Lorraine M Harris

After sponsoring my own book signing and participating in three bookstore book signings, I learned some valuable lessons. Based on my experiences, I want to share what I learned. I think most authors having a book signing will admit that they can be time consuming and discouraging. Why? Because you may sit for hours and not sell "one" book. Below are my suggestions in what I think makes a successful book signing. BEFORE THE BOOK SIGNING 1. Understand the conditions of the boo

All the local authors I knew were excited because Barnes and Noble was putting a store in The Villages, Florida. I couldn't speak for anyone else but what an opportunity to have a book signing at Barnes and Noble. It was like a validation. I met with the Barnes and Nobles' Community Relations Director. She was young, nice, and polite when she said, "You're a POD published author and usually we don't do business with those publishing companies and their authors." Naïve, I had

Although my mail order book sells were going well and the stack of books in the garage was going down, I still had a lot of books to sell. This forced me to contact one of the used bookstores regarding me having a book signing. With trepidation, I took a deep breath and I made an appointment to talk to the "used" bookstore owner. I emphasize "used" because that's all the bookstores that were in my retirement community. I made an appointment and to my surprise, the owner agree

After my first bookstore book signing, I was feeling pretty good. Maybe a little too confident. I had an appointment to see the second "used" bookstore owner and for some reason my gut told me not to agree to the book signing, but I did. The owner and I agreed upon a date for the signing and then she pulls out a contract. Whoa, I wasn't expecting that. I read it and cringed--I had to spend three hours at the bookstore, leave my books for six-weeks, do my own advertising, and

I sat at the computer composing a letter to send to my out-of-town relatives and friends. I kept the letter to one page, wanting to keep it simple. I announced the release of my book, provided the synopsis, cost, and how to order it. I should have talked to Lamont or Marlene before I agreed to pay postage for anyone ordering my book. That was a big mistake. After I ran the numbers, I realized that I'd lose money on all out-of-town book sells. Well, it was too late, the letter

On the day of the book signing, I was a nervous wreck. Thank God for Lamont and Marlene. They were my rock and anchor. At the location, they took care of everything. I'm not sure why my nerves were on edge. I sent out 50 invitations and Marlene had received 45 people calling to say they were coming. As I paced the floor, worrying if anyone would show up, Marlene urged me to sit down. I did as she suggested. I fiddled with the pens, took a drink of water, and kept glancing at

Marlene and I talked for many hours as to how I could sponsor my own book signing. When the meeting ended, I left Marlene, overwhelmed with everything I had to do. I arrived home and Lamont looked at me and asked, "What's wrong?" "As we discussed, I'm sponsoring my own book signing but I'm nervous thinking about everything I have to do." "Can I help?" Lamont asked and gave me a much needed hug. "I'm afraid it's all on me." I gave Lamont a slight kiss. "It's nice having you an

Okay, I was ready to develop my marketing plan even though I only had one idea--have a book signing. At least I could brainstorm my ideas with someone. Thank God for my friend, Marlene. She and I met and for several hours discussing how to go beyond having a book signing. Coming up with ideas was more difficult then we expected. Finally, we decided to start small and make my marketing plan a living document. To start, we came up with the following: 1. Sponsor my own book sign

When I finished my first book, Sunday Golf, and submitted it to a publisher recommended to me, I had no idea what to expect. After years of receiving nothing but rejection letters, I didn't take the time to research the publishing company. All I cared about was having my book published. To new authors, make sure you understand that there are a number of options for having your book published. Below, I've listed them. --Traditional --Self-Publish --Vanity Press --Print-on-Dema