This year has been a fantastic blur! My dream of becoming an author came true in 2019 as I published not one but two books in my fantasy series, (click here to learn about Nav’Aria). When first setting out, I knew I wanted to have a #booklaunchparty and that my dream would be to do a Book Signing or two throughout the year (and like, my biggest dream ever would be to have a signing at Barnes & Noble… which I did in August).
After my January Book Launch Party with family and friends, I realized it was so incredible to talk face to face with people about my books. Maybe it’s because I kept my writing secret for so long (read this to learn about my #writingjourney), and all of a sudden it was out there in 
the world and PEOPLE WERE GENUINELY INTERESTED AND RESPONDING! At that first signing I sold 30 books. I knew it was because my friends and family were there and being supportive. I didn’t necessarily count on experiencing that many sales again.
But you know what? By November at the Holiday Food & Gift Festival, I sold 125 books! I like to believe I’ve had success because people freaking LOVE the sound of epic unicorn warriors!! Who wouldn’t!? But it’s probably more that people recognized that I took the time to connect with them. I gave them my biggest commodity—my time. Going out and doing Author Events takes work—A LOT! And I believe that people respect my willingness to put myself out there to share my passion for writing and engaging with others.
Book Signings have transformed my view of writing. It is the COOLEST to have people bringing their books from home for you to sign, excited to meet you and get a picture with you, and genuinely desiring to have your autograph. That response is fun, but it wasn’t my initial motivation and I think that is important to remember too. Why are you a writer? Why do you write?
I don’t write to get fans. I write because I love storytelling and there are stories in my head that have to come out. But the wonderful “icing on the cake” is the excitement from people who fall in love with your stories and characters. It motivates me to keep going and to let my imagination soar into new realms and spaces each and every time I sit down to create. After all, if people are cool with fighting, talking unicorns, what else mi
ght they enjoy!?
So, if you’re new to your publishing career, or want to gain a bit more momentum, here are some tangible tips for you.
TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT AUTHOR EVENT:
1. Make it a goal to get at least 3 events on your 2020 calendar.
To do so, I’d recommend you look up any local festivals, vendor/craft shows, and/or get in touch with local businesses. I was approached by a few venues this year, as well as, made contact with others. At some locations I had to pay booth rental fees (which I always made back, but there’s always the risk that you won’t so make sure to plan and consider what will be best for your book and current financial situation), while other locations let me set up a table for free in hopes that my presence would bring in more business to their establishment.
2. Order enough books.
Typically, I order 100 books at a time. Depending on your novel, budget, energy, and amount of time you’re willing to go out and try to sell them, you may need more or less books in your order. And I get it, no one wants a basement full of books, but I’ll just say, it would be quite lame to run out of books, especially at your own book launch. So plan accordingly.
3. Have a killer table/booth set up!
It’s almost 2020! We are a HIGHLY visual society therefore you need to have a nice set up… I didn’t say expensive, just nice. I got all of my table decorations at either Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, or Wal-Mart. Think about the vibe for your novel. What genre is it? What era or environment is it set in? Mine is fantasy, and so I want my set up to impart a fantastical, woodsy vibe, as if you’re sitting in a Royal Tent in a war camp surrounded by the Nav’Arian woods.
Go for texture, color, height, anything eye-catching. I eventually ended up buying my own table at Costco as well to take to events and borrowed a beautiful tent from a friend for the 3 festivals I participated in this year. Borrow if you can, purchase what you need, and then know, you can always accumulate more but you definitely need some tablecloths, book swag, props, risers to stack books on or something to create some height for your space.
4. Who is going to help you?
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT think that you can do this all on your own. I get it, I don’t want to impose on anyone, and also, I want it all to be exactly how I envisioned it. However, you really have to plan. Can you physically carry all the stuff in yourself? (I have pulled two muscles this year trying to do everything myself). *facepalm*
Do you need a cart? Can you set up a 10×10 foot space at a Festival with a tent, tables, banners all by yourself? I’m gonna be honest here, the people I see setting up the space themselves typically keep it very simple and their booths do not end up being as eye-catching. Put bluntly, the booths set up by one person look like they were set up by one person. Sometimes you just need a helper. So, get a friend or family member to join in!
Also, it REALLY helps to have someone on hand to help restock the books while you’re engaging with attendees or getting change for the fast in-coming of purchases. Do you want to be caught up getting change for one person, while you could have been making a sale with the 3 walking by? At one point at the Holiday Festival I had a line of at least 4 people wanting books and waiting for me to sign them. Had I been alone, the process would have been so much slower and there’s a chance in that kind of high traffic, multi-booth environment they would have decided the wait wasn’t worth it. You have to move quick.
I also think it lends you credibility. You’re the professional author here… of course you have someone helping you at your event. You don’t want to look stressed (or sweaty!!) after setting everything up as you’re greeting people.
5. Now for the actual event. Your first impression MATTERS.
I put a video about this recently on social, in response to many fellow vendors that I’ve seen at various events this year. They complain afterward about not making back their booth fee, or having low sales, and yet, I really didn’t see them going for it. They sat on their phones, not engaging with people walking by, eating, or talking in the back with a friend. Honestly, why would someone stop at that festival booth when there are over a hundred others? You need to stand out… SO STAND UP (wear comfortable shoes). Smile. Be engaging. Be a welcoming presence. Try to get a business card or bookmark in as many hands as possible. I have sales after every event because people maybe went home and thought about it or looked up my books and decided EPIC unicorns didn’t sound too bad.
And offer candy, or a giveaway to further entice people to stop at your booth! It seems obvious, but not everyone offers candy. The kids zone in on it, and as their parents follow them to the booth, you strike up a conversation.
6. Remember that these people are taking a chance on YOU. Give them your attention and respect, and you’ll be blown away by their positive response.
Sign the books, take the pictures, use their first names, ask questions about them, give compliments… and HAVE FUN! Use this as an opportunity to encourage readers to sign up for your website newsletter or connect with you on social media!
7. As an author, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE AN INDIE, you have to treat this for what it is: your business. You are an entrepreneur.
Make sure you understand that point. It took me a bit to get it, but I think I’ve had so much success this year at the events because I understand that you have to put yourself out there. Perhaps for some writers it all just works out, and someone finds their book, and away they go becoming the great J.K. Rowling, etc. For we “muggles”, we can’t just sit around hoping that our great literary work will magically become an instant NY Times Best-Seller. People need to know about it, and in order for that to happen, you need to get in front of people sharing about your book(s) whether in person or through the wonderful, FREE world of social media.
Either online or at festivals, I’ve found, people often ask me questions about ME more than my books. People want to get to know us—the writers—to determine if they can “trust” us, and then, they will purchase the books. Rarely do people come up and say, “Yeah, sure I’ll take one,” no questions asked. There have been a few, and I’m always, “Like, umm… seriously? Ok yeah, sure!” I’m still working on my responses… clearly.
8. If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen. So quit talking about SOMEDAY and just start doing the work TODAY.
I don’t like to use the term “hustle” too much, because I feel that it’s overused nowadays, but seriously, if you want readers to find your book… one way to do it is by letting them meet YOU. So, slap on a smile, and go tell people why your book is so freaking awesome. Let your passion shine. You love your book, right? Or else you wouldn’t have gone through all the hassle of writing and publishing it. So, let others know what you love about it! Smile, share, shine!
I hope this gives you some ideas as you’re planning your 2020 schedule. If you want more details or for me to expand on any of these points, let me know! I’m here to share. I want you to learn and grow and succeed. GOOD LUCK!
Cheers to 2020!