by Richard Ridley, an award-winning author
The best way to make a signing successful is to make it an event. Here are five tips to make your next appearance eventful:
- Use a wrangler. Bring a friend or family member along who can wrangle passersby and get them excited about meeting an author. Find someone who is outgoing and energetic. Compensate the person in some way, and show your gratitude at the end of the event. Make sure your wrangler knows the one-sentence pitch for your book.
- Bring a bowl of hard candy to place on your table. It’s an icebreaker and a cheap gesture of goodwill to all the strangers you’re meeting. It’s also a way to get them to smile, which will be needed for the next item on our list.
- Hire a photographer. Whether it’s a friend with a smartphone or a professional photographer with a DSLR camera, have someone there snapping photos. Let everyone know you’ll be posting the photos to your social media sites, and invite them to follow and/or friend you.
- Come bearing gifts. Reward those who visited your table with an opportunity to win a free gift in a drawing later in the day. It can be a gift card, an e-reader, or a free copy of your next book. They don’t have to be present to win, but they do have to provide their contact information to receive the free gift.
- Bring signs. Don’t just set up a table. Place professional-grade signs throughout the venue to let everyone know there’s an author on the premises. Work out the particulars with the management to make sure you’re not violating any rules.
One last piece of advice: after an event/signing, make sure you leave the employees and management happy. Write thank you notes to them. Maybe even bring them donuts the next morning to make them feel appreciated, because you may want to come back someday, or you may want a reference from the venue for your next event.