Julie Broad (founder of Book Launchers) discusses how authors can plan and run successful bookstore events. She offers a candid perspective (she dislikes many signings personally) and practical, actionable guidance: choose bookstores that fit your audience, plan months ahead, contact stores at quiet times, present a professional online presence (indie-friendly links, sales sheet), and clearly commit to bringing attendees via media, sponsors, or community networks. Day-of tips include bringing supplies and a helper, taking and sharing photos, tailoring the format (reading vs Q&A), and setting realistic expectations for sales (selling ~15 books can be a success). She also points to related videos on event prep, author websites, and Universal Book Links.
Chapters
Selling your book in a bookstore makes you feel legitimate as an author. Seeing your book on the shelf is just one of those moments you can't describe until it happens. And doing an author signing at a bookstore, if you've never done one, feels like something you just need to check off a box. As an author, once you've done it, well, you may be good and never need to do it again. Bookstore signings are not my favorite thing personally, but some authors love the experience, sell books, and enjoy the connection to the book community. So if you want to do a bookstore event and have a successful one, well, this video is for you. Hey there. I'm Julie the Book Broad, founder of Book Launchers. We're a full service self publishing company helping you write a book that is bookstore worthy. We design and produce it to the quality that it can sit beside any traditionally published book anywhere. And then we help you get that book into the hands of readers and help you use it to grow your brand and your business. Part of what we do for some authors is help them get events at bookstores. Now, first, here's my bias. In my own experience, bookstore signings suck. Yeah, I said it. Now we do have authors that enjoy it and they do them in their community and they have friends and family come out and it's kind of a party. But when I did a bookstore tour in Canada and I visited, I don't even know 12 or 14 bookstores, I found myself helping people find where the bathroom is, give them directions to Starbucks, and where the cookbook section was. I sold a couple of books, but mostly those were people who heard me on a local radio station who read my newsletter and wanted to come in and get a signed book. But most people just bought the book online and were happy. I didn't get a lot of new sales from being there in the store, and it was a little humbling to have people not even want to talk with you. I mean, I'm not famous. I even had someone say, are you famous or something. So that's my perspective. Bookstore signings were not that great, but I did them because it got my book into bookstores. And still to this day, more than cash flow is sold in some Canadian bookstores thanks to the work I did more than 10 years ago. Now, if you're with a publisher, you may have to do some bookstores as part of your publicity tour. And if you're self publishing, you may want to do them either way. Here's some tips for creating success. Many bookstores, especially the bigger ones, that Do a lot of events. They're going to book those events out six months in advance. So planning is really important. Also focus on bookstores that are a good fit for your book. So, so just as an example, you can look at independent bookstores in la, of which there's lots and some of them do incredible events with authors. But the audience that's going to attend an event at the last bookstore is going to be different than the one that goes to Skylight Books. So check it out. When you're booking an event, make sure that you have the right store for your audience and their audience. Now how do you know? Well, look at their website and see what they're promoting and, and if you can go, go to one or two of their events, see what's working, see what the authors are doing at that particular store, see how the audience is responding to that. So all of that's first planning for these events well in advance and making sure that you have market to audience match with what your book offers. When you're reaching out to a bookstore, don't do that outreach when they're busy, don't try to talk to the person in charge at an event in the middle of an event. Go on a Wednesday morning or call on a Wednesday morning or, or whatever day is not going to be busy for them. And be sure you're ready for that outreach. What do I mean by that? Well, make sure your website looks great, your social media is on point and on message. I have a video on author websites for you. I'll put that up at the end and make sure that you have a good sales sheet. And please, please don't reference Amazon. Don't tell the person at the bookstore to go to Amazon to check out your book. If you want to gain bookseller support, including links like bookshop or other independent bookstores on your site can be really powerful. At a minimum, use your universal book link on your website so you can look indie store friendly and not focused on Amazon. If you reach out to a store and they turn you down, thank them. They are saving you time and energy. It just means you and your book weren't the right fit to create success for either of you at their store. It's a good thing when you get turned down. Keep looking for a store that is a right fit and that's going to be a promotional partner for you. And we've talked about this before, but all of this is in Self Promote and Succeed which you can download for free@selfpromoteandsucceed.com audio but you also need to tell the store how you're going to bring people to the event. You can't expect them to fill the room. So are you going to have a local PR push? If you are, you should be able to prove to the store that you've already done media and you can get more media around this event. Do you have friends or family friends or supportive family in the city of your event? Are you part of an organization or alumni association that might be willing to promote this in the area? You might even be able to secure a sponsor. Does your book have a tie in to a local organization or a store? This kind of sponsorship isn't about money. This kind of sponsorship is about them using their means to promote you. So they might put their logo on your posters or signs and you might thank them at the event and and they do that in exchange for a shout out on their social media or in their community communications. Of course it helps to have strong Editorial reviews from organizations that the bookstore will deem credible, not your aunt or your best friend. Editorial Reviews From Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Reedsy, Discovery, Library Journal and so on. Now, the day of your event, I'll link to a video with some things to be ready for an event. Banners, tables, Sharpies. But during the event here are a few tips. Number one the bookstore host is not there for your needs. If you see an opportunity to make the event more successful for you and for them, go ahead and discuss that with them. But if you need tape or you forgot your sharpie or you want someone to take pictures, well bring someone to help you. That is not the bookstore person's job. They are working at the store, not working for you. Number two do get photos taken and get them posted on social media and give them to the store. And even if you don't have a super successful event, the pictures are gold to the store and can be high value content for your social media and media kits. So get a friend to come by and take a bunch. You only need one person talking to you at the table while you sign a book to have a Great photo op. 3. What do you do? Do you do a reading? Maybe if you can draw a crowd you might like Linda Magoon does for her readings. Go ahead and read if you're good at it and you have a crowd. But generally most bookstores are going to have people trickling in and out and not necessarily coming in for a reading or a talk. But again, know your store before you pitch to them. You may prefer to have a Q and A. If you do plant questions with friends in advance to get that conversation started. You don't want to do a Q and A when there's no questions. And be ready to entertain and engage the audience. Number four, don't measure the event by sales. You'll go home in tears. I swear you will. If you sell 15 books at a bookstore event, you've absolutely crushed it. Now, if the bookstore brought in a case of books, say 26 books and you sold 15, I would buy the rest of them, maybe minus one or two that you leave there, or do some sort of promotional push through your newsletter to get the signed copies off their shelves. Leaving a bookstore with a bunch of stock begs for return, which you don't want. We've talked about that before, but for measurement. Well, remember the big picture of why you wanted to do this event in the first place? Because you already knew it was not likely to sell hundreds of books. So was this for the bookshelf space, the publicity push, or just to celebrate the fact that you freaking did it? You're an author. High five. Because you should celebrate. Have you done bookstore events? What did I miss? What was your experience? Let's chat about it in the comments below. Now, here's the video prepping you for live events. And this is the one on author websites. Oh, and this one's on the one on Universal Book Links. You kind of need all three if you're doing a bookstore event, so head on over. I'm waiting for you.
