Thank Your Bookseller

Whether you had well over two dozen or you only two customers stop at your book signing table, you should still thank your Bookseller. You are an invited guest in their store.  Just like your mother taught you, always thank the host and hostest.  Otherwise, you may not be asked back.

You want to be one of those authors they want to promote don't you?    Booksellers can choose to recommend you to their customers, or they can choose to forget that your book is even on their shelves until they tuck it away to send it back to your publisher. 

Not only do booksellers remember your manners, but customers do, too.  Those customers that rushed past you like you were spewing rotten eggs (Don't worry.  It's not you.  Lots of  folks react that way to authors signing books.) will come back later to ask about what all the fuss was about.  That's when the bookseller will show them your book and try to convince them to take a chance on your newest story.  More than one bookseller has told me that they sell more copies the day after the book signing than they do the day of the booksigning.  What can you do to help yourself and your bookseller even after you're booksigning event is over?

Sign Your Leftover Books

Sign all the books left after the book signing, and sticker them for easy identification.

Did you know that booksellers report that signed books often sell days after a book sale because many customers want to look first before they buy. The reason customers avoid you at your book signing is because they feel pressured to buy if they come up and talk to you--or even if they make eye contact.

Yes, it's true! Booksellers often sell more of your signed books after you are gone than while you are sitting there. So always, always sign your book stock and sticker it.

Why the stickers?

Signed by Author stickers give your book that extra boost.

These important little stickers have always been necessities at book signings. Although book signings are becoming more difficult to arrange, particularly with the large chains, you can still promote your book by signing the bookstore's stock.

Not only do these stickers help you out by advertising your book, they help the bookseller make your book stand out on the shelf, too.  Some booksellers are reluctant to strip the covers of signed paperbacks, giving your book a longer shelf life.

Having a book signed by the author, especially if it is personalized, gives that extra special lagniappe to the reader. And we can all look to the future when our signatures on our books will make the books more valuable!