An Intimate Booksigning

The benefits of booksigings are a lot like those of meet-and-greets when running for office. All other things equal, a handshake and exchanged word is sometimes the weight that will decide between you and another author for that reader’s time.

A couple weeks ago I went to a booksigning at a A Great Good Place For Books in the Oakland Hills. It was cozy and intimate and, as I realized upon entering the store, it was the first such booksigning I had been to in quite a while. The last few had been either big multi-author signings tied to a conference, or a gaggle of people crammed into an alcove of a busy Barnes&Noble. And while these types of signings are valid, informative, and helpful to an author’s career, there is something very grassroots about hosting an intimate event.

When author Christi Phillips stood up and began speaking in the bookstore, the energy of the entire bookstore was focused upon her. Small booksignings like this go great distances to allow the author to make individual connections. This can be hard to accomplish at huge signings where the line is kept moving.

Christi began with a reading from her new book, The Devlin Diary, moved on to  Q&A, and closed with signing copies of either of her books for the few dozen locals who turned out. She had some simple but pretty trays of snacks, and a little basket of cookies by the signing area. And while I do not remember the actual text from the reading, I do remember thinking “Now, that’s something I would like to read,” and I how comfortable and charmed I felt at the signing, how kind and approachable the author was. In short, she intrigued me.

She did not have autographed by the author stickers, but not every signing can be perfect (and I feel she and the store will get them in hand!)

There are many people for whom this type of effort is not balanced by enough return. If you do it by sheer numbers, with the possibility of selling a couple dozen books at the royalty rate most authors enjoy, then the entire profit is spent on the refreshments and you have spent resources promoting it and then of course you are out the evening and whatever travel time. And while this cost-and-return approach has its merits, this is not why an author does these types of events. The intimacy of a small booksigning allows the author to meet readers. And the readers who attend booksignings are predisposed to talk about books. These are fans you want. The brand relationship between reader and author is significant. Courting them is worth the effort.

If you can seal the relationship with your voice and a shared experience within your fictitious world you have created (and a cookie helps), then there is a very good chance you have drawn that reader into your world and intrigued him or her enough to explore more. Maybe they will read one of your books (and hopefully it’s a signed, stickered keepsake, complete with leave-behind bookmark reminding them of the lovely evening you, famous author, hosted for them). Maybe they will leave a comment on your blog or enter a reader drawing on your site, or interact with you further in some other way your website offers.

Fan bases are built one reader at a time. Go out and meet them.