When you schedule a book signing, workshop, demonstration or other presentation, how do you promote it? Or do you expect the bookstore manager, specialty store owner, publicity chairman or program director to do the promotion?
Most of the time, there will be some publicity for your scheduled talk, but you should not leave this entirely up to the host. In order to get a full house, you need to be a proactive promoter. Here’s what I suggest:
• Post an announcement at your blog a few times prior to the event.
• Place an announcement at your website.
• Send an email to acquaintances, friends, colleagues, customers, clients, etc.
• Contact the list of names you’ve collected at local book festivals, workshops, etc.
• Announce it in appropriate online forums.
• Place announcements in your member newsletters.
• Suggest to your colleagues that they tell their customers/clients.
• Hang posters at the venue (where appropriate).
• Create fliers to be included with customers purchases (such as in a bookstore).
• Post fliers at libraries, bookstores and others appropriate places related to the theme of your presentation.
• If the program chairperson will not do so, arrange for press in your local newspaper and newsletters.
It’s not easy to get people out for book signings, workshops and other presentations these days. You’re competing with many other activities and interests. So, if you want to attract a crowd, it is important that you do what you can to get word out.
By the way, for those of you who live in Southern California, I’ll be teaching a one-day workshop at the Ventura College on Writing Magazine Articles for Fun and Profit Saturday, December 3 at 9:00 to 12:00 pm. The cost is $49. Sign up here:
http://www.communityed.VenturaCollege.edu or call 805-654-6459