Not sure if this is the right forum for this or not. Feel free to move if it's not. How many of you have done book signings? How did you plan it? How did it go? What resources did you bring with you? Looking into doing a book signing myself. I'd like to of course probably get some things ordered later on - perhaps book marks or a poster with my book cover to display behind me or something like that. A bit nervous, but still do want to in the future =)
I think you want to pick a good, enticing section to read. It's always great to hear the author read part of their book. I haven't done a book signing, but I have been to a lot. A lot of the time there are two or three authors reading their works before the signing at the ones I've gone to. They're always in bookstore, as far as I can tell. I liked the ones that had free wine and appetizers. I have two local bookstores near me that host these events all the time. Well, that was before covid. But what one of them has done is to host virtual book launches where the writers still read their works. And there is still some Q & A with the authors. The writers are linked together with some sort of theme or aspect present in their work. Not sure how an in person one would go these days. I love readings and bookstores and all that, but I still don't want to be in a crowd of people.
I haven't been to a book signing in a book store before. I remember hearing guest speakers that were also authors - they would share their life story and then afterwards sell their non-fiction book if you wanted to know more. Although, no one really had the memo that this person was coming to the school and would be bringing copies of their book so I couldn't even afford one. So I guess book signings/readings can go together =) been thinking about how I'd go about this, but perhaps I would need to reach out to local bookstores and libraries. We don't have huge book distributors like Barnes & Noble or anything here, it's mostly local, independently owned small bookshops (which is about 1-2 different ones), but they might like some sort of event going on to help get attention for their store, too. I also don't know how those things are going here after the whole COVID thing. I have seen other authors on Instagram hold book signings, though, whether virtually or at a big chain or local bookstore. I have thought about online virtual book reading, signing, etc. I would assume one would set this up with Zoom. I've also thought if a YouTube channel would even be worth the effort...not sure if I want to go that direction, but perhaps it could help.
I prepared a selection of things to read from my book. I think it took all of ten minutes to read. I had a PowerPoint show to go with it which was projected onto a screen behind me, illustrating some of the things I'd mentioned. Then I'd just answer questions from the audience. But the key thing about book signings is the publicity you have to do to get people informed. A sign at the venue itself, a mention on the venue's website, and announcements in whatever media you have available to you... newspapers, web sites, social media, and so on. (At one four-day event where there were thousands of people, I put a book-signing announcements in all the Porta-Potties, figuring that everybody would see at least one of them.) Otherwise, you face the prospect of addressing a lot of empty chairs.
My following isn't enormous yet so I've been highly considering the marketing potential and possible turn out. I'm not sure if it'd even be worth it or if I'd sell any books. Might wait it out, but this is great advice! I'm currently facing this conundrum...I haven't advertised my work so much locally, but I am in a smaller city. Most people know someone that knows you type of deal and often times you meet people that are some how friends with that one person that hates you. Word spreads fast about things once they're out there. I don't want to advertise a book signing in my local area to my following on social media because I like to keep the anonymity of where I live. If I advertised local, I'd like to keep it local, but there's no real local following so it might simply end up a failure is what I'm thinking. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I guess after being in plenty of harassment/stalker-ish type of situations in my life, I'm a bit more worried about this aspect.
Interesting article on book signings (hope the link works): https://www.wsj.com/articles/book-signing-audience-first-time-writers-11672678994?st=7ggbdekuoqvotql&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
