11 MORE book signing tips for authors

It seems like I’ve been writing a lot about book signings lately, most likely because my mini-book tour has made me think about events more. While on the road, I’ve been jotting down more ideas that aren’t in my 14 book signing tips for authors, and I’ve already done one blog post from the road about making a classic mistake at an event.

Rather than go back and add a bunch of material to the old post, I decided to do another tip post, and add some material I’ve gleaned from some other good blogs. Sandra Beckwith, for example, wrote a great set of book signing tips on the “Selling Books” blog (I love the post title, “Read this if you’re not Sarah Palin“).

1. Hand people your book. This is an old bookseller’s technique. If people are holding a copy of the book in their hands, they are much more likely to buy it.
2. Develop a “look.” You want to be memorable. This doesn’t mean you should wear something silly, but you need to look unique. If you wrote a cookbook, wear an apron. If you wrote a children’s book, make a T-shirt with the book’s logo. Make your own nametag. If you write mysteries set in Hawaii, wear an Aloha shirt. Don’t look like every other author out there.

   

3. Don’t just sign; personalize. When I’m signing the store’s stock after the event (tip #14 from my previous list), I just write my name. But when I’m signing a book for someone, I write their name and some appropriate saying. With my Who Pooped in the Park? books, for example, I usually write “Watch where you step.”
   Do remember, however, that once you develop a characteristic autograph, people will come to expect it. I remember talking to Tippi Hedren (the actress from The Birds) at one of her book signings. She drew three little birds above her name, and told me that people actually complained if their book had no birds, or had only two of them.
4. Bring a pen that dries quickly. Especially if your book is printed on glossy paper, you don’t want to close the cover and have the signature smear or transfer to the previous page. If the paper is thinner, make sure your pen doesn’t bleed through.
5. Don’t limit yourself to only bookstores. I’m a huge advocate of bookstores (after all, I own one), but sometimes gift shops, fairs, and other venues can actually work better. My two best signings (in terms of books sold) were at a trade association’s annual conference, and in the lobby of the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park.
6. Use props. I’ve had cookbook authors at my store bring along cookies or other treats. When signing Who Pooped in the Park? books, I often bring along sample of animal scat cast in Lucite blocks. Anything you have that grabs attention is good.
7. Make your own sign. Some stores provide really nice signs, but that’s rare. If you can’t talk your publisher into making one, then do it yourself. If you don’t have strong graphic design skills, get a designer to help you. Most stores will have some kind of easel or stand, but you might want to carry your own fold-up easel if you can.

   

8. Bring giveaways and promote them. I still have a couple of boxes of my first book, which is old, out-of-print, and not so useful (a 15-year-old Internet book). I took five of them along to a Closed Captioning Handbook book signing at a trade show. I sent a Tweet with the event’s Twitter hash tag that said, “the first person to mention this Tweet to me gets a free book.” I did the same thing on Facebook. It was interesting to see how many professional people were sitting in business meetings and educational sessions checking their Twitter feeds!
   You can also use drawings as a way to collect names. Have people drop their names or business cards in a fishbowl or basket, and then draw one every hour and give away something.
9. Make sure your business cards have the book title on them. I actually have different cards depending on whether the event focuses on my technical books or my children’s books. The cards have the book cover right on them.
   Also make sure you get an easy-to-remember username on Facebook and Twitter (e.g., “http://www.facebook.com/whopooped” or “http://twitter.com/GaryRobson“), and print that on the cards.
10. Take a camera. If you have a friend or family member along, have them take pictures. If not, ask someone at the store to do it for you. Then use the pictures on your blog, Facebook page, website, and newsletter. If someone else takes a good picture of you, give them a card and ask them to email it to you or post it on one of your social networking sites.
11. NEVER complain or blame the store if you don’t have good sales. Smile about it. Make a joke. Tell them you’ve done worse. Offer to try again sometime. But nobody likes a complainer. If you gripe about it, you’re not likely to get invited back.