Newb Guide to Signings
Over the last year, I think I’ve gotten the hang of this book signing thing, and streamlined my efforts to make the process easier.
They’ve all been fun, but full of surprises. You can never gauge attendance, even when conditions seem certain, so say yes to as many opportunities as you can. Last year I set up at Printer’s Row in the Chicago Writers Association booth. Not only were we having a tough time getting noticed, we could count the number of visitors walking out with any books on one hand. This year I decided to save myself the table fee, and a colleague told me he made out like gangbusters, despite the rainy weather.
Sharing a table is better than going it alone. This is especially nice if the person next to you sells a different thing. More than once, a reader said they preferred a specific genre that I don’t do (yet). I directed them to my tablemate, and my mate did the same for me.
It’s also easier to keep things lively with another person, because you will repeat the same schtick 973 times. Bring water for the same reason; that shtick dries you out. And everything comes full circle: your tablemate transforms into a handy Pee Pal, watching your merch when you visit the loo.
Sales are never guaranteed, and you can’t predict which event will be lucrative. But I’ve met tons of fellow book lovers who seemed genuinely pleased to meet me, and most signed up for my newsletter. And as one author stated at Berwyn Library’s inaugural event, it’s about connecting with readers more than selling.
Speaking in part for myself, times are tough and money is tight. I want to support everybody but that’s just not possible. I tend to gather up information and narrow down my choices later. I can’t be the only one who does that, so…
Have a shit-ton of cards. Business cards are cheap and provide information on you: your website, your socials, your contact info, your aesthetic. Product cards (or one-sheets) include your cover, back cover text, buy links, and excerpts of the best reviews. Encourage visitors to take some before they leave your table. When they get home, that cover imagery will intrigue them a second time and they have a minute to absorb the details. And if it’s still not for them, maybe they’ll pass the card to a friend.
Pack a single box that you can carry without help. Parking might be half a block away from the event, and you don’t want to crush yourself under a fifty-pound weight. Plus, I don’t know a single modest-level author who sold more than 25 copies at a single event. I have everything in a standard copy-paper box. It has handles, it’s sturdy, and the lid fits nice and tight.
Necessaries
- Books with a stand for each title. You can stack a few copies at different heights and display one on top. Most people don’t need a reminder to bring books to a book signing, yet, I started the car once with nothing but a box of stands in the trunk.
- Cards as mentioned above with displays, but if you only have one book, you can fan cards on the table.
- Newsletter sign-up sheet, if you have one, or use this opportunity to do a giveaway. My sign-up also has an icebreaker question: ‘What’s your favorite pie?’ It’s unexpected and fun, until you meet the rare bird who doesn’t like pie. They…exist.
- Cash box with a shit-ton of singles.
- Square (or other card reader hardware) and corresponding accepted-card signage.
- Pens. One for the newsletter/giveaway and at least two to sign. If you bring a single pen, it will die, because the Universe can be a real dick. Don’t get fancy. I won a fountain pen before Edge of Sundown came out. I thought, I’m gOinG to uSe thiS foR SignInGs liKe a Real AutHoR, but you know what? That shit’s heavy. If you sign more than three things in short order you’ll sprain something. Also, test each pen in your actual book. I love the shit out of my Pentel EnerGel and my Pilot G2, but I made sure the ink didn’t bleed through. Otherwise I’d have been blowing on the pages like an asshole while the customer regretted his decision.
- Tape, paperweight, and binder clips. A lot of events are outside, and sometimes the only table covering provided is a thin plastic sheet. If it’s windy, you’ll want to tape it down. The binder clips will keep your one-sheets from flopping over.
- Ziplock bags and umbrella if it’s an outdoor event. In case it rains, you can pack up most of your merch, but leave one of each wrapped in plastic. Anyone sticking around can still read your back cover.
- Tissue, sanitizer (the only bathroom might be a port-a-potty), phone charger (that Square eats up the battery), fan (you don’t want to pass out from heat stroke mid-handshake; an old fashioned paper one will do).
- Paper/notebook, especially for small, in-store events. Sometimes there won’t be a single customer for twenty minutes, so you might as well use the time to get some writing done. Your work-in-progress can double as a conversation starter, and scribbling on paper keeps you from piddling around on your phone, which might appear standoffish.
- A good night’s sleep and a big morning coffee. Author events are fun and exciting but they take all the spoons and a couple of sporks.
Un-Necessaries, but Things Worth Thinking About
- Tablecloth. Ask your host if they’re provided. If not, it makes for a nice presentation.
- Logo table runner. These small cloths hang down the front and represent your brand (for the record, I hate this term with my entire body and soul). They can cost upwards of $70 but draw the eye across a crowded room.
- Icebreaker Thing. Wear a funny t-shirt, put a symbolic object from your book on display, whatever floats your boat. It gives visitors (and you!) something to talk about other than The Schtick.
- Risers and decor. At Once Upon a Book, I sat next to a lady with a beautiful setup. Wooden crates displaying books on and inside, beads and fairy lights dangling along the edges, gauzy fabric weaving among her wares. It’s a fun way to represent your books’ themes and attract attention without going broke.
- Hotspot (in case there’s no WiFi to run the Square).
- Bowls of candy or free swag. Keep in mind, these can end up costing a lot, especially since they need constant replenishment. Candy can melt and will eventually spoil. It’s also another box of stuff you need to carry. If you do either, keep it practical. Logo wrappers are cute, but no one keeps a wrapper food was in. The candy gets eaten, the wrapper gets tossed, and you get forgotten.
- If you have swag items for sale, make sure you keep a tight eye on them or make a special display with a price tag. I had a handful of gorgeous wooden bookmarks, custom-carved with my book title and website, and quite a few people thought they were giveaways. I only stopped three of them before they walked away.
Most attendees are fun to talk to, because you all have one great love in common. Once someone made a beeline for my table, which was super sweet. Kids will say the cutest things, like the girl who saw my kitty paperweight and told me about her own pet, or the tiny fellow who was thrilled by a dump truck around the corner.
Then there are…others. Admittedly, I find most human behavior baffling. But certain people are less than supportive, for reasons I cannot fathom. Like the parent who insisted my tablemate’s picture book must be like A Certain Famous Series, and she also wasn’t pitching it hard enough. Or the person who told me they read cookbooks, followed by “if you believe that…” as they walked away. Or the many(!) people who say they don’t read at all. Or my favorite, the person who blew a raspberry at profanity in fiction because it debases language. I wonder if the irony has dawned yet.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to stick my foot in the door, but I found these and other events just by googling. If an event has passed, ask the host if you can get on their mailing list for next year. And sometimes you need to get the ball rolling yourself: contact your local library or bookstore for a slot. They’ll likely even do a little advertising on your behalf, putting a thumbnail on their webpage, newsletter, and socials. After all, it’s free publicity for them too.
Tell me what I missed. If you’ve done signings, how have they gone? If you’re a reader, what do you like or dislike about these events?
