Okay, let's talk about selling books. Hey, readers, don't click away, this is about you too. I want to make a few points and then ask a few questions.I am a firm believer in authors selling their own books. I think it builds great name recognition and good relations between fan and author. I think that readers are more open to making purchases when they feel secure about it. Several things factor into this. Appearance and Attitude (those of the author) being the two most important, in my mind.
The picture here is Young Adult author Jacquelyn Sylvan (Surviving Serendipity, 2008, Echelon Press) at the Free Library Book Festival in Philadelphia, PA. Jackie spent the day wearing her Surviving Serendipity T-shirt and hat while passing out bookmarks and flyers to anyone who didn't run away. And since Jackie has a brilliant smile and is one of the most approachable people I know, she spent a lot of time talking to people--no one ran away.
This leads me to the questions below.
READERS:
If you are a reader and go into a store and see an author sitting behind a table reading a book, or scribbling notes, or staring off into space, what do you do?
1. Walk up and introduce yourself.
2. Walk up and wait for them to notice.
3. Walk away and go off to find something interesting.
If you go into a store and see an author smiling, greeting people, and passing out bookmarks, what do you do?
1. Smile back, take a bookmark, and let the author give you their pitch.
2. Smile and say no thanks.
3. Walk as far away as you can so they won't talk to you.
AUTHORS:
If you are preparing for an event, you would wear the following:
1. A nice casual outfit, neatly pressed and fresh with hair combed.
2. Jeans and a T-shirt.
3. Whatever you had on that day when you left the house.
If you are an author and you are at an event how do you handle the following? You are set up at the front of the store and your books are all stacked. You go in and do what?
1. Greet the manager, introduce yourself to each staff member and hand them some bookmarks, then go back to wander around your table greeting customers.
2. You wave at the staff, head straight for your chair, sit down, and wait for the customers to come to you.
3. Go to your table, sit down, and get out your notebook to plot your next book.
BOOKSELLERS:
An author approaches you about an event, what makes you decide for or against an event?
This is an open questions, because we really want to know.
To all you BOOKSELLERS, I would like to make a few points in our defense (publishers and authors). These are some of the obstacles we have run against in trying to set up events, along with my hardsell counterpoints.
1. You are an unknown author, no one will come.
Counterpoint: We are unknown because of the lack of opportunities to meet the public and promote our work effectively in a relaxed and conducive environment (bookstore/library.)
2. Too much risk involved with new authors and buying their books.
Counterpoint: Generally speaking, most books are returnable (though we hate it) and at Echelon (I can't speak for any others) we do a great deal of pre-promotion to ensure that people know about the event and will attend. While there are no guarantees, we will do whatever we can to drive traffic to your store, and if they do not buy our books, we may in fact sell other items in your inventory.
3. No one comes to book signings anymore.
Counterpoint: This is because they are just that. Book signings, we want to offer events, with conversation and interaction and maybe even some fun. An Echelon author is not allowed to, nor do they want to, sit behind a table and wait for customers to come up. Echelon authors do events to meet readers and sell books.
I would ask BOOKSELLERS at this point to take a moment and answer the poll in the sidebar to let us know what we can do to bring back the fun for readers and authors and book events.
I love to know what people think on this subject.
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What an interesting posting.
Thank you for sharing your points with us.
Good luck
Sorry, but I just *can't* answer any of your questions. I am, however, interested in the answers. I hope you come back to DorothyL and mention when you have compiled enough information to report on it.
Regards,
Theresa de Valence
Authors need Better Software To Write
http://www.bstw.com
I actually get a little excited when I think about selling. (who knew?!?!)
It's an opportunity to meet people and smile, offer them a bookmark and a chance to chat with someone who genuienly wants to chat with them.
Yes, my goal is to sell them a book (or twenty). But I also want them to feel good about meeting me. If the sale doesn't happen that day, there's a much better chance it will some other day if they walk away feeling better about themselves than they did before our chance encounter.
And yes, I use all my powers to spin the conversation so that they don't leave empty handed.
But even if they do, 99.9% of the time, they're smiling...and I'm smiling.
I know, I know, that doesn't pay the bills. But it creates goodwill. And that was the whole purpose of the book (WOOF) to begin with.
