1.  Social networking.  If you aren’t already on Facebook, Twitter, and industry networking sites, sign up and get some followers.  You should also set up a website.  From there, you can likely draw a group of friends by link-sharing with related sites and posting excerpts of your book on all of your forums as a way to tantalize your audience and get them running out to buy your book.  Advertise well in advance for signings so that fans have plenty of time to plan.  You might even want to do giveaways (like a copy of your book to the first 20 Twitter followers that show up and reference your tweet).

2. Hit your demographic.  You need to know your audience before you start advertising.  Whether you’re catering to lonely housewives, gamer geeks, YA readers, or those who prefer highbrow literature, knowing who you’re targeting can help you to determine where and how to advertise.  For example, you wouldn’t put an ad for your upcoming book signing in an issue of Maxim if you’re demographic is mainly female.  And doing a spot on a morning show in L.A. to plug your signing is useless if it’s not syndicated to San Francisco, where the gig is actually occurring.

3.  Choose the right locale.  It pays to do your homework when it comes to signings.  If you end up in a bookstore that is not attached to a busy shopping center or street, then you may find yourself staring out a window and wondering where all the people are.  Even if you only draw a small crowd initially, foot traffic could mean a swelling tide of patrons once people realize that an event is happening.  Work with your publisher to make sure they’re not sticking you in some out-of-the-way venue.

4.  In-store advertising.  Most people who are avid readers will frequent the same book store.  So if you want to get people who come to the store to come in while you’re signing, make sure that in-store advertising has been arranged.

5.  Be nice!  You’re not a rock star, so don’t let your inner diva go into overdrive.  People who show up at your book signing probably already like you (or at least your writing).  That means you don’t have to work too hard to endear yourself to them.  But you do need to be polite and play up your public persona.  In addition to writing personalized inscriptions, you should take compliments with a smile, pose for photos, and even pretend to be interested when people start to tell you how your book has changed their life.  Don’t worry about rushing your fans along – that’s what your handlers are for.  Try to make each person feel special and you’ll have a devoted fan-base for life.

Sarah Danielson writes for Go College where you can find helpful information on creative writing scholarships and learn more about a scholarship letter of recommendation.

Meeting potential readers and trying to sell your book can feel overwhelming for an author, especially an introverted one. Authors tend to forget that readers are often pre-determined to like them because being an author implies that you are a “celebrity” in their eyes. Since readers are likely already warmed up to want to talk to you about your book, here are some simple tips for making contact with potential readers that will help you to sell books. Since most shy writers probably aren’t going to be out doing public speaking right away but might be coerced into doing a book signing, I’ll focus primarily on how to build rapport with potential customers at your book signing.

1. Visualize the Event Before You Go

I can’t begin to tell you how important it is to visualize the event before it happens. It will calm your nerves and prepare you for success. So many authors are nervous about their first book signing—will anyone come, will I sell any books, will people not like my books—that they forget to enjoy themselves. Make sure you are prepared to go early so you’re not rushing around at the last minute to get ready. Then spend five or ten minutes sitting quietly and envisioning everything going smoothly from arriving early to talking to readers and selling books. You will then go to your signing feeling calm, excited, and ready to succeed. You can use the points below to help you visualize how to make the event successful.

2. Arrive Early

Nothing is worse than being late, or at least being nervous about being late. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive early. You’ll want time to get used to the location, to feel comfortable there, to set up your table, place your books on it, lay out bookmarkers, put up a poster, whatever is necessary. You will feel better from being prepared and that will make you more open to meeting people calmly rather than feeling stressed because you’re unpacking books five minutes after the book signing is supposed to start while a customer stands waiting for you to talk to him.

3. Build Rapport With the Staff

Whether it’s a public speaking event or a book signing, getting there early also gives you the opportunity to befriend the staff. This contact is extremely important. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to book signings where the store staff have told me horror stories about other demanding, late, or rude authors whom they haven’t invited back. You want to make friends with the staff. If you make a good impression, the bookstore employees or conference planners are just as likely to say good things about you to your potential readers. Being friendly with them will also make them more likely to lead customers over to where you are signing books and to recommend your books to customers in the days and weeks following the event.

