How to get a book signing

    I just had my second book signing.  It was my first signing at Barnes and Noble.  I'm sooo excited to tell you, it was such a success that the manager said she'll have me back anytime.  She also gave me her personal number so I can use it as a reference.  One of the employees told me that I sold more copies in that store than any other local author he'd seen!
    So, after I got the book signing, messages started pouring in from other authors.  "How did you get a signing?"  "How did it go?"  "Do you have any advice for me?"
    I'm just starting my journey with all of this, but I'll share what I've discovered.  Here goes.

    Now you have a finished book.  It's been polished to perfection.  You've read it so many times you think your eyes might fall from your face.  All of the typos are gone and several other readers and editors agree that it's ready.  You have an amazing cover and are published, this is the time to think about signings.

#1
    The first step is to get your book into the store you'd like to sign at.  Many places have a customer service number.  Barnes and Noble as well as Costco associates can give you information about submitting your book for review.  It's much like submitting to a publisher. 
   If it's a smaller local place, you might consider making a visit and talking personally with the owner or manager of the bookstore/coffee shop.  Some places might want to buy copies or discuss consignment options.  If you're a very new author, they might talk to you about selling copies only during the signing.

BUT! Before you do all of this, you need to think about something. . . .
    What will motivate the bookstore to work with you?  How will they benefit if you do a signing at their store?  This is business.  If you're a published author, you need to think of yourself as a professional.  They want to make money and pull new customers in.  If you're like me--and not a big name--you'll have to do some extra work to attract those customers.

    I'll write more about this tomorrow.  But I wanted to get you thinking.  How could you personally pull in traffic?  Everyone has something special to offer.  What could make you stand out?  If you'd like to write a book or have written one, who is your primary audience? 

More on this tomorrow, and what I did to show the bookstores I could pull in traffic. . . 

For info about my signing schedule, please go HERE.