Diana
http://woofersclub.blogspot.com
http://basicblackblog.blogspot.com
This is my second year attending science fiction conventions as a writing and podcasting guest. When it comes to interaction, I get an author table as often as I can for these events and I spend time greeting and talking to convention attendees, handing out bookmarks, postcards, etc.
In regards to how I dress for the event, I may wear jeans and a sci-fi themed t-shirt (I've got some really interesting ones that have started a lot of conversations) or some form of costume. I would love to do a more elaborate costume than what I currently have because many con attendees like to take photos of people in really great costumes, so that's my goal for next year.
You mentioned events. Sci-fi cons are nothing but events, and guests don't get to be guests without participating somehow. At my first con of the year, I participated in or led 9 panels and 1 reading event. At the second con, I led 5 panels and 1 reading event. I got a lot of great feedback from people attending the events I worked on, and I've been invited to come back as a guest again next year to both these conventions.
I've still got 3 cons left to go this year, including EPICon. I can't say really how doing these events has affect my book sales. I do know they draw a lot of attention for my weekly fiction podcast, which is free, and I'm hopeful that the podcast in turn will draw attention to my books (it's a case of "If you like the stories you get here, then you'll like the book I wrote too!").
Public appearances are part of the promotion plan, and each piece is just one small building block in the overall scheme, but I'd like to think that if I can get all the pieces working together, then I can get a great machine going to make it easier to promote future books later on down the line.
I've only ever been to book signings as a reader, altho that will soon change.
In general, I like to see authors in bookstores. IF they are engaging the readers, they give the store a sense of energy. If they are sitting at a table, they look unapproachable. If they are chatting with people they seem to know, they look like they don't need me.
Gayle Carline (aka GeeCarl)
http://www.gaylecarline.com
http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com
As a new and unknown author, I dress in 'business casual' and never sit behind a table at signings. I don't sell a ton of books but I pass out a lot of bookmarks and meet a lot of nice people. I hope that if they don't purchase my book at the signing, they may do so at a later date. I hope you receive replies from the booksellers as I'd love to know what they have to say.
Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/
That is part of the beauty of events. They don't end when you go home. Especially if you are doing double duty by making sure that you pass out as much promo material as possible.
I am not big on trinkets, but prefer things that have repeated value, bookmarks, pens, letter openers. Still using my Treble Hearts Books letter opener and writing with and EPIC pen.
You are not just there to sign books, you are there to meet readers and increase your visibility and exposure.
And I can tell you, the fastest way to not get invited back to a store is to do nothing.
K
You nailed those!
And I'm a dress sharp, introduce myself to everyone working the store, and then roam around handing out bookmarks and talking to anyone who will listen!
So I love what your author in the photo is doing. People don't realize that is the FUN part!
And I would love for every book store in America to read this - and provide answers!!
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
As a reader, I was scared to death when I went to my first book signing. Luckily, Susan Wittig Albert was wonderful, and, yes, I bought her book. Now, I don't mind going up and talking to the author.
I just put chewing gum on my hand and shake hands with them. I won't let them get away until they buy one of my books.
Norm
http://fangplace.blogspot.com
I dress up, smile a lot, hand out bookmarks, and move around. And answer lots of questions. I'm lucky that selling comes naturally to me — when I believe in the product.
Bookseller here. I can't answer your poll because several of the choices bear equal weight and no one factor is more important than others. I would say, though, that author appearance is least important because, if he/she is coming for the first time, I don't know what to expect in terms of appearance (but it could make a difference for a second visit).
It's a cop-out for a bookseller to say no to an event because nobody has heard of the author (exception--an unknown author with a hardcover is not going to draw customers unless there's a hook of some sort). However, the publisher /author needs to recognize that I know my customers and I know whether they'll be interested in this particular author's book. If I can only think of two people who might come, it's not worth the expense to me or the author and I can't rely entirely on walk-ins.
I appreciate any promotion the publisher and/or author do but I also have to do some and there is an expense involved, another factor to be considered. Also, while returnability is very important, please remember that we get a credit for future orders, not a cash refund. In these bad economic times, cash outlay is a major issue, especially for the unknown or slightly known author. If I could convince publishers to make a change in the current system of returns, it would be to offer the option of a cash refund with a penalty (but I know that's entirely one-sided and the smaller publishers don't have cash lying around).
As for whether anybody comes to book signings/events/discussions anymore, I have to say that in almost nine years we have never had good turnout unless the author was a big name. Good turnout, though, doesn't necessarily mean good sales, even for big names, because people frequently bring books they already own. Other stores have much different results so one's experience may not be relevant for another.
