Toted books and props. Check. Arranged your display of books and psyched yourself into marketing mode. Check. You’re ready to dazzle shoppers with your work.
After four or five hours of talking and flashing smiles at book lovers and shoppers wandering by, even the muscles in your cheeks feel over-worked. Your back and leg muscles complain about the extended periods of standing.
At event conclusion, you dismantle and haul your materials out to your vehicle. You offer a silent prayer that everything will fit back inside in the orderly manner you packed them in. This task can be as challenging as attempting to tease a paper road map back into its original folds.
Before driving home, enjoy a well-deserved break. Invite a
few fellow authors to join you at a nearby restaurant. This affords the
opportunity to mentally unwind and share anecdotes of this and previous
signings with your colleagues.
After a recent book selling event at the Canadian Legion Spring Craft Bazaar in beautiful Fergus, Ontario, three of my close friends, two who write under the name Jamie Tremain, and the other, Gloria Ferris, who is co-author of my crime fiction series, joined me at the Breadalbane Inn’s restaurant. In addition to our usual camaraderie, we conducted a post mortem on the event to discuss what worked well for us and what could be improved before our next book signing engagement.
1. Was I dressed appropriately and comfortably for the venue? Did I arrive with sufficient time for set up in order to appear calm when doors were opened to the public?
2. Did my display attract prospective book buyers? Avoid cluttered or too sparse an exhibit. If using a table cloth, ensure it is wrinkle-free.
3. Did I forget to bring any items useful for book signings, such as:
a. A badge with your author name;
b. Holder stands for my poster(s) to highlight book titles and genre tags;
c. Holder stands to prop up a book sample (spine-out piles of books don’t attract attention);
d. A banner for the front of my table or a banner with a stand-up frame (an optional display choice);
e. Bookmarks, media sheets, business cards;
f. A notebook for any follow up opportunities;
g. A receipt book (occasionally needed);
h. Scissors, cello tape or banner clips;
i.
Pens for signings that won’t smear; and
j. Bags for customers who didn’t bring a tote and have bought multiple books.
4. Did I have sufficient cash to make change for cash sales? If utilizing a credit or debit card machine, were there any problems with processing sales quickly?
5. Were my book prices easily seen from a couple feet away?
6. If including a personal comment when signing a book, did I have one in mind to speed up this process? E.g., Warm wishes; It was a pleasure meeting you; Hope you enjoy this story; Best regards, etc.?
7. Was my elevator speech for each book or series effective? Could my brief sales pitch be improved?
8. Did I remember to thank the event organizer(s) and express interest in being considered for future vendor events?
9. Did book sales provide a profit or a financial loss? In the latter case, if your business cards were picked up, you may have books purchased at a later date. Even if you did not sell as many paperbacks as you hoped to, every public appearance increases awareness of your business brand.
Best wishes for achieving your sales objectives, increasing brand awareness, and having a wonderful experience at all your book signings.
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