4. Greet the Audience Individually Beforehand

If you are speaking in public, it’s a good idea not only to get there early but to engage the audience members individually so you have friends listening to you. Don’t hide in a nearby room so you can make a splashy (cheesy) appearance or sit up front looking uncomfortable. Stand by the door and shake hands or walk among the audience, introducing yourself to people and getting to know a little about them. Ask them why they came and what they would like you to talk about. Remember, you’re the guest speaker—you’re a celebrity in their eyes—they will love the personal attention. Even if they are shy, they will remember you and like you. I once was asked to speak to a group of teachers, which included dinner before my talk. I sat next to a woman who was not a member but just a guest of the group. I heard afterwards from one of the teachers present how privileged the woman had said she felt to sit next to the guest speaker at dinner even though she wasn’t a member of the group.

5. Prepare Remarks and Comments Beforehand

If you’re shy, thinking of things to discuss beforehand can really help to break the ice. It may be as simple as commenting upon the weather, about a recent event in the community, bringing up something about your book that will relate to your audience, or even simply planning to notice things about people that you can comment on (not their personal appearance, but if you’ve been to Rhode Island and someone is wearing a t-shirt that says Rhode Island on it, you can use that as an icebreaker). Being friendly is a soft-sell—you’re selling yourself as a nice person, and that will help to sell your book, even if you don’t mention your book. Once you make people feel comfortable with you, they are likely to ask you about your books and then you can sell them.

6. Don’t Hide

Recently, I went to an event where numerous authors were signing their books. I knew one of the authors quite well—had spoken to him on several other occasions, but I didn’t speak to him at this event. Why? Because he had his laptop propped up on his table and was busy typing away. Twice I walked past him and not once did he look up so I did not talk to him, and I certainly didn’t buy his book. No one wants to feel they’ve interrupted a writer, not even to buy one of his books. I’ve seen other authors sit and read books and never glance up. I understand you’re shy, but what these behaviors tell the audience is, “Don’t bother me.” Trust me, they won’t, and you won’t sell any books.

7. Don’t Build an Invisible Line

Some authors sabotage themselves when speaking to their public. While you may not be shy, something as simple as introducing yourself as “Mr. Richardson” or “Ms. Lovelace” is going to turn customers off more quickly than if you say you’re “Fred” or “Ellen.” Readers want to be treated like friends, and formal names create a distance with readers. Body language, looking bored, or ignoring customers by not saying hello will also build invisible lines which make customers feel you don’t really want to talk to them.

8. Sell Yourself

In selling your book, you need to sell yourself. When you meet people at book signings or other events, they will do business with you if they like you, so be personable. Rather than say, “My book is about” say, “I wrote this book because of an interesting experience I had.” Tell them about yourself. Give them an interesting presentation about you—your book is only an extension of you. Make them want to know more about you, which in turn will lead them to wanting to purchase your book.

9. Give Them Something Tangible so They Remember You

Even if people don’t seem inclined to buy your book, be friendly. Hand them book-markers, offer them candy if you have some at your table, or at least a brochure. Few people will refuse to take such items if only to be polite. More importantly, they have something to bring home with them. Many will throw away your marketing pieces, but when they clean out their pockets or shopping bags, it will at least remind them one more time about your book.

10. Stay in Touch

The best way to stay in touch with your readers is to invite people to sign up for your email newsletter. Always have a signup sheet on your table, and don’t be afraid to ask people to sign up. That way, you can stay in touch with them in the future through monthly updates or just to let them know when you are doing a book signing or have a new book out. For the shy author, a newsletter will allow you to stay in touch with your audience without having to talk to them in person and you may be better at presenting yourself through writing in the newsletter than speaking to them. Plus, you’re building a relationship with those readers so they will keep coming back, and next time you do a book signing, people on your newsletter list will show up—ready to buy your book so you won’t have to work so hard at selling.