Bottomline, though, we are still open for book events in the right circumstances.
Lelia Taylor
Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe
Oops--forgot to say I'm seriously annoyed by authors who sit and wait for the customer to approach. You don't want to be aggressive but a simple smile and "Hello, I'm a young adult fantasy author and I'm signing my book today" can do wonders.
Lelia Taylor
Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe
www.cncbooks.com
I don't think many people can refuse Jackie. She does have an infectious smile.
I've roamed bookstores with bookmarks and copies of my books in my hands. Other times, when an announcement is made on the intercom, I'll go back to the table with the books so people can find me.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
I'd like to address the post above by Lelia Taylor, the bookstore owner. I have been called a "Low Maintenance Author" by several bookstore managers. I do my own pre-event promotion and bring my own posters, signs, and everything needed to have a successful "Meet and Greet" event. I also let the staff know ahead of time that I'll be staying at the store until all my books ordered for the event have been sold. I'm personable, friendly, and knowledgeable about books. I'm clean, shaved and sober. You can say that I'm like the greeter at a Wal-Mart, meeting the customers as they come through the door with a bookmark in hand and engaging them in discussions of just about anything they want to talk about, including my book, of course.
At my last event, Saturday in Santa Barbara, CA--a beach resort community on a rainy February day--I hand sold and signed 30 copies of my book, THE BRIMSTONE MURDERS, and several copies of other books, "A Canticle for Leibowitz" to a science fiction fan, "Team of Rivals" to a woman wanting to read about the Lincoln administration, and a book about USC football to a young woman looking for a gift for her dad.
I talked with a couple of people who'd already read my book and wondered when the next one is coming out--by mid March, I told them, GUILTY OR ELSE will be on the shelf in the store. And I'll be back in April to do another signing.
Now, to answer Lelia Taylor's post. At my events there is absolutely no store expense, no risk that the books won't sell and have to be returned, and the customers will be happy to met someone who knows books and knows how to treat them with respect. And did I mention that I sell books.
Jeff is the god of book sales, the model to which we all aspire. I haven't even started selling books, but when I do, you bet I'll be constantly asking myself, "What Would Jeff Do?"
I used to dress in business suits, but that's not what New Zealanders expect a writer to look like... so now it's Gypsy skirts and Hippie jewellery for me. :-)
come see for yourselves:
http://yewalus.kiwiwebhost.net.nz/ (click on About Me)
I *loved* doing the signings I did for HotM when it came out, and really enjoy doing writing workshops whenever I can. It's great fun! :)
As for how things work, I usually dress nice, but casual. Jeans & a button-down shirt or khakis and a nice shirt. I prefer to be comfortable, because it comes across.
And I like to introduce myself to all the staff. It's just good protocol.
On confidence vs. action, readers might want to check out "Confidence, Ssmonfidence" on mysteryshrink.com.
Smile.
Great post. Your multiple choices are so blatantly pointing out the right way vs the wrong way, reading this article is a "get smart" lesson in itself.
Great post.
As for dress, it actually depends on the environment. In a bookstore, I'm a firm believer in a nice shirt, blazer, and dressy jeans with shoes. It's a step above the T-shirt and jeans look, which I don't think belongs in a bookstore. I think that most bookstore shoppers have an "image" in mind of what an author is supposed to look like and I try to fit that image whenever possible. If there's a "disconnect" between what I look like and what they assume I should look like, it makes the process of selling or even talking that much harder.
Conventions are another matter entirely. Con attendees prefer to see an author as "one of their own" who has done good. Dressing the way the con goers dress (those not in costume I mean) is probably going to win you more favor than the outfit I mentioned above (depending on the con in question).
As for behavior, it's all about meeting everyone who works in the store - particularly if it is an indie store. Chains have a higher turnover rate, but the indies are where you stand a good chance of forming lasting relationships with people who will go out of their way to sell your books long after you leave.
As for the table, it's a toss-up. I've had experiences where coming around from the table has intimidated some people. With others, they really like it. I've sat, leaned on the table, and pretty much assumed whatever position I need to to put the customer at ease long enough for me to sell them on my book.
As for trinkets and candies, they're nice, but the single best thing I've found is a smile and a "how are you today?" is best.
Your own mileage may vary!