Book Signings
Posted by childofthehive | Filed under Writing Talk
Since I’m doing a book signing tomorrow and another one a week later, I thought it would be appropriate to give my thoughts on signings. I remember reading a book that was half how-to-write manual and half auto-biography of an author. In that book, the author talked about his first signing. It was after he’d had three books published and successful. He wanted to do a signing to go and meet all the adoring fans he was sure he had; his agent told him it was too early.
How times change. Maybe book signings were once about having loads of fans turn up to meet a beloved author. Maybe, if you’re a big enough name, they still are. For most of us though, a book signing is a way to get people to notice we even exist.
As a brand new author, when your first book arrives from the publisher, there’s a dizzying moment of pure joy. A few days later, you realise that the bookshops aren’t rushing out to order in copies and display them with a big label saying, “New and brilliant.” Unless you’re lucky enough to have landed a deal with a major publisher who’s got lots of money to spend on marketing. For a first time author, the odds of that are extremely slim. If, however, you’re in that category, I’m extremely jealous. For most of us, getting a first book onto the shelves of a bookshop involves a lot of legwork and going to every bookshop where you could conceivably be considered a local author (it’s where you grew up, it’s where you were born, it’s near an old school, it’s within a couple of hour’s drive, you just happen to be passing and it can’t hurt to ask, and so on) and asking them if they’ll stock your book. Some shops are very dismissive. Some have all their decisions made somewhere else. Some are tiny and have to restrict their stock to things they know will sell. But others will be friendly, supportive and happy to order in a copy to put on their shelves. In general, I’ve found Waterstones to be the most likely to order in a copy.
If you offer to do a signing, they’ll do more than that. They’ll order in a couple of dozen copies, give you a place to stand, put your name on their events list and maybe even put up posters. The odds of sales dramatically increase simply because there’s more than one lonely copy buried somewhere in the shelves.
But you can do more to help yourself. Here’s some advice based on my own signings and on signings I’ve seen other people do.
1) You have to make an effort.
I saw one author doing a signing. He had a plain table with no cloth or cover that looked very ugly. And he was just sitting there behind a few books. It took me ages to realise that he was doing a signing because all he was doing was sitting and looking sulky. There were no signs, nothing to tell me who he was or what his book was about. I approached him (mostly because I now, having done a few of my own, get guilty if I see an author doing a signing and don’t approach). I tried to get him to talk about his book and he just gave short answers that did not convince me his book was worth buying. It sounded dull. He seemed dull. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t sell a thing that day.
2) Be noticeable
Have something which will attract attention and make it obvious that something different is going on, otherwise you’ll spend all day being mistaken for a shop assistant. Get a poster, or a cardboard cut-out or something that will stand out. The best example of this was a guy who’d written a book about Australia. He’d decked out a corner of the shop with an Australian flag, an inflatable kangaroo, a stuff koala and various other items. You noticed him the second you walked in. People were going up to him to ask him what the Australian stuff was all about and he’d talk about his book.
3) Get fliers
I didn’t have fliers on my first signing and I felt really awkward trying to start a conversation with people. When I had fliers, it was easier. Fliers give you an opening, a way of starting to speak to someone. Admittedly, half the people will avoid your gaze and act like you’re invisible, but the other half will at least take the flier and nod politely. I saw a signing of an author with a few books to his name and we got talking about doing signings. The first piece of advice he gave me was to get fliers. Another author had a friend standing outside the shop with fliers, asking passers-by if they wanted to come in and meet him. Fliers are a massive help with a signing.
4) Smile
The sulky guy in example one was never going to sell any books because he was unapproachable. You’ve got to be friendly and smiling to draw people into a conversation. Every author I’ve seen doing well at a signing has been smiling. And keep smiling, whether or not they buy a book. I’ve had people come and talk to me for half an hour, picking my brain for advice on writing or finding a publisher, and then they’ll walk away without so much as picking up a copy of my book to look at. You just have to keep smiling and hope that they’ll feel guilty and look you up on Amazon later. If you act angry that they’re not buying, they’re never going to buy. I have once had someone come back. About an hour after he wandered away, he came back, made a comment about needing to support local authors, and bought a copy. I doubt he would have done that if I hadn’t stayed friendly as he was leaving the first time.
5) Have a spare pen
This may seem fairly obvious, but it’s worth saying. You don’t want to run out of ink mid-signature.
I’m sure I’ll think of more tips after tomorrow’s signing, but that’s enough to get you started. There’s just one more, very important, thing to note. You have to be willing to organise these things yourself. Bookshops aren’t going to be knocking on your door asking you to come in. You have to go to them. You have to offer.
And remember to smile even when they say no.
Oh, and if you’re in the Reading area, stop by and see me between 11am and 3pm tomorrow in the Waterstones in the Oracle shopping centre.
Tags: advice, books, marketing, signing
London Film and Comic Con
Posted by childofthehive | Filed under Book signings, Publicity
I’m fully stocked with:
- 100 books
- Spare pens for signing
- Leaflets and cards with cover and blurb on
- A big poster
- And a bottle of diet coke for when I need a caffeine fix to get me through Sunday afternoon.
Looks like I’m all set for the London Film and Comic Con.
Tags: Child of the Hive, London Film and Comic Con, signing
Book Signing
Posted by childofthehive | Filed under Publicity
I will be doing a book signing tomorrow at the Waterstones on Broad Street in Reading. I will be there from 11am to 3pm. Please stop by to buy a copy of Child of the Hive, or just to have a chat.
Tags: Child of the Hive, signing
