tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post9031923668165793102..comments2023-11-02T05:29:57.954-04:00Comments on From the Heart: Book signings (and why we love to hate them)Andy Scheer, Hartline Literaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09010440105558099014noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-89904085398386124582009-12-01T11:13:51.372-05:002009-12-01T11:13:51.372-05:00Thank you, Loree. I wish I'd seen your intervi...Thank you, Loree. I wish I'd seen your interview here before. However, I did a book signing last week that was a perfect fit for a charitable event and it went far better than I'd expected it to. For the next one, I'll have your recommendations to use. Pat D.Pat Jeanne Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05000956321646970512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-45294356216011374872009-11-20T13:12:01.606-05:002009-11-20T13:12:01.606-05:00Great job, Lori!Great job, Lori!Carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765332646987825952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-74249795781292762232009-11-20T02:49:23.630-05:002009-11-20T02:49:23.630-05:00Fabulous! Thank you for all the wonderful tips.
An...Fabulous! Thank you for all the wonderful tips.<br />AngieAngBreidenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193337694193623903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-26708625221458646332009-11-19T14:26:48.761-05:002009-11-19T14:26:48.761-05:00These are all really good suggestions for book sig...These are all really good suggestions for book signings, all of which, amazingly, I've done: dragging along the little table and a chair, which I didn't use; yacking with the store owners, managers, and shoppers.<br /><br />Let me add my own two cents, however. Bag the signing and offer the bookstore manager a book discussion in which you actually speak and entertain the troops. I always did discussions because, frankly, I during the few regular signings I did, I always felt like a kind of beggar. People passing by my table, despite my bubbly personality and my cooing over their pets, regarded me suspiciously, as though I wanted something from them. And I did. I wanted them to buy my book and ask me to sign it. So, though you'd never want to turn down a book signing, I feel it's always better to put a little more work into it and do a book discussion or lecture, sort of. Be sure that the local paper and the bookstore tells patrons what time it will begin and get yourself some kind of prop appropriate to your subject matter. For instance, whenever I could, I invited a pot-bellied pig along to my discussions. I brought posters with the ancestral development of the pig and so forth--giving a little history lesson on the domestication of the pig. Yeah, book signings suck because somehow, despite the best intentions and efforts, you end up looking desperate behind that table. Do book discussions instead.Gay L. Balliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13020274214614962128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-39208555906177230342009-11-19T14:11:36.710-05:002009-11-19T14:11:36.710-05:00LOVE these comments, ladies!
And since I've n...LOVE these comments, ladies!<br /><br />And since I've never worked with a publisher who'd take back 'scribbled-in' books, it's a VERY good idea to find out what your publisher's policy is... before you autograph unsold copies.<br /><br />Hope to hear lots more from lots more of you. Meanwhile, here's hoping your Thursday writing will be thrilling!Loree Loughhttp://www.loreelough.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-19396710041824034372009-11-19T13:08:34.215-05:002009-11-19T13:08:34.215-05:00Great article! I go a step farther--get to the sto...Great article! I go a step farther--get to the store early and scope it out so I can help customers find other books if they don't want mine. Then I kinda roam the place and ask God to bring along book connections!!!<br /><br />Blessings,<br />PattiPatti Lacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00687666130404407814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-88407464859192668772009-11-19T09:20:01.908-05:002009-11-19T09:20:01.908-05:00Great article! A lot of good, solid advice--especi...Great article! A lot of good, solid advice--especially the standing instead of sitting. It makes you more approachable. I always have better success in making contacts (which is what signings are about even more than signing books) if I stand and greet people rather than sit and wait for them to come to me. And of course I always bring chocolate! lol (One note: Although some publishers won't accept signed books in return, some do...it depends on the publisher. It's kind of like a "second"--they won't resell a signed book at top dollar--but some do take them back.)Kim Vogel Sawyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14338945088038961014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2443765296489868573.post-56403453589716068782009-11-19T08:48:06.127-05:002009-11-19T08:48:06.127-05:00Wow. I love it that you cannot send signed books b...Wow. I love it that you cannot send signed books back to the publisher, ever. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing this wonderful list, Loree. You're a doll. I will print and file for my future books signings. <br /><br />I helped an author friend, Patti Lacy, by talking to a couple of bookstore managers, asking them to host a book signing when her newest book came out. Then she followed up with a phone call to the manager in a week. It helped that a customer requested the signing--the managers didn't need to know that we were friends. At one of the signings, I stood by her table and helped promote the book. It was a joyous time for me to be a part of her success.Jeanette Levelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12898750484193832082noreply@blogger.com