To find out what you can do to make your event a success, we spoke to indie superstar, mark leslie. This is one of the ways that an author connects to the reader is by making the book signing a unique and an enjoyable experience. Book signing writing inspiration bones product launch success author meet tips blog. Come up with eight to ten questions about the book. It didnt help that she discovered that the portable printer she brought with her to print out the loan documents was running low on ink. Tips to ensure your book signing is a success author marketing. This helped me a lot while preparing for my first book signings.
Since im an author who also owns a bookstore, ive been on both sides of the book signing game. How to prepare for your first book signing the healthy bacon. Author signing basics how to plan and run a successful book event at a library, festival, fair, or con authors essentials series 7 kindle edition by shea, lisa. How to plan a successful book signing wordserve water cooler.
Local media were very enthusiastic the tv interview was rebroadcast in their end of year recap and seemed thrilled to have had advance copies. Amazon first reads is a program that offers customers early access to new books across popular genres from amazon publishing. Here are some tips on how to have successful author readings and book signings. The lady in the shop where i bought my rose asked me if i was nervous. Her many years of teaching at the high school and university level and her freelance writing career have prepared her to lead a team of experts to guide both fledgling and experienced authors through the maze of indie publishing. As you might be aware, i had my first ever book signing event last weekend in kingston, ontariothe city where the magicians curse takes place. If youve recently completed a book and are considering having a book signing, in this video i will be sharing some tips on how to have a successful book signing event. Of course, you sign your name but give this some thought. You may pick up top tips and inspiration by seeing an experienced master in action or equally be given a clear lesson in what not to do, as the following example conveys. As recommended in the excellent book promotion reference, 1001 ways to market your books, bookstores arent the only places to schedule an event.
Because the job of a book author is not necessarily steady, there is an ebb and flow of income, some years might be more profitable than others some years, not at all. It took me back to when i had published my first book, remembering how awkward it felt to sign copies. Your first book signing is an important part of your book s marketing plan and an exciting marker of success. How to have a successful book signing event youtube. By adam ellis september 11, 2017 tips for the self publishing author. The main challenge of presenting a book is to find a perfect one for a specific occasion.
Ask a friend to take pictures and make sure to get some shots of you signing books, talking to readers, and speaking. See more ideas about travel quotes, words and travel inspiration. Its your chance to celebrate all the late nights and endless hours you put into your book, to interact with. Since our founding in 1992, first book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and. Recently a new author asked me how she should handle autographing her books. On the perks and pitfalls of signing books books the. Book signings allow authors to make personal connections with readers, which is what makes them worth doing. You wrote a book, you have people who love your work and read it, so dont be your books first stumbling stone, do everything in your power to promote it. Again, this is all about being able to chat while writing. To quickly recap, in my first blog post, we discussed how to structure a book signing to benefit you and your host. Theres nothing more exciting than getting the chance to attend a book signing and meet an author. While on the road, ive been jotting down more ideas that arent in my 14 book signing tips for authors, and ive. Take your favourite pen for signing, having first made sure that its practical. Make enlargements of your book cover at a local copy shop.
Thank you to everyone who attended my barnes and noble book signing it meant the world to me. The purpose of a book signing isnt to sell your books, its to sell yourself. Setting up a book signing as an independent author is harder than ever. There are some general book club discussion questions that should work on most books, especially popular selections and bestsellers. How to plan a successful book signing posted on october 3, 2011 by julie cantrell as a first time author of two childrens books, god is with me through the day and god is with me through the night, i was surprised to discover that the most challenging part of the journey was marketing. Youll get references on autographing your book or, even better, autograph books, but not much about what people actually write. There are a lot of very rude people getting their books signed out there.
Each book store has its own distinctive personality. See more ideas about book signing, books and bhldn chicago. Since our founding in 1992, first book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from lowincome families. Here are some tips and suggestions from myself and previous book signing attendees to make your. For my next post, ill switch hats and talk about what the bookseller can do. As a new published author, i had no idea how i should handle autographing my books at my first books signing. She insisted i do my first book signing in her store. If you are signing an anthology, sign on the first page of your story. To get to the top of this huge pile, you will want to follow these important tips to create a book that will.
