Book Signing Reflections

“To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already.” - François de La Rochefoucauld

Last Saturday, Waldenbooks in Edison Mall in Fort Myers hosted a book signing for me. My sincere thanks to staff members Allison, the two Shannons, and Chris for helping the event run so smoothly and successfully.

This signing was held on my stomping grounds so I had a good show of support from family and friends (my sincere thanks to all of you, too) living in the area. While talking to familiar faces, the question came up as to whether having people around my table engaging me in conversation acted as a draw or a hindrance.

For example when people walk by see an author busily talking or signing books do they think:
(a) Hmm, maybe that’s ‘somebody famous.’ I think I’ll stop and check it out.
(b) I wonder who that is, but I don’t want to go over and interrupt.
(c) Whew, whoever she is, she’s busy so I don’t have to try to look like I’m unintentionally ignoring her.

I don’t know the answer, but I think Rochefoucauld made a good point with his quote. Maybe the only way to become a “newly established” author is to act as though you are already established. Is “newly established” actually an attainable goal or simply an impossible oxymoron?

At what point can one honestly say, “I’m established?” Is it when you top a best seller list, someone recognizes you on the street, or Oprah invites you on her show? Maybe it’s simply the point when you actually feel like a “for real” author for the first time. Again, I don't know the answer.

Another reason for the success may have been because I held a drawing for a $25.00 Waldenbooks/Borders gift card. No purchase was necessary, but if the person bought my book, they were given 5 extra entries. The drawing may not have added to the number of people making purchases, but it did increase the amount of traffic visiting my table. The winner, by the way, was Shari Fischl of Cape Coral. Congratulations, Shari!

The only disappointment I had that day was when a family with a young boy, I’m guessing his age around 10 or 11, passed by the bookstore. The child asked his parents if he could go inside. They responded in unison with a loud “No.” I had to suppress my urge to scream, “Are you people nuts? Your son asked to go into a bookstore and you refused. How could you?” I also wanted to detain them and call child services, but all I could do was sadly shake my head.

For those in the area who missed the event, signed copies of The Ride are still available for purchase from Waldenbooks. I hope you’ll stop by and pick up one.

I’m curious about your views. Does a busy author’s table and/or the opportunity to win a prize help, hurt or make no difference at book signings? At what point is one established?

COMING ATTRACTION NOTICE:

Be sure to plan a stop back here on Monday. Radio personality, Joseph Dobzynski, host of the “Innovation Bistro” radio show heard on the Radio Ear Network will be my guest. Joseph will be offering advice on interviews and how to prevent them from becoming a disaster. You won’t want to miss - Interviews: Nightmare or Positive Result.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: Rochefoucauld , book signing, Waldenbooks, RadioEarNetwork, Joseph Dobzynsi, Innovation Bistron, Oprah, The Ride, Edison Mall, Fort Myers,

What’s So Hard About Being a Writer?

“There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” -Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

Nathan Bransford received over two hundred comments when he asked what was the hardest part of being a writer on his January 14th blog. Obviously, a lot of authors have opinions on this topic. Finding a publisher for The Ride was my most difficult task. But, with that behind me, I couldn’t narrow the hardest part down to one item. So here’s a list (in no particular order) of ten things I find hard about being a writer:

Marketing myself and my book

Finding the time to work on my next project when there is so much to be done promoting my current release

Not playing solitaire when confronted with a blank computer screen and no thoughts

Book signings with low turnouts

Talking about myself during interviews

Juggling my writing life around my ‘real’ life

Finding someone to review my book and then worrying about what they might say

Developing thick enough skin to bounce off negative comments

Being put on the spot to write something clever at a moment’s notice

Learning the technology and finding the time needed make the most out of promotion opportunities on the internet

What do you think is the most difficult aspect of being a writer?

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: The Ride, Nathan Bransford, book signing, solitaire, marketing, Red Smith ,

Shopping Seasons in Bookstores

“Success is when reality exceeds expectations.” –John D. Gerhart

At the signing I did before Christmas in Sarasota, I thought most of the bookstore customers appeared to be stressed, unhappy or rushed. As though on a mission, they refused to let anything distract them from their goal. According to my personal unscientific survey, the average time they spent in the store was under fifteen minutes. Many shoppers came in only to purchase gift cards. I felt like an annoying roadblock on a busy freeway as I stood near my book signing table.

This Saturday, however, there were smiling faces and people willing to stop and visit even if they had no intention of buying my book. Some of the customers that were in the store when I arrived were still there when I left two hours later. It was refreshing to see so many browsers and buyers spending quality bookstore time.

I can only assume that the time of year had everything to do with the difference in customers’ personality changes and buying habits. I thought a pre-Christmas signing was ideal. Now my thinking is that unless the book has something to do with the holidays or is by a well-known author, after holiday signings are more pleasant and more productive.

Do your shopping habits change with the seasons? Have you found a particular time of year to be better for conducting book signings?

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Linda Chierico for arranging the signing event. Also, thanks to David and the other Clearwater, Fl., Barnes and Noble employees who worked Saturday, for making me feel so welcome. I’m not sure who is responsible for the window displays but I’d like thank them as well. What a great feeling to walk by Barnes and Noble and see my event poster surrounded by copies of The Ride displayed in the front window!

