One Significant Way to Make a Book Signing More Successful

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I tend to shy away from having traditional book signings at bookstores. Most authors these days usually end up twiddling their thumbs at the book table and carrying on a conversation with themselves.

Fortunately, most of my bookstore signings have been moderately successful, especially the one I had last fall with mega-bestselling author Beverly Lewis when she came to my hometown. She drew in droves of readers which in turn helped me immensely.

Nevertheless, even though my book signing experiences have been mostly positive, I still don't do many. I think most authors and publishers agree that book signings don't have the same turnout or significance that they once had (unless you're a mega-bestselling author).

There are a number of reasons why the average author doesn't draw a crowd at book signings. The number of authors has exploded in recent years. Readers are being spread thin among that growing base of authors. And if readers DO want to connect with an author, they can easily do so online.

All that to say, I still occasionally (very sparingly!) agree to do book signings. And one such occasion arose at the end of August a few weeks ago. My book, Unending Devotion, is set in Harrison Michigan, and as a result, the Harrison city clerk (who had read the book) invited me to do a book signing as part of their annual Harrison Street Fair.

Instead of just setting up under a canopy and attempting to sell and sign books, my Bethany House publicist encouraged me to make the signing more of an event. We partnered with a local gift shop to sell my books in their store. My publisher designed posters and sent those to the city to use for promotion. Both the Harrison newspaper and radio station contacted me for interviews. And many locals who had already read Unending Devotion helped spread the buzz.

ALL of that helped immensely in having a fabulous turnout and selling out of books. (Yes, I still get giddy when I think about the bookstore running out!)

But one of the most significant aspects of the day, was the book presentation I had before the signing. In the early stages of planning, I contacted the local library and asked if they would be open to hosting me for a talk about my writing journey and books. They were very agreeable to the idea. And so we lined up the presentation to take place right before the signing.

As it turned out, the library was directly across from the gift shop. After the presentation I was able to easily walk to the book signing (and invite all those who'd come to my presentation to go over).

Through the Harrison event and the other presentations to local groups I've done over the past couple of years, I've realized that my 45 minute talk with a power point slide show is an incredible way to generate interest in my books.

I start my presentation by sharing how I got started writing along with my journey to publication. I talk about the difficulty in finding an agent, how I finally got my big break, and how I broke into traditional publication. I also share a little bit about each of my books including pictures that inspired the characters as well as fun, real-life photos from the era of each book.

At the end of the presentation, I leave time for questions and answers, which allows me to get even more specific and personal about my books and writing journey.

What I've found through each talk is that people not only enjoy hearing about what it takes to become an author, but they also really like being able to get an inside glimpse into my different books. All of the pictures and information combined stir an interest in the audience. Afterward, people who may not have ever thought of purchasing a book are much more eager to do so.

Whether at a street fair, church, or at a DAR ladies group, I always sell far more books after sharing my presentation than I do when I simply go for a signing.

The key is to generate interest in your books, in the subject matter, in the story, and in yourself. Make yourself and your books irresistible! And your book signing will turn from thumb-twiddling to thumb-aching (from all the signatures you sign!).

Writers, have you considered having a presentation with a signing afterward?

Readers, do you think a presentation from an author would make you more likely to go to a book signing? Why or why not?

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Don't forget to check out my Media Page for the "Rebellious Heart 20 Book Giveaway." You can enter to win a copy of my new release at several blogs this week!

Also, if you haven't entered the "Fall Into Love Ultimate Giveaway" then head over and do it today! There are awesome prizes including a Kindle Fire and a hammock!

What I Learned About Book Signings From Beverly Lewis

Sharlene MacLaren, Beverly Lewis, and Me

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I admit. In the past, I've been rather cynical about book signings.

I've had a handful of them over the past several years, and very few have been raving successes.

Time and time again, I hear stories about other authors (even big-name authors) who have only a few people show up to their signings. I'm usually relieved when I hear those kinds of stories because then I don't feel like quite a loser!

Of course, I've tried to analyze why book signings seem to be a dying form of marketing. One of the conclusions I've come to is that with the invention of the internet, readers don't need to go to stores to buy books or interact with their favorite authors.

They can easily order books and have them delivered to their doorsteps (or eReaders). And they can also communicate with authors from the comfort of their couches. In fact, they can jump onto Facebook or Twitter and chat with an author, see pictures of the author's family, hear what the author had for dinner, and even get glimpses of her vacation.

