-newsletter, Build Book Buzz, and learn about her book publicity e-course and other instructional products, visit www.buildbookbuzz.com.
Great post. It will come in handy when I do my own book launch next month. Thanks!
Posted by: Doreen Pendgracs | February 12, 2010 at 06:29 PM
Good luck with your book launch Doreen!
Posted by: Dana | February 12, 2010 at 07:21 PM
So much to think about! My books are Christian children's. Any ideas beyond the Christian bookstore? I'm also a potter and can make throwing pots work with the book's unique Christian..God's the Potter, we are the clay message. I have the blog, Twitter, FB, FB Pages, LinkedIn, and the author website with purchase pages is being completed as I write. Did I miss anything?
http://www.donnaperugin.blogspot.com
http://www.Twitter.com/DonnaPerugini
FB Pages as Donna Perugini Books
Posted by: Donna Perugini | February 15, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Can you do potting demonstrations at Christian schools (or their fairs or fundrasiers) in your area? What about church youth groups and selling to church libraries and children's programs? Schools are also a good place to sell. Some public schools might not let you promote a Christian themed book, but there are lots of Christian schools. See these articles:
http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2009/09/how-to-market-childrens-books-in-schools.html
http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/SellingtoSchools.htm
Good luck!
Dana
Posted by: Dana | February 16, 2010 at 07:50 AM
hi, I am Robert Ward, my book is Living Outside of Tiny Boxes. It is written to and for those in special education. It's aim is disabilities and non-disabilities. I am a Christ-center speaker and writer.
Posted by: Robert Ward | June 12, 2010 at 08:38 PM