Follow my advice to overcome your shyness in meeting your public, and then follow it again and again. Do as many book signings and public speaking events as possible. The more you do, the more you will become comfortable being a public figure. Remember, people are already pre-programmed to like you just because you’re an author, a celebrity, so you have nothing to fear. You wouldn’t want to meet your favorite author, only to have him or her only say two words or ignore you completely, so make sure you give your potential readers an experience that will delight them and that they will long remember, simply by your being friendly.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Some years back when I was promoting The Cliffhanger I ended up at a book signing in the driving rain, I mean it was pouring and the store was all but empty. It was amazing I sold even one book, let alone seven. While not a big number the copies were all sold to people who were seeking refuge in the store from the rain and not there for my event. This signing taught me a lot about events and connecting with consumers in stores. If you have an event coming up, consider these ideas before you head out:

1.       Marketing: First and foremost is the marketing of your event. But I’m not talking about the marketing you do the media (though that is great too) I’m speaking of in-store marketing, this is what most folks seem to overlook. This is where you supply things to the store to help them market your event. Because the first phase of a successful event is driving people to it. Here are a few thoughts.

a.       Do bag stuffers. You can easily do this in your favorite computer program, do two up on a page, meaning that you use one 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper to do two fliers. You’ll want to ask the store first if they mind that you provide this, most stores or event venues don’t.

b.      Bookmarks: while most in the industry see these as passé, people still love them. You can do bookmarks and bag stuffers (or staple them to the flier) or you can do custom bookmarks with the date and time of your event. Nowadays it’s pretty easy to get these done cheaply. Keep in mind that if you are having the event in a mall or other type shopping area, you might be able to drop the bookmarks (or bag stuffers) off at the nearby stores to see if they’ll help promote the event.

2.       Book signings are boring: Regardless of where you do the event, plan to do a talk instead of a signing. People are drawn into a discussion and are often turned off by an author just sitting at a table. Marketing is about message and movement so stand up and speak. If speaking in public is intimidating to you, go to Toastmasters or some other local networking/speaking group and see what you can learn.

3.       Unique places: if you want to get more attention for your event, consider doing events in unique places. We’ve done them in video stores, electronics stores, gyms, even restaurants (on slow nights), doing outside-the-bookstore events is a great way to gain more interest for your talk. Why? Because you aren’t competing with everyone else at the bookstore for your crowd. When you do an event at a local that doesn’t normally do events, you’ll gather more people just because it’s considered “unique.”

4.       Show up early and talk it up: OK so let’s say you’re in the store and there are a ton of people in there shopping (a book event dream, yes?) I suggest that you take your extra bag stuffers or custom bookmarks and just hand them to the people in the store. Let me know you are doing an event at such and such time and you’d love it if they can sit in. You’ll be surprised how many new people you might pull in this way.

5.       Customize: Regardless of what your talk is about, poll the audience first to see a) what brought them there, or b) what they hope to learn if your talk is educational. I suggest this because the more you can customize your discussion, the more likely you are to sell a book. If you can solve problems (and this is often done during the Q&A) all the better. You’ll look like the answer machine you are and readers love that. If you have the answers they’ll want to buy from you. I promise.

6.       Make friends: get to know the bookstore people, but not just on the day of the event. Go in prior and make friends, tell them who you are and maybe even hand them your flier or bookmark (or a stack if you can). Often stores have Information Centers, see if you can leave some fliers there instead of just at the register. Getting to know the people who are selling the book is a great way to help gather more people into your event. If your event isn’t in a bookstore but attached to a shopping area or mall, go around to the stores (and perhaps you did this when you passed out the fliers) and let them know you have an event and what can you do to help them promote it. If you can rally the troops to help you market your talk, you could triple the numbers of people at your event. No kidding.

7.       Take names: I always, always recommend that you get names and (email) addresses from the folks who attended. Sign them up for your mailing list is a great way to stay in touch with them and stay on your reader’s radar screen. If you have a giveaway or drawing, great! This will help you to collect names. If you don’t, offer them a freebie or ebook after the event. Often if I’m doing a PowerPoint presentation I will put together a set of them (delivered in PDF) after the event. Attendees need to sign up to get them and then once they do, I include them in our newsletter list which helps me to stay on their radar screen.

8.       Pricing: Make sure your book is easy to buy. If you are doing this outside of a bookstore this is easy to do and will help your sales. I find that a rounded number like $10 or $20 makes for a quick and easy sale. If you can round up or down without adding or losing too much to the price, by all means do it.

