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Publish It Right: Legal, Rights, Production & Promotion Tips
This month: Making the Most of Bookstore Signings and Other Appearances (from an article that appeared in the print edition of INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER in May of 1999.)
To all of the authors out there: whether you like it or not, you are your own best (or worst) publicist. If you're self-published or published by an independent publisher, chances are you're doing all or most of the legwork yourself. Getting yourself scheduled for a bookstore signing or to appear on a radio or television show is the first step, but don't just "take the booking and run." In order to make the most of what you've worked so hard to achieve you must turn every opportunity into an event--building on it for more media.
It's all in the timing.
Scrambling for promotion at the last minute (and by last minute, I mean three weeks beforehand) makes it impossible for anyone to build an appearance or an interview as an event. If you want the maximum amount of impact, you need to approach the area's media-all of it-in advance. Building your promotion around other appearances is the key. After all, if you got a booking on Oprah, you'd let all of the other media and bookstores know about it, wouldn't you? The same applies to any promotion, local or national. Always look at your calendar ten weeks in advance. Allow two weeks for review copies to be received and two weeks for follow-up.
Anchor It.
Bookstore signings are the usual reasons authors use for appearing in any one media area. Whether the author is on tour or just visiting a city, bookstore appearances can be effective tools in letting people know that you are there for a purpose.
Be forewarned though, some bookstores (especially some chains) take on every appearing author for signings without promoting them. Don't go to any signing expecting that promotion will be done by the store. Build on the signing yourself. If you don't, you'll be sitting idly at a table, talking to the books on the shelves instead of people who come to buy your book.
Although bookstore signings are popular, the media looks more favorably on an author who is in the area for a conference, seminar, or special charity function. Authors as experts speaking on their subject make the media sit up and take notice much more than a bookstore signing. Even if the book is fiction, there may be some aspect of it that lends itself to giving a speech somewhere or participating in a panel discussion. Another aspect of this is immediacy. Many times author signings are too frequent in the area to create impact, but a speaking engagement tells the media that you may not be around again-"grab that expert while we can."
Where am I?
If you're going to Boise for an autograph signing at Everybody's Bookstore, research the Boise area thoroughly. Every area has weekly newspapers as well as dailies, local magazines, local cable TV, radio, special interest groups and clubs. Local media doesn't mind if you're all over the place, either. Oh, there are shows and stations that demand "first crack" and will cancel you out on the spot if they find out otherwise, but those are few and far between.
Once you've researched the area, "blitz" it with something immediate like fax or e-mail. You may be able to pick up some interest and have review copies requested. Follow through with a mailing. Make sure to prioritize your mailing. Important media deserves a full press kit and review copy, while smaller media can be sent a press kit or just a simple book release with a schedule of your appearances. Don't be afraid to call a producer of a show to determine whether or not there's interest. One phone call can save a lot of time and money.
But it's only a "phoner."
Don't discount the "phoner" or the taped interview. Even if you won't be there physically, let people know about it anyway. Bookstores and your distributor will love you for it. Get a copy of the tape to build your press kit. Chances are that "phoner" was a better, more relaxed interview than one of the ones in studios. Again, research the area and tell bookstores that you are always available for signings when you are in town. In the meantime, stock up on books because people will respond to the program.
Be consistent.
Remember that the purpose of your visit may be to sell books, but if you've anchored on to something other than a bookstore signing, stay with that theme. For example, if your newest work of fiction centers on child abuse and your initial appearance is as a panelist for a seminar on the matter, don't tell the media you're there to plug your work as a piece of great literature. Stick to the subject of child abuse. Producers and editors work at such a fast pace that handing them two different subjects confuses the hell out of them. If your anchor is in any way related to your book, be consistent and stay with it until the next time around with the local media.