There were several scifi fans on staff so the first several sales were built in. Henry miller ever thought of writing your own story. Here are some tips and suggestions from myself and previous book signing attendees to make your experience stressfree and memorable. Book signing tips and how tos for beginners book riot. Here are some tips for being polite the next time you go to a book signing. The balance careers setting up bookstore signings and readings. Prolific childrens author edith hope fine has some practical advice for first time authors in her new book, jump, froggies. Book signing dont be your books first stumbling stone.
Standard protocol when querying for a series is to simply pitch book 1 of the series, and include a line in the query letter such as this is a standalone book, but could serve as the first in a series. First book is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to children in need. Flyersother papers if you have them sometimes i will bring copies of my copyediting. So my advice is fresh and direct from my experience of my first ever book tour. Autographing it is a plus and affords good practice if this is your debut book. How to set up a book signing as an independent self. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading author signing basics how to plan and run a successful book event at a.
Your first book signing is an important part of your books marketing plan and an. Please feel free to share your top tips about book signings via the. You cannot simply buy any book and disregard the happy moment in a persons life. Youll be happy to know that we use your book signing tips page extensively. Here is a list of what and who you should consider bringing to your first book signing. When i first saw a writer doing this, i was immediately seized by an unsettling combination of desire, envy and cynicism. Below, ive listed ten of the tactics i use in making a book signing financially successful. To help you hone your signing process as your selfpublishing career advances, attend other authors book signing events whenever you can. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
While you might think that writing a childrens book is an easy process, there are many challenges to writing a good childrens book and getting it successfully published. Author appearances are an important part of a book marketing campaign. Alternatively, you can purchase sprayon adhesive, buy your own poster board, and attach the poster yourself. Many are my own, and some were suggested by other author friends. Fortunately, the bookstore staffers were more mortified, and i didnt take it too personally. One of the ways that an author connects to the reader is by signing books. Its the dos and dont, the learnings and the lovings. Success depends on attending carefully to every detail related to the event. At one of his first book signings, a store manager told pete ritzer pen. I know from experience that these 11 tips are crucial for a successful signing. From how to find author signing events to getting the most out of the. It took me back to when i had published my first book, remembering how.
Author signing basics how to plan and run a successful. Today, id like to talk about what an author can do to make book signings more successful. If your book is about nutrition, consider asking a local health food store if you can host your event there. Theres nothing more exciting than getting the chance to attend a book signing. Almost always, the booksellers in charge will have you first, turn each book to its title page, then stack them. Author book signing tips by sandra beckwith nearly every aspect of the book publishing industry including the traditional book signing and reading is evolving into something different and more interactive. I also want to say that new yorked is a terrific book.
You can also come up with your own questions using the tips below as a. I must remember to keep these tips handy on my person. Attending your first group of authors book signing. A book is not only an excellent gift for an eager reader but also a memorable present that can last forever. Do not explain what happens in all 7 books of your projected series. Only once did i have a reading signing at which nobody showed up. However, you cant expect the venue to do all the promotional work. More childrens books with pictures are sent to potential editors and literary agents than any other type of book.
I also thought about my first businessa bookstorewhere we flipped. Eleven tips for a successful book signing litreactor. In this blog post, well discuss what you can do to ensure that your book signing is a success. Have about three stock phrases of varying lengths that you can rotate when personalizing books. After youve made the decision to host a book signing event, the first step is to choose a venue. When i published my first book, breathing god, through a printondemand company called publishamerica, i was actually able to set up two book signings at walden book sand borders with some ease. A successful book signing is when you show up, your books are there, you have a place to sit, and you sell just one book. Even though the book signing event might be marked as one of the most stressful moments of your life it is actually a very great thing. Successful book signings help drive word of mouth, move books, built your credibility and platform as an author, speaker and expert in your field and allow you to get a true. Authors can even do them virtually, using webinars to address large audiences and kindlegraph to sign their e books. Tips to ensure your book signing is a success author. Do ask the person who books the signings to write up a recommendation of your book and put it and the book in the staff recommends section of the store.
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