9.       Book pairing: One way you might be able to round up is by pairing your book with a freebie. When I paired Red Hot Internet Publicity with a second, but smaller, marketing book I took the awkward pricing of $18.95, bumped it up to $20 (so 2 books for $20) and quadrupled my sales after an event. Now the pairing doesn’t have to be a book, it can be a special report or even an ebook that you send to them after the event.

10.   Product and placement: as you’re doing your talk (especially if it’s in a non-bookstore venue) make sure that you have a copy of the book propped up in front of you so event visitors see it the entire time you are speaking. Hold up the book when appropriate and use it as an example when you can. This will help to direct the consumers eye to the book – and making eye contact with the product is a good way to make sure it stays on their radar screen throughout your talk. When I do a speaking gig at an event that allows me to sell books in the room, I will sell four times more than I would if the attendees have to go somewhere else to buy it so make the buy easy. If you can, make sure your books are for sale in the room.

11.   Ease of purchase: aside from pricing, if you’re doing your own check out make sure that you have many ways consumers can buy your book. I take credit cards at the event, checks and cash. Don’t limit yourself as to what you can take or you will limit your sales.

12.   Post event wrap up: So the event is over, what now? Well, if you got attendees to sign up for your newsletter (you did do that, right?) and now it’s time to send a thank you note for attending and remind them (if they missed the chance at the event) to buy a copy of your book at the “special event price.”

Speaking and book events are great ways to build your platform, but if you aren’t selling books there’s little point in doing them. For many of us, our book is our business card and thus, if we can sell our “business card” we can keep consumers in our funnel. If your book isn’t your business card you still want readers, right? So the marketing both post and during an event is crucial to building your readership. While it’s easy to say that events sell books, they often don’t. I find that if you don’t “work it” you often will find your time wasted. Seek the opportunities when they are made available to you and then maximize them when they are, you’ll be glad you did!

Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert and an Adjunct Instructor with NYU. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the “road map to publishing success.” AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, micro-blogs, ezines, video sites, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book’s topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at http://www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@amarketingexpert.com Copyright 2010 Penny C. Sansevieri

Here is my take on the whole math equaling success or failure paradigm. Math is wonderful for architects and engineers. It is great for use in sending spacecraft into orbit, calculating gravitational pull, producing grade point averages, and a whole host of other things. What it isn’t good for is determining true success or failure.

When we use math to determine how successful something is, we are looking at only one dimension: whether or not we made the numbers. In pretty much everything we do in society, we measure success by numbers. Grades, standardized test scores, balance sheets, income statements, and a whole host of other types of reports are regularly crunched and run. If the “goal” number is made, there is hand shaking, pats on the back, etc. If they are exceeded, there is champagne, profit-sharing (sometimes), parties, or other such gestures. If they are not made, there are consultants, re-trainings, disciplinary actions, and sometimes even terminations.

“It is important to acknowledge a mistake instantly, correct it, and learn from it. That literally turns a failure into a success. Success is on the far side of failure.” – T.J. Watson, former President of IBM

When we don’t look at the other side of the rating, we miss the most important part. When we don’t make numbers, we are often driven to find out what we need to do to make the numbers. We know that if we want to continue in whatever it is that we are doing, we need to improve. When we make the numbers, we typically stagnate. That’s why it is important to raise the bar for ourselves. If we get to the point where we consistently make the “8 books per signing” with little or no effort, that is great. That means that if we really focus and act as if we are not making the grade so to speak, we could do 12 books per signing, or 20 books per signing and so on.

If you find yourself at a book signing and you do not make the numbers that you were hoping (especially if it is under the standard 8 copies), it is time to pull apart what you did and see what you could have improved on. Talk to whoever it was that hosted the signing for their input. The answers could be obvious (science fiction book signing in a store that primarily sells non-fiction books) or a little more subtle. The point is, you didn’t fail if you learned how to do it better. Actually, failures early on could lead you to success that would be far beyond what you would be able to do if you consistently made the minimum sales.

Remember, if you look at failure as a road to success, you will remove fear of said failure. If you go into your events knowing that you can’t fail, then you won’t fail.

Mike Saxton
Author
www.7scorpions.com

So what does work? How do you make sure your book signing isn’t a waste of time for you and the store? Here are six tips for planning an event that will sell books and leave you and your host smiling.

