Fatal Descent, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series starring whitewater river ranger/rafting guide Mandy Tanner, will be released on June 8th. I have scheduled eight book signings to occur in the six weeks after the release date. I have a busy summer coming up!
The first signing will actually be on Saturday, June 8th, at the Next Page Bookstore in Frisco, Colorado, from 3 to 5 PM. (Hint: if you want to order an autographed copy to be mailed to you, place an order with Next Page before the event or with Black Cat Books (click on the Fatal Descent link above for info), my official bookstore supplier for autographed copies.)
Scheduling a signing, though, is not all there is to it! First comes the selection of an ideal date and time for that venue. In the case of Next Page Bookstore, this signing will take place on the same weekend as the Ten Mile Creek whitewater kayaking events in Frisco, Colorado, including a One Mile Race, Rodeo, and Best Trick competitions. And, the signing is timed to end well before the first kayaking event. Coincidence? Nope!
Second task is inviting a whole gang of folks to come. In the case of this event, it will be a fundraiser for the Gore Range chapter of Trout Unlimited, with the store donating 10% of the proceeds to the chapter. That means the event will be included in the chapter newsletter going out to all of the members. Also, I will create a virtual event for the booksigning on Facebook and Goodreads and invite all of my virtual friends on those sites who live nearby to come. I'll also send a special mailing to my email newsletter subscribers who live nearby, asking them to come.
Third is arranging for local media coverage. Both a Trout Unlimited representative and I have contacted the local newspaper, the Summit Daily News, and the Midnight Ink publicist has mailed a review copy of the book to the Arts and Entertainment editor. A feature article to appear in the newspaper the day before the event is planned.
Fourth is doing whatever else you can to assure the success of the event. I will email an invite to my book club. Also, I've arranged for a copy of the book to be given out as a door prize at the Breckenridge Resort Chamber mixer tonight, and the details of the June 8th signing will be announced along with that.
So, you can see that a "simple" book signing is not as simple as it seems and actually entails a lot of work on many people's part!
8 comments:
You are so right, Beth! Every good thing comes out of hard work. grin. Timing is everything, so the event you're working around is great, and so is doing a benefit. That should bring more people in. Good luck!
Thanks, Heidi! I sure hope the event is successful!
Yes indeed it does sound challenging. Too bad us authors have to spend valuable writing time marketing. But I suspect you enjoy it. You are such an expert. Karen Lin
Hi Beth,
Excellent post! The information is very timely for me. The e-book version of my debut novel will be released in the fall. I'm hoping that the print version will follow soon afterward.
BTW...I like the idea of doing a benefit.
No, I don't really enjoy it, Karen, but I know it has to be done.
Joanne, yes if you can tie the subject of your book in to a favorite charity, doing a benefit signing is usually a win-win proposition.
Nice post, Beth. Some solid basic points that will come in useful to many, including me as I start in on promoting my first book.
Thanks, Barry Lancet
Helpful blog, Beth. Thanks! Love your book cover too!
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