It is so hard to get back into the swing of regular posts after the story contest. Especially since I’m eyebrow deep in reviewing and commenting on those stories, and reading Whitneys, and a few other things I’ve volunteered to help out with.
So today, I’m going for an easy question:
1What do you think of those giant book signings at Barnes & Noble and Borders, etc. where there are as many as 30 authors there at one time? 2Is that a good thing for a debut author? 3Wouldn’t my book be overshadowed by all the competition?
1. Love them!
2. Yes.
3. Maybe. But in reality, no matter how many authors are at your signing, your book is still competing against EVERY BOOK IN THE STORE. On the plus side, at these big events you’re going to get a lot more traffic at your table than you could generate by yourself. More traffic = greater potential to sell books. Yes, you may be a little fish but swimming in a bigger pond means you’re getting exposure. So dress nice, put on a smile, and go for it! (What have you got to lose? It’s not like those bigger fish will eat you!)
Great! But how do you get in on those signings?
ha ha! Great question!
I've wondered this, too, but your answers make complete sense! Thanks.
I've participated in a number of those large signings and most have fallen flat with the writers simply sitting around talking to each other and store patrons avoiding everyone like the plague. The most successful ones have included three to six writers, enough to have a party feel, but not so many as to be intimidating. The old Deseret Book in the ZCMI mall and the one in Las Vegas used to pull it off with conference Ladies Nights when there were a lot of out-of-town visitors and good advertising. Covenants Mystery Dinners were super successful and kept authors signing non-stop. There have been a few other notable large group signings, but most haven't amounted to much. But they were fun for getting to know other writers.
I was fortunate enough to take part in the Barnes and Noble Authorpalooza last month. There were at least 30 authors there, and I was among those who were signing their first books. As it turned out, I was quite pleased with the exposure my book received as well as with sales. It is definitely helpful to have a lot of traffic in the store.