1. Don’t approach a bookstore to discuss a signing unless you’ve written your book for a wide consumer audience. Many bookstores won’t host signings when it’s clear that the audience for the book is too narrow – perhaps it applies only to attorneys or plumbers. Ask yourself if there’s a better place to meet your niche audience face-to-face.

2. Plan an event, not a book signing. You want to engage your target audience, whether your book is fiction or nonfiction. When Marcia Layton Turner did a book signing event at her local Barnes & Noble for The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vision Boards, she didn’t sit at a table near the entrance. Turner taught store customers how to create vision boards with materials provided by Marcia and the bookstore. “I shared the book’s message and showed how to apply it,” she says.

3. Consider non-bookstore locations. Go where you’ll find your audience – and it might not be at a bookstore. 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. When Irene Levine introduced her community to Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend, Levine’s hair stylist hosted a book signing at her salon. Their friends brought friends, too. Borders sold books on site to about half of the 150 attendees.

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 the weekly meeting of her businesswomen’s group. She kept members informed of her progress as she researched and wrote her first book, so they welcomed the opportunity to celebrate its publication with her. Do you belong to a similar group that might support you?

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.

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.

Award-winning former publicist Sandra Beckwith now teaches authors how to generate book publicity and promotion. Get more author and book publicity tips and sign up for her free Build Book Buzz e-zine at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com.

Image provided by Bob Weinstein. Used under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Not every author can schedule book signings into their promotional plan, but thanks to technology, there are easy and convenient alternatives to this traditional event. It can be as simple as an author signing her name on a plain label and mailing it to the reader, or as complex as organizing an online chat with a bookseller standing by to take book orders. If you look around to see what authors are doing, you’ll notice that there are three types of virtual signings: the exclusive signing, the special event signings and the do-it-yourself signing.

Exclusive Signings: Does your favorite local bookstore have a website and a system to handle out-of-state requests? If they do, consider signing your stock for them on a regular basis and then point your online readership to their website. Although the sales will trickle in rather than skyrocket, this is a low-risk, no obligation choice for everyone.

Special Events Signings: If you are hosting an online launch party or a chat, you can arrange for an online bookseller to handle the sales. I know of one online launch party where the small online bookseller was on hand to process the order right away. The author had also sent the bookseller promotional goodies ahead of time to add to the package. Booksellers aren’t obligated to be available in real time, but they might require a guaranteed number of sold books. Shop around and compare for the best deals.

Think you would like a special event signing that lasts for more than one night? I have heard that some book-focused websites will handle orders for signed books for their very special authors. This is usually for the month of the release and it is part of a package deal that includes featuring the author prominently on their site, newsletter, etc. This costs money, and the site usually requires that the author isn’t heavily featured on competing sites, so make sure it’s worth your while.

Do-It-Yourself Signings: Another version of the virtual signing is to offer a store section on your website and an online payment service like PayPal. Readers can buy any autographed title from your entire backlist. The price should include shipping and handling. If you aren’t planning to do international mailings, be very clear about it. Some authors sweeten the deal by giving a small but exclusive gift with purchase. This type of signing is more work for the author, but the option allows consistent and convenient sales!

What can you do today?

On your website offer to sign a personal inscription. Give readers step-by-step instructions on how and where to send you a copy of your book for you to autograph. I recommend asking for a SASE large enough to send it back to the reader, warning them that they won’t get the book back unless there is enough postage. You can also include some lightweight goodies and bookmarks. Sometimes an open invitation like this is all it takes to connect with a fan.

Offer free autographed bookplates on your website. A bookplate is a plain mailing label that is big enough to hold your signature but small enough to fit easily on the title page of your book. You can also add a design or print out labels on a color copier to give it more pizzazz, but leave enough room to write! On your site, let the reader know if all you need is an e-mail request or if they’re required to send an SASE. This is another opportunity to include bookmarks and lightweight goodies. Not only is this an economical way for both reader and author, but the author can also build her mailing list from these requests.

Susanna Carr is a best-selling author of sexy contemporary romance. Visit her website at http://www.susannacarr.com.