I sold a few books, had a good time, and the day exceeded my expectations so I consider the event a success.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: The Ride, Barnes and Noble, book signing, Clearwater, Christmas, John Gerhart,

Book Signing Horror Stories

“Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well.” -Epictetus

I have a book signing event coming up on Saturday where I’ll be signing copies of The Ride. I’ve not done many signings so I searched the internet in hopes of finding helpful hints. Among the useful suggestions, I also ran across book signing horror stories. I don’t want to focus on the bad stuff, but I admire the authors willing to share their tales of woe and doing so with such a sense of humor. Here are a few of my favorites:

From Reading Under the Covers is a story about a lesser-known author who was seated next to Stephen King at a signing. I can only imagine how invisible that poor author became. Although, I think if I was sitting next to Stephen King, I might not care.

On Author, Author I read where only two people entered the bookstore during the signing and one of the two was related to the author. On this same site, is another story where the author’s books were accidently shipped elsewhere.

There’s a funny article called Dylan Jones: A bad book signing. He sold two books, so I’m not sure I’d consider it bad. However, the story that goes along with it is very funny and involves a customer who asked him to move out of the way.

My favorite was written by Bob Eckstein about his disastrous holiday book tour. It seems his tour coincided with some horrible winter storms. To me his story is even funnier because the book he’s promoting is The History of the Snowman.

I also discovered there is a book full of book signing mishaps called Mortification: Writers’ Stories of Their Public Shame by Robin Robertson.

I’ll try to take the advice of the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, and let things happen as they do happen. Still, I can't help but hope that my event will be a success and not one that will qualify me for a spot in any Mortification book sequel.

If you are able, please drop by Barnes and Noble at 23645 US 19 North in Clearwater, Fl., from 1 to 3 PM on Saturday, January 17. And, please pass the information along to and family, friends and acquaintances you may know in the area.

Do you have any book signing tips or horror stories to share?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: The Ride, book signing, Epictetus, Dylan Jones, Bob Eckstein, Mortification, Barnes and Noble, Clearwater, Stephen King, Robin Robinson,

Bookstore Customers

“I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything.” -Reese Witherspoon

Thanks to Sandi Gershman at the Barnes and Noble on Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, I held my first bookstore book signing. Unfortunately, not all bookstore customers have the same attitude as Reese Witherspoon because they all didn’t rush toward my table to purchase a signed copy of The Ride. Still, I found the experience enjoyable and educational.

It was a bit strange to spend a few hours in a book store and not be wandering up and down the aisles browsing through the many titles. Instead of focusing on books, I concentrated on watching the customers and their responses towards me (I should say, my perception of their reactions).

Many patrons looked as though they were on a mission and were in and out in a matter of minutes with purchase in hand oblivious to me or anything else in the store. Some customers smiled in acknowledgement and kept on going; some stopped to ask questions about writing or about the book. Some of those people bought the book, some did not. Some people assumed I was a store employee and asked me to help them locate a specific book or other item. Then there were the people who avoided eye contact, as if by looking at me they may somehow be hypnotized and forced to buy a book they had no interest in owning. Other customers went out of their way to avoid the area I was in altogether as though it was taped off as a crime scene.

I understand. I really do. I’m an easy touch—the type that hates to say no to anyone—so in the past, I have been guilty of weaving through a store circumventing a signing table to avoid putting myself in an awkward situation. No more.

Now I go out of my way to attend book signings as a way of offering my support as a fellow author. It turns out that I have enjoyed the books that I may have missed otherwise. An example would be the books I bought recently from Ad Hudler at One for the Books in Cape Coral. Househusband and Man of the House were funny and presented an interesting viewpoint on gender, role models and raising children. Now I want to go back and buy his two other novels.

I’m wondering, do you go out of your way to attend a signing or to avoid them? Are you comfortable looking through a book if the author is present? Do you feel obligated to buy if you stop to look? Are you able to fan through the book, make a comment to the author and walk away? I’d really love to hear your comments on this.

If any authors out there have suggestions on how to make book signings more successful, I really need to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: The Ride, Reese Witherspoon, Barnes and Noble, Ad Hudler, book signing, One For The Books,

Best Times or Worst for Authors May Depend on Who You Are

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” - Charles Dickens


According to an article I recently read online, Best and worst times for book business, the days of growing an audience for emerging writers over several books may be a thing of the past. If books don’t start out at the top of the best-seller list, they’re deemed failures.

Evidently one major publishing house is temporarily not acquiring new manuscripts in an attempt to stay afloat. Yet another, that represents some of the biggest commercial authors around, is giving bonuses to every employee equal to a week’s salary, in addition to regular bonuses.

Ester Newberg, a literary agent representing some blockbuster authors says, “It is seriously going to be a time for known commodities. I would hate to be starting out in the business.”

So much for my timing!

Although this is certainly is discouraging news to authors like myself, I can’t help but feel fortunate that I found a publisher who is still willing to take a chance on “unknown commodities.” Thank you, ArcheBooks!

In an attempt to change my status from unknown to known, I’ll be doing a book signing for The Ride at Barnes and Noble, 4010 South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday, December 6, 2008, beginning at 3:00pm. If you will be in the area, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello. Or, if you have friends or family in the area, please pass the word along. Remember books make great gifts and this is the holiday season.

Thanks for stopping by.



Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Dickens, Barnes and Noble, book signing, best-seller list,