Is a book signing worth it? That’s really up to you to decide. I know some authors who have had quite a bit of success with book signings, selling quite a few books. Other authors say it’s not worth it – that it takes too much time and effort with very little results. I say it depends on what your objectives are. A book signing event can be a great way to have your book and face get noticed by people who might not otherwise know you or your book. You can leverage the event on social media – posting about it before hand, during, and after the event.
Recently we attended a book signing by a local author in Arizona we’ve known for nearly a decade. Brian K Wright hosts Success Profiles Radio and has written three books. For his most recent book, Success Profiles: Conversations with High Achievers Including Jack Canfield, Tom Ziglar, Loral Langemeier and More, he held a book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Mesa, Arizona. I spoke with him about what it took to get the event booked, and followed up to find out how things went.
When we entered the store, the staff had set his table up right in front. There was a nice sign and about 30 copies of his book. I was happy to see they had placed him prominently at the front of the store. I’ve seen other author signings where they were placed in a less ideal location. As people entered the store, Brian gave everyone a big smile and made eye contact and greeted them with “Hello. It’s a great day to read a book.” Brian said he had some good conversations and he enjoyed meeting people.
The store made an announcement every hour about his book and that he was available at the front of the store to sign copies. He was able to take the sign with him after the event, which he hung up in his office. The store also invited him back. He’s also booked to do another location in about a month.
Yes, he sold some books. And he leveraged the event by posting a video on Facebook afterwards.
Tips for your book signing:
- Call local stores to arrange book signing events. Try to tie it in with something local if at all possible.
- Ask the store to place your table near the front entrance.
- Request they play a store-wide announcement every half hour.
- Smile and greet everyone who walks by.