Margaret Castle

In your email, introduce yourself and give the title and genre/subject of your book, along with its publication date. If possible, include a link to information about the book on your website or on the store’s own website, or simply to Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Request a signing on a specific date, ideally about a month after your book’s publication. If the manager or events manager wants to do a signing but cannot do it on your proposed date, s/he will suggest another date. If you do not hear back within a week, move on to the next store on your list.

Once you have a date for your signing, ask whether the store has any set format or policies for its author events so that you can prepare accordingly.

About eight weeks before your appearance, start promoting it–on your website, on local newspaper and magazine events calendars, and on sites like Upcoming (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/), BookTour (http://www.booktour.com/), and the social networks you belong to such as Facebook, MySpace, and FiledBy. Check to see if the bookstore has included your appearance on its website, and if not, politely request that it be added.

Now decide on what materials you will bring to your appearance. Possibilities include flyers, chapter samplers, postcards, business cards, or personalized promotional items like pens, notepads, or calendars. Many companies offer easy ways to personalize and order items through interactive websites. Find out it the bookstore where you will be appearing allows food. If so, you might want to bring along cookies or candy to “sweeten” your readers’ experience.

Four weeks before publication date, make sure your book is in the bookstore where you’ll be signing. If not, politely point this out to the event manager or manager. You may be called upon to contact your publisher is there is a problem with ordering.

When your appearance day finally arrives, get to the store at least forty-five minutes early. Find the manager or events manager, introduce yourself, and volunteer to help with setting up. Bookstores are usually understaffed, and your offer will probably be accepted. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to help move a table or carry and arrange chairs. It’s a joint effort.

Once everything is set up, set out all of your materials. Then wait quietly for your event to begin, perhaps browsing in the store.

If your appearance includes a reading, keep it short! Most authors make the mistake of going on way too long. Also, consider selecting the very beginning of your book. An excerpt from the middle has little meaning to a reader. Besides which, your goal is to hook them to want to read the rest; i.e., buy the book!

Be gracious when people bring their book up to you for signing. Always ask how they would like it inscribed: to a specific person (and double-check spellings), or with just your name, which some people prefer. Chat briefly with customers but not for too long, as this is discourteous to others waiting in line. Some people will want to chat with you but will not buy a book. Be just as gracious with these people. If you see someone holding a copy of your book who hasn’t asked you to autograph it, offer to do so. Some people are too shy to ask.

When the event is over, offer to sign unsold copies of your book so that they can be placed on display after you leave. Then volunteer to help put table and chairs back in their normal places. Make a point of thanking the manager or event manager and any other staff members who helped. Write down all their names. Then leave; your event is over and the employees have work to do.

When you get home, immediately write brief notes to all who helped with your signing, thanking them for their time, telling them how much you enjoyed the event, and promising to be in touch about future signings.