Do you dream of having a book signing? Or maybe you have done book signings. Were they successful? How did you measure your success? How many book signings have you attended? How would you judge their success or failure?
I signed copies of Catscapades, True Cat Tales yesterday at a local upscale pet store and had a great time. Several friends came out to support me. I met some new cat lovers. I sold books to friends, family and strangers. And I assisted in helping stray cats. How? The owner of the pet store donated store profits from sales to GrayFoot Cat Rescue—a local cat rescue organization.
So what are the benefits of doing book signings? Selling books is the obvious response, right? But there is so much more. My signing was advertised in several newspapers. There were posters posted at the site for three weeks in advance of the event. I announced the signing to my email list, neighbors and others. So those who couldn’t make the signing, but who like to read about cats or who know people who do, were made aware of this book of cat stories. In fact, this morning, I had another order of 3 cat books from Amazon.com. These could well be a result of the promo for this signing.
So what are some of the other benefits? If the signing takes place in a busy store, you are getting some very personal exposure. People coming in for other reasons, notice you and see your book. Some will stop and pick it up. Many will look at it in passing. Some will linger at your signing table. But many more people are now aware of you and your book. Whether they purchase copies at the signing or not, they now know it exists and this comes under the umbrella of exposure.
Some marketing experts say that a potential customer must see or hear about a product 7 or 8 times before purchasing it. Now those for whom this is true, might not order your book when they receive your email blast. They will appear only mildly interested when they read about it in your newsletter. They may pass on purchasing it after checking out the book page at your website. They may linger over the article in the paper about your book signing. They might even show up at the signing and remain in the shadows. But then, when they read your article on the topic of your book in a familiar magazine—boom! They decide it is time and they go to amazon.com and place an order for your book.
Or, this person might first become aware of your book at your signing and not buy it. They may see it in local bookstores. They might hear someone talking about it. They may even notice it in the library and then hear you speaking about it on their favorite radio talk show. It could be at that point when they decide to explore your website and purchase the book.
That’s how it works for some people. In fact, marketing experts believe this is how it works for a lot of consumers. Think about this scenario as it relates to your purchasing pattern. Are you an impulse buyer or do you need to sort of warm up to a product before eventually purchasing it? For myself, I tend to forget about a book I don’t purchase on the spot. When someone brings it up again or I read about it, I may finally be spurred into action and purchase it.
If you haven’t scheduled a book signing for your latest book, consider doing it today. Be sure to read pages 223-228 of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book so you’ll make all of the right moves on behalf of your signing event. And be kind to your potential readers/customers. Understand their initial reluctance to buy your book. Be patient with them and continue your promotional efforts on their behalf. If your book is something they can use, would enjoy or desire, they will eventually purchase it.
They will not buy it, however, if they don’t have access to it—they can’t find it at their usual stores or sites where they like to buy books, they haven’t seen a reminder that this book exists, lately, they have not been invited to purchase it recently. In other words, keep on keeping on with your marketing plan so that your audience is well aware of your book and how to purchase it. Then make it easy for them to buy it from your website, at their favorite store downtown, through amazon, etc.