Supernatural Writer

Publishing is increasingly a relationship-building business.

A book-signing tour is just one of the strategies that authors use to build buzz and sell books. For the first-time author and the self-published author, these events are absolutely critical.

It  sounds easy: you just bring a pen and a few pithy sayings–and you’re ready to go, right? Actually, you can make these events more successful and build better buzz with just a little extra leg work.

Here are tips to make sure your book signings are successful.

Get the parameters

Most book signings include a little chat about the book or a reading from the book. Find out how long the organizers want you to talk and sign. You can ask them what would interest the the attendees the most.

Prepare and prepare some more

Depending on how familiar you are with public speaking, you’ll need to prepare your talk. It might mean a rough outline. It could be a complete speech. Make sure the talk matches the expectations of those who are holding the event.

Arrive early

Leave a little time for unforeseen events that could throw you off your schedule. Trust me: you never know when bad directions, a traffic jam, or a million other things will crop up. Make sure you have directions and a cell phone and alert the organizers the instant you run into something that could delay your start.

Don’t forget extra books.

A successful book signing might cause the bookseller to sell out. Keeping a few dozen copies on hand can lead to more sales!

Say thanks!

Thank the people for showing up and the organizers for holding the event. Courteous authors are often invited back.

Follow it up

Finally, the massive applause that ends your book signing shouldn’t be the end of your connection. It’s the beginning. A thank you in person might suffice, but send them an email or mail a letter of thanks.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 10:47 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.