Saturday was the TANGLED signing at my local B&N; it was the first solo signing I'd ever done, and the first I'd set up on my own. (My only other signing was at RWA's National Convention, with approximately eight squillion other authors. It took some of the pressure off.) I had done some prep work: notifying local papers, sending out emails to friends and family and writerly folk, inviting teachers from area schools...but to be honest, I expected cricketsts. This, I had been told, was the norm.
Guys, we had a line the entire time. In fact, we had a line before the signing started; we had kids showing up after we'd finished. We sold out of TORN, and this giant stack of books
...was almost entirely gone. It was astonishing, and humbling, and incredibly exciting. I had friends who have known me my entire life show up. Writer friends. The woman who owned the cafe where I wrote TORN even came. My friend Liz came, from MINNESOTA, just to hug and squee and be there for me. Of course, the crowd was due in part to homecourt advantage, but I am not picky. People came and bought my books and said nice things. I will take it without complaint.
To be honest, I found the notion of preparing for a book signing intimidating. And while a sensible person would have simply googled "set up book signing" or some such term, I mostly just pestered my beloved publicist and the PR person at the bookstore. You, of course, are much more clever. You know how to use Google. But I do have some tips -- things that made the signing run more smoothly, that drew people in, that made my life easier. I also have a few things I'll do differently next time, and I'll talk about those tomorrow. But here are the things I would recommend for anyone setting up a signing.
Signing Do's
Tell everyone.
I know it seems obvious, but it bears repeating. Fill out the forms on your local papers' websites for "Event Calendar. Tell your parents' friends. Tell local teachers, if appropriate. Tell your friends, even though most of them already ordered your book. Encourage forwarding. Make your partner tell his or her friends and coworkers. Even if only 5 percent of the people contacted show up, 5 percent of 200 is a lot better than 5 percent of 20. Even I know that, and I suck at math.
This is even more important if you're not signing in your area. In that case, not only do you need to work connections (local SCBWI and RWA chapters) but also local schools and libraries. Brandon Mull came to our area when he was promoting his second Fablehaven book; he visited all of the nearby elementary and middle schools, and let everyone know when he'd be signing at the local bookstore. My oldest daughter came home desperate to see him again, so off we went. The line was out the door. OUT THE DOOR. We stood in line for two hours, and when we left, there was still a massive crowd of people. Partly this is because Brandon Mull is a fantastic writer, but partly it is because he took the time to reach out to the kids and the community.
Make A Sign
Had I any design skills at all, I would have used a larger font on the middle sign. But I do like this setup -- I can use it at any event, regardless of which book I'm signing, and it's easy to swap out the covers, since they're separate pieces. If I do a signing somewhere with limited space, I can stick to the most recent cover and simply print out a sheet that says "Signing Today!"
My signing was on the second floor -- we posted these over the escalators so people could see them clearly. I also had another poster of TANGLED's cover near the door. I did these at my local Fed Ex Kinkos, and they were gracious enough to put grommets along the top of each sign for easy hanging. We used cable ties to secure them to the banister. Easy-peasy, and a LOT of bang for the buck. Well worth the (tax-deductible) expense.
Arrive early
My signing was scheduled from 2-4; I arrived at 1. We had people there by 1:15, and some of them weren't even my relatives. Give yourself enough time to set up, fix your hair, and take a deep breath or twelve. You'll handle the ensuing chaos much better.
Bring swag
I had bookmarks, trading cards, and my speaker brochure laid out on the table. By the end of the day, I had...one brochure and three trading cards left. People like swag, and you never know who they'll pass it on to.
Bring a treat
Just make sure it's small and easy to clean up. I had a platter of Dove Chocolates, and they were nearly gone by days' end. Everyone likes chocolate. It makes them happy. Happy people buy books, and even if they don't, they think kindly of you. This is never bad.
Bring balloons
The bookstore kindly provided balloons to go over the sign. They were super-cheery and festive, and attracted more attention. They made it feel like a party, which encouraged people to linger and chat. More than once, a person who'd bought one copy decided to pick up another to give as a gift. It also caught the eye of the people on the escalator.
Bring supplies
Scissors, sharpies, materials to hang the aforementioned signs...they were all in high demand, and it made life easier for the bookstore staff. They were gracious enough to host me -- I didn't want to make them run around and fetch me other things as well. Go full-on Girl Scout, folks. Be prepared.
Bring a photographer/support system
I knew I wouldn't have time to take pictures, so I enlisted a very talented friend to do it for me. I didn't have time to tweet, either, and she made sure to do so. She said encouraging things, made sure to retake pictures when I blinked, and gently reminded me to hold up my book in the pictures. Friends like this are priceless.
Dress for comfort and nevousness
I knew I'd be hopping up and down hugging people the entire time. I also knew would get flushed and sweaty from nerves. So I wore a t-shirt and a cardigan light enough to prevent me from roasting like a Christmas goose. I highly recommend this.
Know what you're going to sign
In some cases, I personalized the message inside the books: dear friends, critique partners, family members. But in a lot of cases, I didn't know the person, or the book was a gift. In those cases, it was tremendously helpful to have a stock phrase -- one for TORN and one for TANGLED -- that I could use without agonizing over my choice of words.
Promote your next book, if you have one
I displayed the cover of BOUND in the middle of the table, and almost everyone asked about it -- including when it was available, if I'd have another signing, and if they could pre-order it. (Yes, you can. Right here.) Getting the word out early is always good.
Make the first book available
We had copies of TORN available on the table, and sold out quickly. People like to buy a set, especially if they're giving them to someone else. And unless you're a NYT Bestseller, you're probably going to have people coming in who haven't read book one. Make it as easy as possible for them to buy it!
Give yourself the next day to recover, if at all possible
I was pretty useless on Sunday. I made cookies with my oldest daughter as part of her science fair exhibit. I ordered a pair of knitting needles to make Big Marshmallow's hat. I think I did a load of laundry. My biggest accomplishment was cleaning out the dryer vent, which was surprisingly satisfying. Maybe you are an extrovert, and being "on" energizes you, but for me, even though I love to meet people and talk books for hours and hours, my brain turns to tapioca immediately afterward. If you're like me and you can schedule the next day to be low-key and free of obligations, DOOOO EEEEET. Put on your pajama pants, drink endless cups of tea, and think back over the wonderful day you've just had.
Authors who have had signings, any advice?
Tomorrow, I'll talk about what I would do differently. It's actually a pretty short list.
A huge, huge thank you to everyone who came out and supported me, and to the AMAZING team at the Vernon Hills Barnes & Noble -- Pam, Ruth, Kim, and Stephanie -- for making everything run so smoothly and being so enthusiastic. This store has always been "my" B&N, and holding my first signing there made it very special.
And, before I forget: the winner of the Casting Contest is:
Christina Kit!
(whose casting conversation was HILARIOUS and also too long to paste into this entry.) Thanks for playing along, guys!