With social media, authors are becoming increasingly visible and available. Why would a reader need to bother getting out of her sweat pants and putting on makeup to go stand in a line at a bookstore so that she can talk to the author? She has no need for more author-talk when she's already been getting her fill of it online.

I'm sure there are other more "scientific" reasons why book signings don't draw the same crowds they used to—perhaps the growing popularity of ebooks, the increasing busyness of the modern culture, the growth in less popular mid-list authors, or the increased diversity in genres and reading tastes.

Whatever the case, I'd almost buried book signings in the graveyard and written the funeral eulogy . . . until I had a couple of book signings last week with NYT best-selling author Beverly Lewis.

The two book signings I did with her were wildly successful events. Of course, I wasn't surprised that people came out to see her. She's been writing books for over twenty years and is credited with starting the Amish fiction movement. She's incredibly popular and has over a million readers. So, I'd expected a portion of her die-hard fans to come out to a signing so that they could meet her.

But what I hadn't expected was how open her readers would be to meeting me too.

Granted the first signing I had with Beverly was in my home town of Midland, Michigan. So I think plenty of friends and readers came out to support my new release which is set locally. Another popular Michigan author, Sharlene MacLaren, was also there with her Michigan setting books.

I learned many things about book signings from my time with Beverly. Here are just a few:

1. Book signings aren't dead yet.

The line out the back door and into the parking lot!

I never got an exact count on how many people came to the Midland signing, but the line wrapped around the interior of the store went out the back door all the way through the parking lot. Many people had to wait over two hours to get books signed.

Having a NYT best-selling author was definitely exciting for people. But Pathway Bookstore, a little indie bookstore, did a fantastic job promoting the event. I'd have to take an entire blog post to list all of the many things they did to get the word out. Pathway spread enthusiasm for the event throughout the community, and because of that people were excited to come out.

2. Make it an event, not just a signing.

The manager of the event, Jeanette Blackson, thought of every detail, including having Amish food for those waiting in line. She even placed the line strategically through shelves of our books so that everyone could browse through the books while they waited. So smart!

As I watched and talked with Beverly, I learned that she makes the signing special for each person that comes. She stands during the entire event so that she is at eye-level and can engage readers more personally. And she spends a little bit of time chatting with each person, hugging them, asking them questions, and letting them share about themselves as well as take pictures with her.

3. If possible, make it a multiple author event.

As a fairly new author, I'm not sure how much I helped Beverly gain new readers as a result of having the signings together. But she certainly helped me (and I'm deeply grateful for her willingness to team up). Most of the people who came to see her also purchased one or more of my books (or at the very least stopped and talked with me about my books).

Having the event with multiple authors was fun for readers too. Numerous people mentioned that they appreciated getting to discover new authors and try new books.

So what about you? 

Authors do you like to do book signings? What's your experience been so far with them?

And readers, what would it take for you to attend a book signing? Do you like them? Have you ever attended one?
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This is the LAST week of my "Fun Secrets" Blog Tour. Stop by the blogs listed below to learn my deep, dark secrets! ;-) You could also win a signed copy of my newest release, Unending Devotion. 

Monday, Sept. 24: Secret #14: My biggest fear. Lindsey Bell’s blog

Tuesday, Sept. 25: Secret #15: The thing I like least about being an author. Charity Lane's blog

Wednesday, Sept. 26: Secret #16: My entertainment addiction. Lindsay Harrel’s blog

For a list of all my secrets, check out my Events Page!

10 Simple Ways to Have a Smashingly Successful Book Signing!

I recently had a local book signing to launch my second book, The Doctor’s Lady. I don’t do many booksignings. In the digital, social media, internet-loving, modern age, readers just don’t flock to book signings the way they used to. So most authors nowadays tend to limit how much traveling they do and instead of book tours we have blog tours (check out my Events Page for where I’ll be around cyberland!).

But . . . I did have one signing at the small independent Christian bookstore in my town. Although I don't have the space to post pictures of everyone that came to my signing, I'm plastering a few in this post because I love my local friends so much! They’ve become some of my biggest supporters and encouragers. THANK YOU!!