One way to get into the chains is through the backdoor. Go to a local chain store and offer a mini seminar on your subject. We used to call these “autographings.” Then you must turn out the crowd. Remember, the store is only providing the venue. They want you to bring in new customers.

Send an announcement to everyone in your email address book and ask your friends, relatives and colleagues to forward the announcement to anyone they know (within driving distance) who will be interested in you or the subject.

Take books to the store. When you get there, proceed to the shelf where your book will be and look for other books very much like yours.

Take them back to the presentation/autographing area. When you speak, take time to hold up the other books (puts your book in good company) and praise them. “This is the book that got me started in this business.” “This is the book I keep next to my dictionary for constant reference,” and so on. Your audience can purchase just your book or they can leave the store with three or four. Each person can spend $20 or $60. Sixty dollars will impress the store a lot more. And that store will want to stock your book.

Then go to the next chain store. Based on your prior performance, they will want you; they may even have heard of you already. After a few stores, the chain will want your book.

Do not be disappointed when the chain puts you in 300 stores instead of every one of their 850 outlets. Each store is profiled; they know what will sell there. For example, a business title will go into downtown stores while parenting titles will be displayed in stores in the suburbs. Your books will go into the stores were it will move.

It’s the author, not the book. Stores want authors who sell books. Chains know books don’t sell themselves, authors sell books.

Dan Poynter, the Voice of Self-Publishing, has written more than 100 books since 1969 including Writing Nonfiction and The Self-Publishing Manual. Dan is a past vice-president of the Publishers Marketing Association. For more help on book publishing and promoting, see http://ParaPub.com.

Unfortunately, that scenario really is “in your dreams” for most writers. If you aren’t sufficiently popular to draw interest on pure name recognition, you may be lucky to get ten visitors and one sale.

There are ways to improve your chances, though. Here are my candidates for the top five things that attract browsers to a book signing or expo table.

1. Relevance. When considering where to exhibit, don’t stop with bookstores and book expos; hold your health-book signing at a fitness center, or display local-history books at your town’s centennial fair. You may actually sell more at a “non-book” event where attendees are more focused and direct competition less.
2. Advance publicity. Give “save the date” cards to your friends. Post announcements—preferably weekly for a month in advance—on all your blogs and social networking accounts. (Even out-of-state fans have acquaintances and relatives in your area.) For individual signings, send press releases to local media—and be sure the host business announces the event in its newsletters/blogs and on its Web site. Provide posters for hosts to display the month of the event. (Incidentally, minimize time competition—don’t schedule signings when half the town is traveling or at a major local festival!)
3. Visual appeal. For an expo, place an eye-catching ad—with book cover image—in the official program. For any event, use a large, colorful banner sign—preferably set high enough to read from across the room. Arrange about a dozen of your books—not so many that they look cluttered—on the display table. Also to avoid a “cluttered” appearance, use a low-hanging tablecloth (solid-colored, preferably white or pastel) to hide your boxes.
4. Giveaways. A bowl or platter of “sweet nibbles” always draws visitors. Offer something more permanent, too; bookmarks with cover images and lists of additional titles are always good. Or provide a premium related to your topic (fudge for a dessert cookbook, tiny stuffed kittens for a story featuring a cat) and marked with your Web address.
5. Good attitude. The number-one quality of every successful business owner. Make eye contact, with a wave and a smile, whenever someone glances your way; few can resist the implied invitation. Smile even when you think no one is looking; it adds to your table’s visual appeal. Remember that rearranging your display, eating lunch at your booth, and leaving the table unattended are sure ways to miss all but the most determined customers. And even if only two people stop all day (one to raid your candy dish and one to tell you your book should be banned) and the air conditioning fails on the hottest day of August, think happy thoughts and save the pity party until you’re out of the public eye!

For tips from the veterans, click to the following articles: “How to Have a Successful Book Signing” by MaryJanice Davidson; “Selling Your Books at a Booth” by Belea T. Keeney; and “40+ Ways to Make Your Next Book Signing an Event!” by Larry James.

Katherine Swarts is a professional writer specializing in corporate blogs/newsletters and other articles. Her Web address is www.spreadthewordcommercialwriting.com.

