With several books now available, I was honored when a local bookstore asked me in for a booksigning. Like any author, I ordered a few of each of my books in both print and ebook (CD's) and prepared to wow the crowds.
I got there an hour early - set up, got organized, made sure my pens worked and waited. Waited for friends, co-workers, family - who'd said they'd be there but didn't show up. By the time my signing was over, I'd become almost resigned to its failure. After all how can it be a success when I sold one book and talked to a few people - who asked questions but didn't make a purchase?
Yet it wasn't a complete frustrating failure. Oh no, by making one sale I have my book(s) in another persons hands. There was another lady there as well who gave me her card and said "call me". Is she a buyer? Yes, she is. She owns a book store several hours away from my hometown. And i will definitely be calling her.
As well, I learned a few other tidbits about selling my book. That wonderful amount on the back of the book is set in stone. If it says $5.00 the average reader will not be willing to pay more for it. Does that mean I'll take a loss for my books sold? No. But I have learned that if it said suggested retail price or in US Funds a reader/buyer is more likely to ask how much in Canadian.
So while on one hand I didn't have the sucess that I'd have loved to have ( a sold out afternoon) it was joyfully frustrating. An experience that I will most definitely be doing again - with a bit more planning, more exposure, and attention to getting readers through the doors, wallets in hand and opened to make a purchase.
3 comments:
Sometimes it's not the money but validation which we need.
Good luck with your book.
Congrats on the signing.
It sounds like you took positive energy out of the experience. Good for you! I'm reminded of a tale by essayist David Sedaris. Feeling unworthy of fans' picture taking, he created a sign prohibiting photographs, hoping it sounded like a store policy. So when he was in a bulk warehouse store for an under-promoted book signing he felt even worse when people walked by presumably wondering why they shouldn't take a picture of the small, mysterious man seated at a table all by himself. :)
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