Sarah & Leah Hickman

Karen Lehman

Carrie & Maddie Bouma

Erin Aspiranti

Jessie Watson & her sweet daughter

Marilyn Schubert & Molly Black

In preparing for this latest signing, here are 10 simple things I did to make it a smashing success:

1. Relax and have fun. Yes, I know, that’s easier said than done!

2. Take the focus off yourself & put it on the reader. Go into the day looking for ways to bless others (that helps immensely to calm the nerves!).

3. Wear a name tag that says “Author” somewhere very visible. That prevents customers from asking you where the bathroom is.

4. Send out personal invitations prior to the big day. This is one of the best ways to make sure you have a steady stream of visitors.

5. Be prepared with a couple of different “signing” notes. I like to write a little note to the reader when I sign the book. Ahead of time, I write up several types of encouraging notes to include, usually something that fits with the theme or message of the book.

6. Gather an email list if possible for your newsletter. Some authors put out a clipboard for readers to sign. Others use slips of paper along with drawings.

Morgan & Janel Gradowski

7. Have giveaways. Before this particular signing, the bookstore staff ran a promotion offering a free copy of my first book, The Preacher’s Bride, to anyone who emailed the announcement of the signing to seven friends. I was able to obtain books from my publisher for the giveaways.

8. Make each contact with a reader personal. Find out their name. Introduce yourself. Shake hands. Spend a minute or two (if possible) chatting and asking them questions.

Dan & Becky Barnes

9. Have goodies and/or promotional items for readers to take. I had bookmarks, postcards, and magnets that had to do with both of my books. And of course I had a bowl of candy!

10. Mingle if possible. I love being able to get up, walk around, hug friends, and take pictures. We’re not condemned to remain behind our tables the whole time! Of course I did have lines at times and didn’t have the luxury of mingling too long with any one person, but I still wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciated them and their visit.

There you have it! Do you have any other book signing tips? Please share! And tell me, do you still like book signings? Or do you think they’re a thing of the past?

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WIN a copy of The Doctor's Lady at one of these blog tour stops!

Monday 9/5: SIX book giveaways at my critique partner Keli Gwyn's blog! (And learn a little bit more about our critique partnership.) (Also pick up Contest Puzzle Piece #2 there!)

Monday 9/5: Swing by My Book Addiction & More blog and find out how long it took me to write The Doctor's Lady!

Tuesday 9/6: On Lacie Nezbeth's blog, find out what possession I would have a hard time leaving behind if I were traveling West in a covered wagon.

And don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER Contest!

Are Book Signings Worth the Time & Effort?

In today’s online culture, are book signings becoming an outdated marketing tool?

I’ve heard plenty of book-signing “horror stories.” In fact, I’d even convinced myself that I wasn’t going to do any, except for my local community book release party (which was a fantastic experience—read about it here.)

But when my Bethany House publicist contacted me with the possibility of doing a book signing at a LifeWay Bookstore in Toledo, Ohio, I knew I couldn’t automatically say “no way.” I had to at least consider her suggestion.

Toledo is only a two and a half hour drive from where I live—so I couldn’t use distance as an excuse. Instead, I tried to use my debut status as a way out—after all, who would want to come to a bookstore to see me, a new, unknown author?

But my publicist was quick to inform me that other debut Bethany House authors had liked their book signing experiences at LifeWay stores. In fact, LifeWay would take care of the promotion, would make sure to have enough of my books in the store, and would be having plenty of sales to draw in customers. In other words, for a first book signing, a LifeWay store was the perfect place.

After some debating, I decided to give the book signing a try. So my publicist made all the arrangements, the bookstore sent out fliers, and I drove the distance.

When I walked in the store, it was already busy with shoppers. The manager had positioned a table near the entrance and had arranged my books into an attractive pyramid. Another author, Mary Ellis (who writes Amish fiction), was also scheduled to participate in the book signing and her books were neatly piled on the other side of the table.

As I arranged my bookmarks and promotional cards in baskets and put out a dish of candy, a man and his daughter approached the table. He smiled warmly. “You look just like your picture.”

I caught a glimpse of the flier in his hand advertising the book signing—and yes, there was my picture next to Mary Ellis’s. I introduced myself and chatted with him only to discover he’d been to my website, read some of the blog reviews about my book, and because of them was excited to read my book. (So, thank you to those of you who’ve taken the time to write reviews! And if you write one, let me know. I’ll add it to the list.)

The two hours went fast. There were never any lines of people waiting to have books signed. In fact, there were lulls when no one came to the table. I don’t think I sold more than 15 books. Compared with the sales at my book launch party, the number seemed dismal.

