Books don’t sell themselves. People sell books. And as the author, you have to sell your book. Think about what happens when you walk into a bookstore looking for a specific book. How long does that take? A while, right? That’s because there are thousands of books. So how do you, as an author, make your book stand out from the masses? There are several ways, and one is to host a book signing. Of course, some book signings go better than others. To host a good book signing, you should keep in mind what I call the three Ps: planning, promotion, and pitching.
When you wrote your book, you likely had a plan. Most successes rooted in plans. Let’s say your book is a gluten-free cookbook. Clearly, it falls under the cookbook category, but couldn’t it also fall within the health and fitness, or education, or family and relationships, or even the medical genre? When you expand your book’s subject, you expand your opportunities. So what’s your niche? To promote that gluten-free cookbook, consider setting up a booth at your local farmer’s market and conducting a signing there. If your book is about World War II, consider a signing at your local VFW Post or during a Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day event. Perhaps your book is about equine or large animal care. Then maybe a table at your state fair is the place for you. If you write fantasy or science fiction, check out gaming stores, gatherings, and events like Gen Con.
Bookstores seem like obvious places to hold book signings, but while they are obvious, they may not be ideal for your book. Bookstores contain thousands of titles on a multitude of topics. Your book will be tucked away on a shelf somewhere, unnoticed among the myriad titles and nonbook items each store now carries. So you need to think about where your audience is and go find them. The audience for that gluten-free cookbook, for example, might include those with celiac disease (gluten intolerance), and their families are potential readers. So are nurses, nutritionists, health food store owners, chefs, and the list goes on. Once you’ve identified your audience, you can think about where they hang out, and that’s where you should try to have your book signings.
Once you’ve identified your book’s subject area and target audience, you’re ready to get creative. Start with Google and enter your key words and search. I typed in “gluten-free” and “Indianapolis,” and over 2.7 million results popped up. Some weren’t very helpful, but many were. One search result was a TV station site that had a community events tab, and from there I found an upcoming food event where I could set up a signing. You should be looking for any kind of event, fair, gathering, or venue where there are likely to be a lot of people who might be interested in your book’s subject. When you expand your book’s reach, you expand your sales.
Once you’ve identified a potential venue, it’s time to schedule a signing. To do this, you need to consider a couple of different schedules. The first, of course, is your calendar; keep an updated copy with you at all times. You don’t want to plan a signing and realize that you need to travel for work that day or it’s your anniversary. You also need to know the schedule of the venue where you want to have the signing; if there are too many other things going on that day, you could get lost in the shuffle. And finally, you should review a calendar of national and local observances, including federal and religious holidays and observances like Black History Month, Cancer Awareness Month, sporting events—anything that could adversely and positively affect the outcome of your signing. This past October, we coordinated and hosted several book signings throughout Indianapolis. Friday night and Saturday signings went well. Sundays, on the other hand, were less stellar. The city’s football team had a series of big games on Sunday afternoons, and everyone was at home glued to the TV instead of coming to book signings.
Once you have determined where and when you want to hold your signing, it’s time to make contact. Do a bit of research and see if you can find out the contact’s information, including name, title, e-mail address, and phone number, and don’t wait until the last minute. Don’t try to get a signing at your store this weekend. Don’t try to get a booth at the fair the week before the event. You’ll likely be left disappointed. Politely state your case and gauge the receptiveness. If they don’t seem interested because of scheduling issues or they seem frazzled, ask if another time to talk is better. If they seem interested, thank them and set up a meeting in person. When you meet in person, bring your book and information about how to order it, your calendar, your plan, and a great attitude. Then work together to determine the best time, location, and date, and discuss any special arrangements, such as an in-store announcement or hanging up posters to advertise the event.
When you have your event planned, you need to promote it—not the store, not the fair, but you. You need to promote your event. Today, there are several quick, easy, and inexpensive ways to get your message out to the masses, or at least to your friends, family, colleagues, and contacts. Take advantage of all social media and web applications you can get your hands on. But before you do, make sure you have all of the event info correct—the who, the what, the when, and the where. Spell check, and don’t spam. That means one announcement and one reminder. In your invitation, gently suggest that your recipients forward it to anyone else who might be interested. The internet and social media are great tools, but that doesn’t mean traditional media aren’t worthy, effective, or interested in your message. Send out postcards to those whose addresses you have and who might prefer the snail-mail route. Send a postcard to your contact where you’re holding your signing. Contact your local paper and see if they’ll include your event in their happenings or books section or would be interested in interviewing a local author. Put signs up. Have a few small posters made to post where you’re signing. Most bookstores have community bulletin boards. So do Starbucks and most independent coffee shops. Provide a few flyers, a poster, or maybe some postcards to your local church or synagogue and library, and don’t forget the places that fit your genre—like a health food store, in the case of the gluten-free cookbook. It never hurts to ask. Be sure your literature contains a picture of the book, a paragraph about the book, and the event information. After your event has finished, be a good citizen and try to pick up the flyers you distributed and thank the businesses for helping you out. They may be more inclined to help you in the future if you’re polite to them the first time around.
Now that you’re armed with a plan and a means to promote that plan, you need to start pitching. What is a pitch, exactly? Well, it’s your hook. It’s how you draw in your potential readers and buyers. It needs to be short and sweet and effectively cover your book in fifteen to thirty seconds, because that’s about all the time a person is going to give you. Give them the plot or a bit of intrigue without giving away the end. Think about your book and what it’s similar to. Did you write a horror novel like Steven King? Then say, “If you like Steven King, then you’ll like this.” If your pitch has someone intrigued but not quite ready to buy, give them the three-page challenge. Have them read three pages. It could be the trigger that gets them to buy your book. And don’t forget to express urgency. Say you’re only here for the day, and that might be enough to get them to buy.
Once you have your pitch figured out, it’s time to think about you. What are you going to wear? A rule of thumb is to dress business casual. Business casual is presentable and approachable. Speaking of approachable, keep your body language in mind. Your pitch may be engaging, but are you? Don’t sit slumped or with your arms crossed. Sit straight up with your arms on the table and your pen in hand. Better yet, consider standing near the table and inviting people over. Products, and especially books, don’t sell themselves. So you need to seek out readers. Don’t just sit there and smile. Get out from behind the table and talk to shoppers and passersby. If you’re in a bookstore, starting with those who are milling about your book’s genre section or those who have just entered the store. Engage them. Spout your polished ten to thirty seconds. Then encourage them to read the back cover. Most important, make eye contact and smile. It’s hard to walk away from someone who is actively trying to engage you. So make it hard for them not to interact with you. Then, when you have them in your gaze, start your pitch.
Materials are important too. A signing without a pen—well, it’s not a signing. Put together a kit of pens, tape, markers, book stands, and other items, and bring it to each signing. And don’t forget the sweet stuff. Aside from your smile and eye contact, candy is a great way to draw people in. Add a bowl to your table (just don’t let kids take any without permission from their parents).
You’ve planned, promoted, smiled, and pitched. It all came together, and your potential reader has just stepped up to be a customer and wants your book. It’s time to sign. Think ahead of time about your signature. Do you have a special message, a way you want to sign your books? Come up with something that’s uniquely you. Always ask if they want the book to be made out to them or someone else. Make sure to ask how to spell their names. Don’t assume John is J-O-H-N. Also ask if the book is for a special occasion, such as an anniversary or a birthday, and include that in your message. Sign that book. Say thank you. And send them toward the checkout and smile. You just sold a book. Well done.