Tag: book signing

How to Make Your Book Signing Event Completely Successful

carol tankSome of my ideas for marketing might be considered a little outrageous – but this one, however wacky it might seem, could attract the right attention for a book signing.

Recently, I had the good fortune to be invited to do a book signing at a hotel. The manager who hosts a weekly cocktail party wanted to surprise guests by having me there, signing copies of the book that features his hotel. Attendance to these events has been dropping off and he wanted to make it a little more interesting. Continue reading “How to Make Your Book Signing Event Completely Successful”

Will you sign my yearbook?

For most people, the angst of thinking up a pithy signature line was over with the last period bell.

For them, there is no more worrying about all the ways a book owner could be dissatisfied: It wasn’t personal enough. It wasn’t long enough. It wasn’t funny enough. It wasn’t smart enough. I still remember the poor freshman schmuck who signed, “have a neat sumer”. Yes, s-u-m-e-r to be ridiculed for all eternity.

You, however, may be fortunate enough to relive that autograph frenzy with your own print book. What? You say you used to hide in the bathroom until it was over? Well, if you’re really lucky as an author, you’ll be put under a spotlight in the middle of the cafeteria–I mean, store–so that everyone can gawk at what a loser you are because no one wants your book, let alone your signature.

There will, however, be at least one person who feels enough pity to approach your table. It might be your mother but you should still be prepared and make it count. So here are some tips: Continue reading “Will you sign my yearbook?”

Getting Started in this Business

This past Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of attending a book signing by one of my favorite authors, Randy Wayne White. Known for his “Doc Ford” novels (over twenty and counting), he has been writing for over thirty years.

What made this event possible is an Independent bookstore, Books and Books, just two or so blocks from a Barnes and Noble. Randy started his talk by remembering the beginning of his career. He had just published his first novel and the publisher had set up a book signing at a bookstore in Ft. Myers, FL. The bookstore had stocked SIX books for the signing. Continue reading “Getting Started in this Business”