Last week I talked about the nerves that come with having a new release. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely problem to have. But I can tell you they don’t subside any time soon. It helps that I’m so busy with promotion for the book that I don’t have that much time to be nervous these days. I do the majority of my promotion online using blogs, Twitter and Facebook, but I also try to do at least one book signing my hometown.
I can’t remember which publicist told me this years ago, but she said one book signing in each city was the best way to target your audience. She is right. When you have multiple signings in a city, it becomes less of an event. And that’s what a book signing should be, an event.
Otherwise you spend a good portion of your time begging people to take a bookmark and giving directions to the bathroom. Before authors are published they have dreams of lines that go around the building filled with fans waiting for a scribble on some paper. That does happen for some folk, but it’s not the norm. I think one of the biggest lines I’ve ever seen was for cooking maven Paula Deen. The book seller had asked my friend and I to come to the signing because she was worried no one would show up. When we arrived, the line was all the way out the door and around a good portion of the mall outside.
Most of the big NYT’s folks can pull in a crowd, but for the majority of authors that isn’t a case. That’s why you need to make your signings special.
In your hometown make it a big party. Have a tea or dinner before or after the signing and make it personal. (People can pay for their own food, the cool part is that they get to hang out with you.) Have fun giveaways and make sure you do invites where people should RSVP. Expect about a fourth of the people you invite to show up.
If you’re traveling to another city– do yourself a favor and make friends before hand. See if you can do a multi-author signing with some of the writer folks who are well-known in that town. Ask your fans to host some kind of event or tie it into a convention/writer’s workshop/class and use your books as examples so people will have to buy them in order to know what the hell you are talking about.
There are tons of ways to make your book signings special. I’d like to hear some suggestions from you guys. Any ideas? 
Oh, and my book signing for Take Me if You Dare is Saturday, Feb. 6, from 2-4 p.m. at the Hurst, Texas Barnes & Noble.
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You know, I wonder if authors remember that book signings are awkward for readers, too. If we haven’t read the author’s work before, we feel guilty. If the author is a big name, we feel shy. I think having something—anything!–to do along with the signing is brilliant, because it breaks the ice for everyone.
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Oh–almost forgot–ww.
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Gillian, You are so right. That’s why I try to do prizes, and stuff before and after. I still get nervous when I go to booksignings with some of my favorites so I totally get it.
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I really hope one day I’ll have to worry about that hahaha … ww … Are you coming to South Florida any time soon?
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Jason, I would love to come to South Florida.
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As an event planner, I have *lots* of ideas for book signings/book release parties, incuding book tie ins.
For example, if the heroine’s favorite bar is real, have a release party there and invite a local band to play (okay, it helps if you’re friends with the band). People will come to see you, but their peeps will come to see them and both of you get exposure. Make sure the invite says no-host bar on it. Bars will often let you use the back room for free or next to free on a slow night if you can get people drinking. Maybe serve some finger foods that happen to either be the mc’s fave or tie in with the book. It doesn’t have to be elaborte, maybe it’s hot wings, dingdongs, and vampire stakes made of pretzels and chocolate. Maybe even have a costume contest (if it’s that kind of book)…with tie-in prizes of course, hats, t-shirts, bumper sitckers…
There’s also the possibiliy of going to companies and getting things donated for the goody bags (that tie in with the book of course, Like if your MC only wears f-me red nail polish or has a thing for ding-dongs) in exchange for signage, flyers, etc…
Oh, and don’t foget a little something to promote your book that ties in, it could be anything from a pen or bookmark to fake vampire teeth or a wooden bus token…
Okay, yeah, you can tell what I do for a living…LOL
And yeah, I have more ideas, lol.
~Suzi
ww
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Oh, will you be comming to Los Angeles soon? We’ll bring brownies!
~S
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Suzi, I will be in L.A. in late July/early August. I don’t have a signing planned, but maybe I should.
-Candy
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Maybe you should.
There are some a couple great little bookstores out here.
~S
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Candy…I can’t think of anything more awkward than having a book signing…and no one attends. That would be my private terror. I’ve done years of live theater and it’s still one of my biggest fears on stage…well…that and forgetting my lines or missing an entrance. (ww)http://www.genreality.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif
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Candy…I worked for a very FUN airline for close to 20 years and we were always having some theme part or another. I think most people LOVE a themed event. There are so many small and inexpensive things you can do to add fun and a connection to your work. We did a lot of gift bags, with as we used to say, ‘fabulous plastic crap’. Because you can never have too much. Most humans will grab with both hands.
(ww)
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Joni, I thought I typed this but evidently not. LOL. I get nervous when I see my favorites too, so I totally understand. That’s why I try to make if fun for all.
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ww
I just wanted to say how great you are to take so much time to help out authors with all this really USEABLE information. Not to mention that you are so very approachable for fans as well.
Thanks, chica.
K
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Awww, Kristi, thank you.
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I love going to book signings and listening to authors talk. I’m a bit shy so one author by his/herself I don’t know what to say.
I do like when authors read from a new book or a future book.
Just wanted to say I picked up Take Me if You Dare at the bookstore today. It was strange looking for the Harlequin stand instead of the shelves.
Hope you have fun at the signing.
ww
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Hi Beth, I think most authors appreciate people who show up to the signings more than those people will ever know. I do.
And thanks so much for picking up the book. I hope you like it!
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I’ve only been to a few signings, and yes, as a reader I was beyond nervous. Now, the RWA Literacy night is so darn crowded you don’t have time to be nervous…but a book store, definitely.
I like the idea of one city, one event. I’ll have to keep that in my marketing list!
ww
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ww
I hope to make it to Hurst Saturday but I know you will be at our chapter meeting in March and we are looking forward to meeting you there in Tyler. WE won’t bite we are a small group lol. But hey any DFW folks come on down and join Candy on the trip. We’d love to have you. 
ww 