Blog - Page 91 of 206 - Katie Ganshert

You arrive with your fancy new pen, all inked and ready to sign. You sit down at the table with the pretty display of your books. And you wait….

10 Way to Pass the Time Until your Adoring Fans Arrive:

1. Give people your best Miss America wave.

2. Put your seat in front of the exit and don’t let anyone out until they say the secret password, “Will you sign a book for me, please?”

3. Throw tootsie rolls at the customers. If that doesn’t work, try throwing your book.

4. Carry on a conversation with your imaginary fans. Make sure to insert plenty of laughter and hand gestures for maximum impact.

5. Erect a catchy display of best-sellers on your table to draw people in.

6. When customers ask where the bathroom is (because they totally think you’re a store employee), give them a copy of your book for some reading material.

7. Pay people to form a line so you look famous. Mob mentality, baby. If enough people are doing it, others will join.

8. Stand by the check out line and read your story very loudly.

9. Better yet, stand by the check out line and read your endorsements very loudly. Feel free to make a few up.

10. Wear a really big name tag that says “Karen Kingsbury”.

Seriously.

I had a book signing at LifeWay Christian Store in Burnsville on Friday night. Everyone and their mother loves Karen Kingsbury.

I know. I had conversations.

Anyway, my Friday night signing couldn’t have been more different from the launch party I had in the Quad Cities.

Which is really no surprise, since I’m local in the Quad Cities. It’s where all my friends and church family live. All of which equated to a big line in the Quad Cities.k

In Burnsville, not so much.

The highlight was probably when a flustered looking lady asked if I would hold her books while she ran out to her car to get her purse.

I jest. It wasn’t that bad.

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I met four new readers, which made the whole thing worth it. Plus, I had a fun time chatting with the store manager.

And thankfully, the signing in Maple Grove on Saturday had a lot more traffic.

I got to chitchat with fellow ACFWers, one of whom was Julie Klassen (best-selling, award-winning author of historical romance). She reassured me that I’m not the first author to have crickets visit during a book signing. She told me some pretty funny stories of her own, which made me feel a lot better about my Friday night adventure.

Random Tips when Preparing for a Book Signing:

Have something to offer for free.

Like bookmarks. Or truffles! The four ladies who bought my book came over for a free bookmark. This led into a conversation, which eventually led to sales.

Timing is key.

5-7 pm on a Friday night is not the best. People are stuck in traffic, eager to get home at the end of the work week. They don’t want to make detours to book stores.

Team up with another author.

When I walked into LifeWay in Maple Grove on Saturday and saw that I was signing with another author, I almost melted with relief. Not only would I have somebody to talk to during those slow moments, it introduced me to new readers. There were a few people who came for Judy Baer and ended up buying a copy of my book as well.

Have somebody hand out bookmarks and direct attention to your table.

On the drive home, Ryan and I were brainstorming ways to make a book signing more successful. We were thinking….what if he handed out bookmarks at the door and said something like, “Stop on over to meet the author and enjoy a free cookie.”

Something that would invite customers to stop by with no pressure to buy.

I quickly noticed people avoiding my table. I remembered to shower, so I don’t think I smelled. I’m pretty sure people felt like they shouldn’t come over unless they were going to buy a book. But straight from the mouth of an author….

I totally appreciated those people who came over to say hi. Regardless if they bought my book or not.

From now on, whenever I go to a bookstore and see an author sitting all alone at a table, I’m going to make a point to introduce myself. Maybe I’ll discover they wrote a book I want to read. Or maybe I’ll take a book mark and recommend it to somebody I know. Either way, I know the author will appreciate the conversation.

Let’s Talk: Have you ever been to a book signing, either as a reader or as an author? What do you think makes for a successful signing?

Thank you to LifeWay Christian Stores for hosting the Spring Fiction Days and for giving this debut author the opportunity to meet new readers! I felt very welcomed by all the staff. I wish I could have brought you hordes of buying customers. 🙂

Hop on over to Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog for a chance to win a copy of my debut novel.

Wildflowers from Winter was nominated for Fiction Book of the Month on The Book Club Network. If you read the novel and enjoyed it, I’d love your vote!