SMALL PUBLISHER PROSPECTIVE

My publisher was represented at this conference by its membership with IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) and several other publishing organizations. IBPA’s booth was large, well manned and maintained. It also had an area for authors to do signings and stack give away items from the publishers. My publisher worked the booth to get a feel for what is done at these conferences since my book will be displayed by IBPA and other collectives at several conferences.

Was it worth being there – yes! My publisher was able to make contacts, talk shop with some of the big name publishers. Even the wonderful, TOR, representative talked shop about advertising with him and gave some pointers. In addition, she also told me about their process of manuscript review and noted that they have ‘readers’ that review their manuscripts and that they review the manuscripts that come from agents first.

Also, he realized that giving away books worked much better than selling them. After talking with some of the librarians he found that they loved the free ARCs and couldn’t wait to review them for their orders for the next season.

AUTHOR’S PROSPECTIVE

I must say that I was in awe. So many publishers (not that I would cheat on mine) that I was able to meet. I saw what they were promoting and how they were promoting it and found that my publisher and I was doing pretty much the same amount of promotion for my books as they were. In fact, more in some cases. I also got to meet several other authors and found that book exchange is a great way to garner reviews and support.

After talking with other authors and some of the librarians I told my publisher to sign me up for a signing at our next big conference event. Definitely time well spent – oh and I wanted him to offer 100 books for free. Why? Because publisher’s that did that was able to collect the names/emails of interested librarians by swiping their cards as well as the librarian left with a free book with a smile. The author was smiling also because there is such a rush when you have a line of people waiting for your signature – even though they are doing it because the book is free.

GUEST PROSPECTIVE

I had a blast! I came home with over 60 free books. I purchased 10 reduced priced books. My kids lucked out and so did I. I got some awesome books that aren’t even out yet! Not to mention, I got star struck at the many authors that were signing my books. I will also be honest and say – I was really picky about the books I purchased. The books that were free, I just grabbed, got them signed if I could and stuffed them into my bag feeling as though I was a kid trick or treating at Halloween – magnificent!

LM Preston, author of The Pack and Explorer X – Alpha, www.lmpreston.com and http://lmpreston.blogspot.com

Image Credit: LegalAdmin | Used under CreativeCommons License

One phone call or news release may get you publicity, but to make the most of an event requires a well-orchestrated campaign. Here are actions you can take (before, during, and after an event) to maximize coverage:

1. Identify points of contact that will work in advance of an event and while at the event, so media can contact you beforehand and on short notice.
2. Localize, localize, localize. With your news release, show the media that the event has significant local and editorial interest.
3. Bear in mind that free events garner more publicity than those that charge admission.
4. Create a custom-targeted media list, covering the daily and weekly newspapers, news services and syndicates, radio stations, TV shows, and magazines in the event area.
5. Send out your first news release 3-6 weeks before the event. For daily and weekly newspapers, target the calendar editors, metro editors, and the feature editors. If appropriate, also target the specialty editors that cover your field.
6. Follow up by phone with the most important media on your list at each event location, to obtain coverage and invite the media to attend, or conduct an interview before, at, or even after the event. Offer tailored articles, interviews, and site visits if your schedule allows.
7. Send out a second news release 7-10 days before the event, and follow up once again by phone to get and confirm media attendance or interviews.
8. At the event, be sure to thank the media for attending. Give them review copies and media kits if you haven’t already done so. Ask if there’s anything you can do or provide that would make their jobs easier.
9. At the event, position yourself as a helpful champion of the locals, a facilitator of change.
10. Give the media photo opportunities to capture local people experiencing real emotions. One great picture of a child or a person exhibiting a dramatic and personal feeling will galvanize the reading public to action and result in more sales.
11. Send out a final news release at or immediately after the event. This release should be a short article which summarizes the high points of the event and provides ordering and contact information.
12. Call to thank media contacts for the coverage and to request tear sheets. Offer additional information, articles, or interviews by phone as appropriate.

Paul J. Krupin offers trash proof news releases, expert publicity advice, and custom targeted publicity services at http://www.DirectContactPR.com/. This article is excerpted from his Trash Proof News Releases ebook. Download your free copy at http://www.directcontactpr.com/files/files/TrashProof2010.pdf.