So, was the book signing worth the time and effort? Now that I’m on the other side of the experience I’d have to answer “yes” and “no.”

Yes, book signings are beneficial—for connecting with readers.

There’s something to be said for making real connections with people. One older woman had purchased my book the week before, but when she learned I would be at the store, she came back to get her book signed. Another man was buying books to send to his elderly mother. When he shared how his mother had written him one letter a week since he’d left home at 17, I could understand his love for her and why he was going to the trouble to do something special for her.

I also got to meet several blogging friends. Deanna Rupp and her daughters drove 40 minutes to meet me. Also, Jill Kemerer came to the store for the morning to take pictures and support me. She stood by my side, pointed people to the table, and raved about my book. (Thanks, Jill!) And then afterward I had the opportunity to go out to lunch with Jill and another blogging friend, Patrice Kavanaugh.

Those connections with readers and friends were priceless.

But no, book signings aren’t beneficial—for selling lots of books.

From a financial standpoint, the day was not cost-effective. Sure, the bookstore’s promotional fliers may have generated interest in my book beyond the actual sales at the signing. But overall, selling 15 books (if that!) doesn’t make up the costs to me—not only in terms of money, but also in time.

As a busy mom trying to juggle my writing and family responsibilities, I realized I have to reserve my time for the things that will help my career the most. While the connections at book signings are wonderful, I don’t have the luxury of giving up an entire day. If I wasn’t at such a busy point in my life, I might be able to justify taking off a coveted writing day for the fun of meeting a few readers. But the reality is that my writing time is limited, and I need to guard it carefully.

~My summary: For the average author, book signings are a great way to connect with readers, but not necessarily a great way to sell large quantities of books. If we have the time to spare, if the signing is in a close location, and if we keep our expectations realistic, perhaps we’ll find some benefit. But overall, I think book signings are becoming an out-dated marketing technique.

What do you think? For published authors, what’s been your experience with book signings? And for pre-published, what will you do? What do you think is the future role of book signings?

Release Day!! Come Celebrate With Me!!

It’s OFFICIAL!! The Preacher’s Bride is on shelves! Of course it's shown up in various places during the month of September as it’s become available. But as of today, October 1st, the book is guaranteed to be out!

I’ve been collecting pictures of first-sightings and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see friends with the book. Check out the slide show in the side bar. I’d LOVE to include everyone. So please continue to send me your pictures.

As I’ve anticipated the release of my debut book, I’ve realized that what makes this time so special is sharing the moment with all my friends. I had my debut book party with real life friends last weekend (see this post to read all about it). But I also wanted the chance to celebrate with all of YOU, my online friends. So today’s post is an online party!

First, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone. There are quite a number of online writing friends who’ve walked alongside me since the early days before I had an agent or contract. They’ve been with me through the incredible lows and highs, always encouraging me, believing in me, and cheering me on. Thanks. You all know who you are.

And I also wanted to thank my newer friends. It’s always such a joy to connect with new writers, to find kindred spirits, to share in bearing one another’s burdens. I love when my circle of friendship continues to grow.

Then there are the real life family and friends who read my blog. And I wanted to thank you too. It means SO much to have a few real life people who “get” how important writing is to me, who understand the difficulty of the journey, and who are walking alongside of me. Thank you.

And I can’t forget to thank my READERS! Hopefully this is a growing group of blog followers. Make sure you say hi and join the party today too.

I can’t start naming names, because I’m afraid I’d leave somebody out. But I just have to mention a couple daring feats. Walt Mussell saw my book on the bottom shelf at his local Borders. Being the manly man that he is, he moved my book up to the top shelf and now my book has a friend (see the slide show!). It gave me a good laugh. Thanks, Walt. And then Janna Qualman, being a wonderful gutsy lady, turned the book face-out at her Borders. You rock, Janna!

I’m deeply grateful for all the emails, facebook messages, and tweets you’ve been sending me as you’re reading my book. I’ve cherished each and every one of them. Your kind and encouraging words have warmed my heart. I wanted to list a few of your comments here on my blog, but as I started to type them, it sounded like a litany to myself. And that’s not what I want this post to be about!

