Grouchy Authors Not Welcome Here

I have the pleasure of attending numerous book fairs. In fact, I attended three such events just within the last three weeks. Here’s my rant for the day: It never ceases to amaze me how disagreeable and unapproachable some authors appear! At one of my recent events, I was tempted to grab my camera and take a few pictures to demonstrate the “don’ts” of author behavior; however, I must admit that it was the fear of a lawsuit kept me sane. Why do so many authors stack their books in neat piles on the table, and then sit behind the piles wearing deep frowns upon their faces? Their expressions say loud and clear, “Don’t you dare speak to me!” I recently witnessed one author who was reading a book (behind his stack), another one playing a game on his cell phone and another – in my opinion the worst one of all – typing away on his laptop. All this while supposedly introducing their books to the public. Is this really the image you wish to portray?

There are many books on body language and it might help if exhibiting authors (or for that matter, anyone who deals with people) took the time to read them. Uncross your arms, put down that book, put a smile on your face and open yourself up to people. You will be amazed at the results.

C’mon people, believe in your book. Believe in yourself. Believe in the power of a smile!

Thanks for listening to my rant! :)

Bobbie Hinman :)
http://bestfairybooks.com

Who Should You Invite To A Book Launch Party?

If your first reaction to this question is, “Huh? I didn’t know you should invite people to the party,” then listen up. If you have planned the party well (see my post dated July 7), then it would really be a shame if no one showed up.

Yesterday an author friend of mine told me that she never sends out actual invitations to her launch parties or bookstore events. She relies on her press releases to do the job. No, no, no. That's not enough.

The goal is to invite, invite, invite.

The first thing to do is create a colorful invitation. The many online printing sites make this easy and affordable. I guarantee that you will have a more positive reaction to professional looking invitations than to boring run-of-the-mill flyers. If you plan ahead, you will be able to take advantage of the promotions and coupons that the online companies always offer.

The number of invitations needed depends on how big you can think. A print run of about 1200 invitations is an impressive, yet reachable, goal if you work at it. Today I invited an entire Brownie troop to my upcoming launch party. That was 30 down and 1170 left to go! Then I visited a day camp at my local community college and handed out 200 more. That brings me to 230 down and only 970 to go. Uh oh, I hope I don’t run out.

Use the internet to your advantage. Today I emailed a copy of my invitation to a teacher friend of mine and asked her to forward it to the other teachers in her school, as well as to her students. She was happy to do so. I will send the same request to a friend who belongs to a large Mom's club and to all of my friends,
both the real life and the online social networking ones.

For a children’s event, think of schools, camps, daycare centers, dance classes, scouts, etc. For other genres, ask yourself exactly who you think will be interested in your book. Then ask yourself where these people shop, eat, have meetings or just hang out? Think of specific places to promote to your particular niche market. Think of shops, organizations, colleges, libraries, book clubs, etc.

And, of course, don’t forget the media. Be sure to send invitations to the newspaper reporters in your area. A great personal touch is to locate the reporters’ names online and hand-deliver the invitations. Even if only one reporter shows up, the result will often be an article with some free publicity.

Remember = You Are Invited To A Party – everyone who reads this blog is invited to my book launch party for The Belly Button Fairy on August 29th at 11 AM – Barnes & Noble – Bel Air, MD – Come for Storytime, Gifts, Prizes and Cake - Meet the author and the illustrator - Fairy costumes are welcome!

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

You Had A Booksigning WHERE?

I must admit - this was not my idea. It never occurred to me to schedule a booksigning in an airport. However, a very good friend (and talented author) suggested it. Think about it. Why not? There are bookstores in airports, and there are people in airports. Books+people=winning combination. The only missing element here is the promotion, and this did scare me in the beginning. I always send out press releases and use flyers and postcards to advertise my signings. This was a bit scary. I thought, "What if this is not successful?" Then I thought, "What if it is??????"

I contacted a bookstore at the nearest airport and found that the manager was excited about having me visit. He was even more excited when I told him I would be wearing fairy wings and bringing a sparkly purple tablecloth. (Take a peek at my previous blog about authors needing props). The result of the signing was just as I had hoped. We sold lots of books and I was invited to return. It was exciting to think that my books would be traveling all over the world. Many, many people purchase books before boarding their planes. Many people are looking for a last minute gift to take along. Others have children with them and are happy to find an autographed book to use as a happy diversion on their trip.

Since my initial airport signing, I have been a guest at a number of airport bookstores. I have learned a few things along the way. First, it works best to be in a location that is inside the secure area. After people have gone through security they are more relaxed and have more time to shop. Before going through security, they tend to be in a hurry. Second, wear or display something that will attract attention.(Be careful here. Airport security is tight and foolishness is not in order.)Third, set up one or 2 professional looking posters that can be seen in a crowded terminal. Fourth, don't just sit there hoping that people will come up to you. Don't look bored. Don't send text messages. Stand up. Talk to people. Engage them in conversation. Tell them about your book. Ask them where they are headed. Above all - SMILE. Oh, and by the way, it also helps to have your husband accompany you wearing a wizard hat!

I'd love to hear from other people who have hosted a signing in an unusual place. I would also love to hear from anyone who has purchased a book in an unusual place.

A special thanks to Cynthia Polansky for her wonderful suggestion.

Fairy wishes to all,
Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com