Sorry to have dropped off the radar for three days. I’ve been right here—except when I haven’t—but I’ve been very busy writing and also getting ready for my book signing next week.
Book launches are great—they’re parties that you invite all your friends and other people you think would like to come, you give everyone some wine, you have fun and talk about the book and some people might buy some. The purpose of the evening for the author is to celebrate.
Book signings, on the other hand, are scary. They’re in public and their purpose is to sell books. They’re not parties. They require you to sit in a shop while strangers walk by and decide whether you’re interesting enough to spend time and money on. It’s a little like being a not-particularly-exciting box of washing powder or, even, a book on a shelf in a book shop.
Therefore, I’ve been getting prepared. I’ve been sticking stickers on postcards and distributing them, and making posters. I’ve been inviting people via internet, email, word of mouth, text and phone. I’ve bought a huge amount of mini-Mars Bars (Girl from Mars, get it) and some frankly cheap but cool prizes for anyone who turns up in super hero or space age costume. I’ve been sending out press releases to local papers and radio. I’ve been thinking about whether to get my hair cut.
All of this takes up quite a bit of thought time and I am not really a good multi-tasker. Being a parent generally occupies most of my brain and plotting my book takes up all the rest. I’ve been fairly confused a lot of the time and have tended to forget things. Like changing the light bulb in my bedside lamp. Every night, I turn it on to read in bed, and—doh! I’ve really gotta change that light bulb in the morning. Then I turn on my husband’s light instead. This has been going on for a week now.
Anyway.
I’ve done several successful book signings where there was a captive audience—at launches, at workshops, after talks, in my home town, at places where there were much more famous authors I could ride on the back of. But I’ve only once done a cold book signing, in Reading, where I just sat there waiting for someone to buy my book. It was for my first Little Black Dress book, and the manager of the shop put me in a random corner with no signs around. I was seven months pregnant and reluctant to get out of a chair once I was in it. I think I sold about ten copies, six of those to people I knew already.
I’m hoping like crazy that this time I’m a little bit more successful at marketing myself and my book. I’m doing better already—people have asked me to reserve six copies, so I’ve already achieved 50% of my previous sales. Maybe I should get my hair cut. Maybe I should steal a Dalek from somewhere.
You can see why I keep forgetting to change the light bulb.
Have you done “cold” book signings in book shops, and what’s worked for you? As a reader, what would attract you to the table of a signing author?
(P.S. If you didn’t know already, mine is next Saturday 13 June at the Broad Street Waterstones in Reading, 2-4 pm.)
I’m puzzled. Why are you not so shattered at the end of every day that reading in bed is the last thing on your mind? If I had as much stuff to think about as you, I don’t think I’d have even noticed yet that the bulb was gone.
PS – GOOD LUCK!!!
Cold signings. *shudders*
I did my first ever signing alone and I swore never again. Not that it was bad, but it is so much more pleasant when you have another author there to chat with. I did one with Julianne MacLean on Valentine’s Day and the ones I’ve done in Calgary we’ve had 5-6 authors together which is a total hoot.
Definitely invite friends, have chocolate, and smile a lot. With my first my girls, young as they were, stayed with me so I didn’t feel alone, and when I was busy signing put the signed by the author stickers on the books and generally looked much cuter than me.
And remember – you are not a newbie now. You have a readership. I am betting this one will be much different than your first.
Jan, I need to read before I go to bed. It’s a habit I’ve always had. Doesn’t matter how tired I am, or even if it’s only for five minutes, or if it’s yesterday’s newspaper, I need to read. What about you?
Yes, Donna—signings with other people are lots of fun. There’s more of a draw, and you have people to chat to. Your joint signings sound great and you seem to always be on a high after them. For the past couple of years this shop has been very good at promoting my books as a local author, so hopefully it will all go well.
If all else fails, I’ll eat my Mars Bars myself.
Nope. Head – pillow – zzzzz