Book Signings or Events

There are some book events that can be rather inexpensive, but will readers, book clubs, and a following audience be at the event. Usually, these are authors or book clubs that are trying to make the registration fee, hotel costs, and some travel arrangements not as expensive, especially for self-published authors and independent authors. For the more expensive events such as conferences, seminars, literary events and national book clubs, there are some authors who consider sharing tables. Will this expand your exposure, help or hinder book sales and products you are selling when you are sharing your table with another entrepreneur.

For example, I was sitting next to an urban fiction writer at AAMBC and Christian fiction author with nonfiction and poetry, seems like the audience was engrossed by a new upcoming author with urban fiction. As for Christian fiction and nonfiction, did not seem to sell anything at the event. Therefore, we have to focus on where our target audience will be and how we can present our tables or ourselves to sell our products. However, after talking to some of the readers, they were more into urban fiction at the time. It was not only a learning experience, but it also showed me how to regroup and set up my table in the near future and the events I should focus on such as woman's conferences, seminars, and churches to sell nonfiction-spiritual books.

Book clubs? Depending on the book clubs, they can have a large group of readers that are exposed to your books and genre. They can also later add it as a "book of the month" or "author's spotlight" on their social media networks. You can also later be a featured author to meet and greet with the members in the book club, readings from the author, and sells of your books to those in the community or at the special event.

There was one particular book club that was only buying one book per author's of interest to share among the members. Does this normally happen? I thought book clubs would buy a collection of books to read among their members for later discussions. Maybe they are getting the main ones at the event and buy rest later. I overheard them say, buy one, you get one and we will share it with the group. Are we really hurting from the economy for authors to recoup costs at the events with sales?

We have to focus on what is our main goal to attend book events since we have to buy tables, registration costs/food expenses, travel expenses that include airfare, carfare, train or bus and shuttle services if used, and at airports baggage costs can take place too. As guest speakers and authors, be prepared for additional travel and other expenses that may accrue.

We always talk about your target audience. You should also research your authors who you are team up with. We are all trying to sell our books, one of our ultimate goals. We are trying to recoup our costs for expenses. Some of us are focusing on networking, learning from other authors at book events, generating sales, and publishing tools. As a literary consultant, I took contact information to add to my database for future interviews, book reviews, contacts for book design/promotional tools, and so many other things to assist future and current clients.

At some of the book events and signings, we can have specific activities for readers, gifts, and charge a small fee at the door to win a gift basket of books and gift certificates. No fees at some events to get readers in to be ready to buy from vendors and authors. What do you think? Moreover, authors can promote their events too to get readers out at the event.

We do have to revamp and search for our audience. Do we set up our table to attract an audience? Do we have a street team or person that is our go-getter to bring the audience to our table to see what we have to offer. Most authors have a poster board, promotional postcards, business cards, candy or glitter-like things on their tables, their own table cloths, and book holders to be visible to the eye. What will make your table stand out?

You can ship your books to the hotels that you will be traveling to for a book event. However, make sure you have the correct address, name of the supervisor or hotel manager, and write your name as a guest on the bottom of the shipping postage label when shipping it to the hotel. Check to see the shuttle arrangements from the airport to the hotel, what is the fees, and if it is complimentary shuttle to the hotel from the airport. Make sure you have extra monies, if sales do not go well, to be able to cover food, cabs/shuttles, and other hotel expenses that may accrue during your travels.