In celebration of my book’s release and as a way to say thank you to everyone, I’m doing a final giveaway to commemorate RELEASE DAY! The lucky winner will receive a copy of my debut book, The Preacher’s Bride AND a $25 Amazon gift card. All you need to do to be entered into the drawing is leave your EMAIL address in the comments of today’s party post! (If you tweet this post or put a link on Facebook, let me know and you'll qualify for a second entry!) The deadline for the giveaway is Sunday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 pm Eastern Time. I'll announce the winner on Monday's post.

And since this is a virtual party, let’s get to it! PARTY! I’m bringing what I’ve dubbed “Book Party Punch.” It’s clear (so that it’s fairly safe at any book party!). Apple juice, white grape juice, and ginger ale—half frozen. Very tasty. (Thanks to my author friend, Karen Witemeyer, for the recipe!)

So, what are you bringing to the party!?

P. S. The winner of this week's Trivia Question #4 book giveaway is: Emily Reilly. Congratulations Emily! Thanks to everyone who played along! It was a very fun month counting down with everyone!

How to Plan a Successful Debut Book Party

This past Saturday was my big debut book party for The Preacher’s Bride. A launch party is usually a once-in-a-life-time event for an author. It’s typically something we do with our first book as a way to celebrate with our community the monumental occasion of getting a book published.

There really is no right or wrong way to have a debut party. I’ve heard of authors having simple signings with cookies and punch all the way to themed parties with full-fledged dinners, at anywhere from a library to a restaurant to a rodeo. I’m realizing that it doesn’t matter so much WHAT an author does, as much as HOW she does it.

I certainly don’t claim to be the expert on planning parties (I’m actually horrible at it!). But I can still share a few things I learned through my experience about how to make the event more successful.


Thanks to my friend Kim Anderson
for taking all of the pictures!

 1. Set the date early enough.

I set the date for my party a week before the official release. But first I made sure that my publisher could guarantee that my books would be available. In fact, my publicist was the one who initially suggested the earlier date for the party—if not a week early, then on the date of release or very close to it. We want the party to be the start of all the excitement, a place for people to come get our books early before they’ve had the chance to purchase it elsewhere.

2. Find a supportive location, preferably one that will help with promotion.

I decided to have my party at a bookstore simply to save myself the logistics of having to sell the books myself (which involves a whole other set of complicated details). Since my small town only has two bookstores, I approached the family-owned Christian bookstore that I’ve shopped at for years. They printed up posters, had bag-stuffer announcements, sent out Facebook and email invitations to everyone on their mailing list, and had a special display for my book on the front counter. They went the extra mile to help me!

3. Send out personal invitations and announcements.

I gave my publicist at Bethany House the information regarding the party, and she designed and printed up invitation cards for me. Then my daughters helped me address them, stuff them in envelopes, and send them out to friends. In hindsight, I’m able to see that those I personally invited made up the bulk of who came to the party--the friends most excited for me and wanting to help me celebrate. If an author can only do ONE thing to announce their party, I’d say the personal invitations are the most important.

4. If possible, get community support.

My local newspaper interviewed me and published it the week before my party. They actually gave me a full page in the Sunday paper and announced the book party. The article sparked community interest and some of the people I met at the party came as a direct result. We also put up posters about the book signing around town. Blogging friend Janel Gradowski saw the poster at a coffee shop and recognized me from blogging. She came to the party and we had the chance to meet.


Thanks to my friend Molly Black
for bring the Petit Fours!

 5. Make it more than just a book signing.


I wanted my book launch to be more than just a book signing. I provided refreshments and a couple of my friends brought food and stayed to help. I also put together two gift baskets each filled with other Bethany House books, notepads, pens, etc. My daughters stood by the doors and handed out slips of paper to everyone who entered the store, encouraging them to sign up for the drawing to win a basket. People hung out, chatted, ate, and enjoyed being together.

Overall, my book party was a wonderful time of celebrating with friends and the community. I didn’t keep count of how many people came or exactly how many books sold. I realized as the morning progressed that the sales and the numbers didn’t matter a whole lot to me. What made the party a success to me personally was feeling the love and support from so many local friends and community members.

And isn’t that what writing is all about anyway? Connecting with others? Whether through blogging or through our stories or in real life, we find fulfillment when we genuinely interact and encourage each other.

How important do you think a launch party is for an author? Have you had one or will you? What other things do you think are important in making launch parties successful?

P.S. This week is the final countdown to the release of The Preacher's Bride! Make sure you don't miss out on the final giveaway. Answer Trivia Question #4 to enter the drawing!