How to jazz up your next book signing

My 1st signing. Boring!

In a previous post I blasted the idea of the traditional book signing. Now don't get me wrong, book signings are useful. I just don't like boring. How many times have you attended a book signing that followed this formula: read-sign-go home. That's no fun.

In his article, "40+ Ways to Make Your Next Book Signing an EVENT!!", Larry James provides an outstanding, thorough checklist for making your signing go off smoothly. 

Once the details are executed and managed, it's time to let our literary hair down and spice things up.

1. Play to the theme of your book. Whether your book is about taxes or gardening or has a spiritual theme, you can give your fans an informative good time. 

For example, I'm trying to get my mother the English teacher to write a book about gardening during an economic recession. At her book signing, she could give away packets of seeds, baggies of dirt, or autographed rocks. Dressed in her digging boots and hat, she would share information about growing food and stories about eating off the land as a child in her native Jamaica. She's a good storyteller, so I'm sure folks would have a good time.

An author who writes about technology could invite local winners of school science fairs to display their amazing projects at the signing. How cute would that be! Those kids would bring their parents and friends, who might feel like spending some cash on your book. You might even get invited to speak at a PTO/PTA meeting.

The point being, have fun with the theme of your book. As you incorporate elements of your book into your signing, you're giving your fans not just words but a multi-sensory experience of what your book is all about.

2. Provide information. In his article "No More Autograph Parties," self-publishing guru Dan Poynter says we shouldn't even be thinking "book signings" any more.  

An "autograph party" says, "Come and appreciate me (and buy a book)"; a "seminar" says, "Come on down and I will give you something free (information) that will improve your life." Always think of the benefit to the potential customer.

A client of mine never does just author signings. He always gives motivational speeches, whether there are 5 or 500 people in attendance, and he treats each person who asks for his autograph like a close friend. He's a master at connecting with folks. As a result, he's in constant demand on the lecture circuit.

3. If you must read from your book, make it entertaining. How about reading a passage to music? The music could be meditative or high energy (but not too distracting). Whatever you need the mood to be. 

Let's say that due to the venue, time constraints, budget, or any number of issues you can only do the traditional read-sign-go home type of book signing. At the very least can you have music played while your fans wait in line for your autograph? Ask the event coordinator to invite a good student musician to perform. This is a great way to involve the community in the life of your book.

Do you have a musician friend who would be willing to donate a performance? Live music would be wonderful, but even if this isn't possible, pop a CD into your boom box to set the mood, to make your signing entertaining.

4. Don't disrespect your fans by being supercilious (I think that word says it all). A famous author once gave a book signing at a book store. The line of people wanting her autograph was so long, it wrapped around the building – and she said not one word to any of them. She didn't give a speech. She didn't take questions. She didn't even do a boring reading from her book.

Only my mother the English teacher would have tolerated such bad behavior because she taught this author's books in her high school literature classes, and she really loves her writing.

Sure, you might be able to get away with disrespecting folks because of your celebrity, but after awhile the diva act gets old. And with everyone commenting on Twitter, Facebook, gossip sites, and writing their own blogs, nothing stays a secret for very long. The damage to book sales could be long-term. 

Your fans have gone out of their way to meet you and buy your book. Show your love and appreciation by giving them a show they'll remember and talk about for a long time to come.

Donna Marie

Make a book trailer with great online tool

The jury is still out on whether or not video book trailers (same as movie trailers) are effective, but why not give it a try. It surely couldn't hurt, and if your video is entertaining enough, it could actually go viral. That would be nice!

I made the following video of SugarStrings (my daughter and nieces) with Roxio PhotoShow. From a purely objective point of view, those girls are AWESOME! This string trio performs throughout the country, and the video is a nice visual way to show a little of their history. 

Actually, musicians could use a feature that allows them to upload their own music, but for authors, the sampling of musical styles provided are varied enough to suit most needs. I plan to use Roxio PhotoShow to promote The Celebrity Editor and my forthcoming books.

You can post your video on your website, blog, or YouTube.

The SugarStrings video took about an hour or so to put together. It took that long because I had to sort through all the photos we have of the girls. For a low-tech person who has yet to figure out video recorders, this was perfect (for now).

Being the director of my first video was fun and pretty easy. You can try Roxio for free for 30 days. After that, upgrade to a premium membership (or you'll lose your work).

One day we'll do an actual music video but until then, this will help us get the word out about the fabulous SugarStrings.

By the way, to hear music the girls themselves recorded, visit SugarStrings.com. There are a couple of sample mini tracks on the site. Also, they were interviewed here (ABC/7) and here (WTTW/11). 

Shameless sales pitch: Contact me at CelebEditor@aol.com if you'd like to interview SugarStrings or book them for your next book signing. Imagine reading a passage out of your book to a classical, jazz, popular, or sacred tune. Beautiful! Or the girls could entertain the long line of people waiting to get your autograph. Remember, no more boring book signings!

Donna Marie

How sexy is your marketing campaign?

That I have to even ask the question suggests something is terribly wrong in bookdom.

Yesterday Edward Nawotka at PublishingPerspectives asked, "Will an author ever release a sex tape?" If that author is Chelsea Handler, maybe. Jane Austen, no. Edward's question got me thinking.

Why is it that authors are expected to be so professorial in demeanor while reality tv "stars" can act badly and get book deals? 

Let me define "sexy marketing." I don't expect that writers who labor at the computer for hours a day will be releasing sex tapes – although I could be wrong. 

That doesn't mean we should be all status quo and boring about how we market our brand and our books. People appreciate an entertaining marketing campaign. Read here about my current favorite case study on wild author marketing and branding, Jay-Z.

It is assumed by rappers, actors, and reality tv stars that they're too sexy for their marketing, no matter how over-the-top outrageous it is. It is assumed by authors that they will read from their books and then sign. Yawn.

The author book signing is an established status quo-type marketing event, but I recall a book signing where the novelist wore the biggest church hat I've ever seen in my life. That was kind of sexy. That hat made her interesting to look at while we waited in line. That hat made me feel like I was in the presence of a celebrity, and at the time, that was unusual for the typical book signing event.

I've done my share of boring status quo author events, but once I did step out of the box for my first book, Sister Feelgood. Since my book was about health and fitness, I decided to do an exercise demonstration to one of my favorite old school tunes, "In My House" by The Mary Jane Girls.

I laid on my back and moved my hips up and down to the beat.

Did I mention this was a church picnic?

I've since wondered, what was I thinking? As inappropriate as that stunt was for the setting, and as much as I probably embarrassed my mother the English teacher, now that I think about it, that was pretty sexy.

Fun is an important component of sexy marketing. Fun communicates that you're not so literary that you can't let your hair down. 

I haven't done a study yet, but I suspect that entrepreneurial writers for whom writing is more a means to an end vs. the whole show are more gregarious and thus more inclined to jump out of the box. I'm thinking about best selling author Anthony Robbins and a seminar I attended years ago. There was loud music. He didn't stand at a podium; he constantly paced the stage. He spoke into a rock star head mic. We walked across hot coals. Now that's sexy. 

Why do honor roll students get boring school assemblies while basketball and football teams get loud and exciting pep rallies? 

I'm not suggesting that authors start taping their intimate moments for the world to see, but how comfortable would you be with letting your readers see sides of you that only your closest friends and family members get to see? 

Donna Marie