Home
>
Book Marketing
>
Why Writers Dont Do a Book Signing

Why Writers Dont Do a Book Signing

Whenever someone suggests you do a book signing and you do not want to, here are five reasons you can give them:

1) It's not worth the time; there's not enough money in it.

2) Speaking is where the money is.

3) You have more important things to do.

4) When you do a book-signing, maybe nobody will show up and you'll feel foolish sitting there all alone.

5) There are other ways to sell books.

Then,again, there are five good reasons why all authors should do a book signing and a book-signing tour.

By conducting a book-signing you will:

1. Gain recognition. When you do a book signing in a bookstore, you will be interacting with the people who sell your books to the general public. It's an opportunity to develop a rapport with them, tell them about the book, and convince them that you are an expert on the subject. Then when someone asks for a book on your topic, they are likely to recommend yours. Don't settle for bookstores. Look for places where readers of your book are likely to gather and schedule an event there. That place might be a store, craft shop, pro shop, spa, festival, or health care center. Do some brainstorming with your staff and friends.

2. Gather input from readers. When you step into the book-signing arena, you have an opportunity to interact with readers. You are the center of attraction, since you are the author/expert. By providing a mini-seminar or discussion, you give a sneak preview of your book and your expertise. Add a question and answer segment and you will learn what interests the readers most. It may be the beginning of a sequel.

3. Have an event that is newsworthy and gather clippings for your scrapbook and poster board. Book signings provide an event that is newsworthy. This is especially valuable if you are not yet a celebrity. Celebrities do book signings for primarily the same reasons emerging authors do, an opportunity to be noticed and quoted and appear in the media. Gather comments of those who have already read your book and can post them, with permission, until you get print media coverage to add to your display. People are very interested in knowing what other people think of your work. Create a foam board for publicity. Place on it reviews, readers' comments, excerpts from your book, and your photo. Stand the board on the autograph table on an easel so that passersby can see it prior to your signing.

4. Conduct media interviews. The most successful book signings have the most publicity. Since your schedule is generally set up at least six weeks in advance, you have time to approach radio talk show hosts and producers, television stations, and newspapers to let them know that you will be in their city. A well-thought out Media Release is a must. It should contain information about the book, the author, and the event.

5. Expand your contact list. Book signings are a great way to expand your mailing list. Use a sheet of paper on the autograph table with column headings like: Name, Email address, Phone number. Usually, the less information you request, the more names you will collect. You can get more information as you develop a relationship with these individuals. It is a good idea to provide something free, such as a bookmark, with a quote from the book and your contact information on it.

Add the adventure of book signing and book-signing tours to your marketing list to create memorable moments that far exceed routine marketing methods.

Jo Condrill has conducted book signings acrodd the US, including one in the Barnes and Noble store in Rockefeller Center, New York. Her longest book signing tour covered twelve cities. She is the coauthor of two books: "From Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider's Guide to Conducting a Successful Low-Cost Book Signing Tour" and "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly." She also wrote "Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams." You can listen to a book signing interview with Jo at For more information visit her website at

In The News:

Real Estate Agent and SEO Consultant Releases New Book on Local Business Marketing
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Memphis real estate agent and Local SEO consultant David Sandy released his new book Webcentric Local Business Marketing: How to Market Your Business on the Web and Beyond. The book outlines what Sandy has learned in marketing for his law practice, ...

and more »

Merchant Account to Accept Credit Cards is Helping Internet Marketing ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
"Our website, www.marketersblackbook.com, receives thousands of Internet marketing users every month and we do a lot of online transactions," said Bernard Ablola, Internet Marketing Expert at Marketer's Black Book. "We recently switched our payment ...

and more »

Marketing in the Round Makes You Work
Huffington Post
His first book, published five years ago, is called Tomorrow is Gone. That single concept, and Livingston's manifesto, may be the best adage for what has happened in social media, traditional media, and how to market to an ADD buyer, than any put forth ...
Myth: Quit Advertising Because it Just Doesn't WorkBusiness 2 Community

all 2 news articles »

Ann Arbor CEO and Author Earns Honorary Doctorate From Cleary University
MarketWatch (press release)
ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dan Milstein, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group in Ann Arbor and author of the bestselling book The ABC of Sales will receive an honorary doctorate degree in Business ...

and more »

What Social Media Can Learn From Real Life
Huffington Post (blog)
Finally, a book that shows the full picture of the impact of the word of mouth and marketing done right -- both offline and online. In The Face-to-Face Book, released just days after Facebook's IPO, Ed Keller and Brad Fay celebrate the "social wave ...

and more »

Forbes
New Book from Constant Contact CEO Gail F. Goodman Helps Small Businesses ...
MarketWatch (press release)
WALTHAM, Mass., May 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Small business owners now have a new resource to turn to with the release of Gail F. Goodman's book, Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins in a Socially Connected World.
Why You Should Read Engagement MarketingBusiness Insider

all 11 news articles »

Small Business Trends
Word of Mouth Marketing Book Hits Bestseller List
MarketWatch (press release)
The book focuses on the fundamentals of word of mouth and features tutorials on "3 Reasons People Talk About You," "4 Rules of Word of Mouth," and "5 Ts of Word of Mouth Marketing." The book also features case studies from Dell, IKEA, Intuit, ...
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People TalkingSmall Business Trends

all 8 news articles »

Webinar Tomorrow: Take Your Hotel Marketing Mobile
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) May 22, 2012 Hotel marketers are aware that having a strong web presence is a necessity in the travel market. Many have great websites that tell their hotel's story, let visitors view photos and multi-media, and book their dream ...

and more »

2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata Named A 10 Best Road Trip Car By Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com
MarketWatch (press release)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website, www.kbb.com . The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, ...

and more »

Forbes
Book Marketing As A Political Campaign
Forbes
By Sarah Milstein Since its release in late January, Baratunde Thurston's book, â€œHow To Be Black,â€ has sold more than 15000 copies, hitting the New York Time bestseller list out of the gate. Thurston, The Onion's former director of digital, ...

Google News