A while back I was invited to do a signing at a local indie store. Because I’m a local author, one who wants any bookstore to succeed, I agreed. This store had good parking (which many don’t), was in an affluent community with many preschool and early elementary grade children, who are the main audience for my books. Besides that, one of my publishers had suggested the signing, and the store was asking for two hours of my Saturday morning. All good signs.

I arrived about fifteen minutes before the announced time, but didn’t see copies of my books in the store window. The only person working there was busy shelving books, and the table and chair by the window, which had been set aside for author signings, was covered with cartons from publishers, leftover coffee and danish and a worn PEOPLE magazine. Not good. I checked my watch, thinking that perhaps I was too early, and found it was only five minutes, not fifteen, before the scheduled event. I announced myself to the salesperson as the author of that days signing. She didn’t look up as she asked, “What did you say your name was?” I repeated myself and added that I didn’t see any of my books on the table. “Well, I don’t know,” she said. “Don’t you that I’m busy with something? I’m part time. I don’t know everything about this place.” Since there were no customers in the store I told her I’d be in the coffee shop next door if anyone wanted to buy a book.

About a half hour passed before a couple–friends of mine–came into the coffee shop carrying a selection of my books. They wanted me to sign them for new grandchildren, so I did. An hour of the two I was scheduled for passed but no more customers came. I went back to the bookstore. The pile of cartons had shrunk by one and the salesperson was in another part of the store, shelving books. I noticed for the first time that all the books that had been bought were single copies of various adult titles. Not good! I asked her to please apologize to the owner for me for leaving early, and she mumbled, “Okay.” On my way out, I saw a local newspaper article with a large picture of me that had been blocked by all the book cartons. A couple of days later I was in line at the supermarket. A friend saw me and said, “I saw a great picture of you in the paper!”

That’s the end of my indie story. This store has since gone out of business so I’ll tell a Borders story.
My daughter, Lizzy Rockwell, has illustrated a number of books I’ve written and does school appearances. She met a teacher, on one of these occasions, who asked if the two of us would come to a signing at the local branch of Borders. I agreed, and Lizzy drove us there. She made good time and got us there in about an hour and a half.

WE sat at a table with about six authors whose names I didn’t recognize, probably because the books stacked in front of each seemed from their jackets to be YA novels, a genre I don’t know much about. There was also a good selection of books Lizzy and I had done. We were seated next to the only other picture book author, who had towering stacks of his one title on the table. I didn’t recognize him or his work, but there was a large poster announcing his book. I didn’t recognize the name of his publisher, and suspected the book was self-published. A long line of children and parents waited for the store manager to announce and introduce the local authors. It seemed the other picture book author would be giving away signed copies of his book. Not selling, but giving! That was a first for me!

No one sold a single book, although Lizzy and I signed a worn and ratty copy of one a mother told us she’d picked up at a tag sale.

These happenings are in huge contrast to the number of books people buy when Lizzy or I sell at school or library book fairs. Recently both of us spoke together at the local branch of our library. Neither of us would have refused since this is where her two sons, my oldest grandsons, discovered the joy of having many books to choose from. The librarian had arranged all their copies of our titles on a table beside us. Some had been published a long, long time ago, but were still new to their readers. Another table had fresh , brand new copies of our 2011 title, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, which was too recently published to be in the library. But a super, local indie store, DIANE’S BOOKS of Greenwich had brought copies, most of which were signed and sold. (Not to mention the super agent who posted the question online.)

I guess what I’m trying to say, in a story too long for a picture book, but which might be helpful to fellow authors, is that store signings, whether arranged by the publisher, or the author, are mighty iffy.

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We actually have quite a few launches here on the island because there are a bunch of us writers, and honestly…I’m sort of in the same boat here. I really don’t have disposable income for new books so I feel weird going. I have gone to one and bought a book as a gift for someone else, which was okay.

I guess I should go anyway. When I had my release here, about sixty-five people showed up (I know!!!), and I think the bookstore probably sold thirty books, so that means not everyone bought one, but I still feel odd attending and not buying a book.

Great question. As an author, I get out to as many signings as I can, especially when I know the author. But many times, I don’t even have a clue the author is doing a signing despite the fact that I follow them on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Like everything else in the publishing world, the author has to hope the bookstore is doing something, but act as if they aren’t. A few things I do to help out are:

1) Use every means at my disposal to let people know where I will be. Lots of times I’ve been really surprised to have people show up that I didn’t expect, only to learn they heard about the event on my blog, or other posting. You MUST get the word out yourself.

2) Always contact the store a week in advance to make sure they are expecting you and have ordered books. A week still gives them time if they forgot. The day or two before, if they haven’t already ordered, you are out of luck unless they can do a store-to-store shipment from nearby.

3) If you can, bring some books of your own. This not only helps when a store didn’t order, but also when they didn’t order enough books. I’ve had several times when I sold more books than the store expected and was able to give them my books to sell. They then order more books and send copies back to me to cover what I gave them.

4) Try to have some kind of handout, bookmarks, posters, flyers. Even candy helps draw people to your table. The problem is people don’t like pressure which is exactly what they view an unknown author as, unfortunately. But if you can give them a flyer or bookmark, it gives them time to read about your book and come back over to chat. Also, nothing draws attention like a crowd. So if you can get a few people around you talking, others show up. That means when the crowd is small take your time with every person who comes by so you look like you are busy.

5) I almost hesitate to mention this, because it can be so misused. But if your book is MG or younger and you can put together a really dynamite school assembly, you can draw a big crowd to your signing. After several days of school visits, I had such an amazing signing in Roseville, CA that they said the only bigger turnout they’d had were Janet Evanovich and Stephenie Meyer. Not bad for a newbie MG author. Some of my signings have been for two-three hours straight. But the assembly has to be great. Don’t waste the time of hundred of kids and teachers with a simple pitch for your book or a boring reading.

6) Finally, no matter what you do, you can still have lonely signings. If you do, the best thing to do is to get up from behind your table and talk to people. If the employees like you, they will talk you up and push your book. So tell them all about your book, your writing. many of them would love to publish a book and will appreciate any advice you can give them. A lonely author sitting behind a table looks like a loser. But a dynamic upbeat author making friends is something they will remember. And bring “autographed copy” stickers so you can sign remaining stock (if they’ll let you) before you leave to increase sales down the road.

Hope that helps.

So next weekend, I’ll be hoist on my own non-reading-attending petard, because my virgin (4th draft and a polish) novel’s getting an extracted reading at a tiny literary festival in the west of England (Bridport). And the only people who’ll be there will be my all-girl retro singing group, as we’re performing at the festival the next day. But more likely they’ll be off scouring the charity shops for brilliant things to wear, while I’ll be sitting alone, all sphincters clenched in anxiety, listening to a stranger read aloud to an empty room. I’m going to hear Henry Volan from Faber Digital speaking later that afternoon, and I’m going to email him and let him know, just so he can not come as well. At least they said they’ll give me a cup of tea…