To sum up, here's your "media event" checklist:
1. Research first, then "blitz" the area.
2. Be creative in your choice of "anchor."
3. Book everything as much in advance as possible.
4. Stick to one theme.
Making your media count, making every media effort an event will always result in better exposure and greater sales. Susan Vreeland, author of the acclaimed Girl in Hyacinth Blue signing books at Stacey's. _________________________________________
We spoke with Colleen Lindsay, a buyer at Stacey's Bookstore, an institution of independent bookselling in San Francisco since 1923, and asked for some do's and don'ts to remember when working with bookstores and their staff members.
DON'T drop by a bookstore unannounced and ask to see the buyer or the author events person to talk about your book. These people are usually very busy, keep appointments by schedule only (even in the smallest bookstore you go to) and quite often have other responsibilities on the floor, like running a register, answering phones, etc.
DO phone the buyer and leave a message to make an appointment, or if the buyer is busy, offer to mail or fax information about your book to the buyer. Often the buyer will make a short appointment to see you in person to talk about your book. If you can, drop off a copy of the book to the buyer. Note: books left in this manner are assumed to be the property of the bookstore and many buyers will discard them if not interested in the topic. If you want the book back, say so and enclose an appropriately sized envelope with the right postage.
DO remember to include this information in your flyer about the book: The Price, The ISBN, The Distributor that will carry the book (if it is self-published or a small press), and "What You Are Doing To Publicize The Book." (Very important!)
DO make a follow-up phone call within 7-10 days. Buyers get hundreds of these calls per month so you shouldn't wait too long. They may forget. (Hey, they're only human.)
DO try get a distributor if you are self-published or a small press. Although many larger bookstores will carry your book on consignment, we all prefer to go through a local distributor. There are many reasons for this. A distributor will often have sales reps who call on us week in and week out with their new titles; they'll make a sales pitch to a buyer on behalf of your book. The reps often sell on commission so it is in their best interest to sell your book. Going through a local distributor also makes it simple to reorder a title that sells well.
If you are unable to get a distributor, find out if the bookstore has a consignment program. At Stacey's we carry dozens of books on consignment. Remember that a consignment is a legal contract between you and the bookstore. Read it carefully. There are often clauses that ask the author to pay for shipping to and from the bookstore and almost all consignment contracts will make it the responsibility of the authors to collect their books after a certain date. .
DO try to find something to compare your book to. If you say, "It has been compared favorably to 'A God of Small Things,' it will sound better than just saying "It's a great novel about a brother and sister in India."
DO try to get the local papers to review it. Don't forget the alternative weeklies, and the small neighborhood papers. Often these are the best places to get word-of-mouth spread about your book.
If buyers say no, DO trust that they know their store's clientele better than you, and do not take it personally.
And mostly DON'T lose faith in yourself, ever.
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About STACEY'S: John W. Stacey opened a 216 square foot bookstore in the Flood Building on Market Street in San Francisco in 1923. The store started with 400 books on 240 feet of shelves and Mr. Stacey as the lone employee.
By 1946, after 25 years of specializing in medical books, STACEY'S began to carry a comprehensive line of technical and professional titles, including the first computer books ever published. The business grew dramatically, and a second store was opened in1959 at the current Market Street location. It was here in the 1960's that general trade books made their first appearance with the establishment of a large paperback book department in the basement. The assortment of general books was enhanced when the main store was renovated and expanded in 1996, adding 10,00 square feet of retail space.
In 1968, twenty-five years after the death of John Stacey, STACEY'S became a part of the Brodart company. The flagship STACEY'S, located in the heart of San Francisco's financial district, set the standard for "superstores" long before the term was coined, with three levels of books and superior service.
STACEY'S offers 10% off every book every day if you sign up for the FREE "Literary License," and offer 25% off a carefully selected list of books -- new and old! -- that members of the staff have read, enjoyed and personally recommend. STACEY'S will make every attempt to special order any book that is in-print and recommend other sources for those books that are out-of-print. Subscribe to STACEY'S free electronic newsletter and get their Events Calendar and new book information delivered to your desktop.