Book Promotion Ideas for Successful Author Events

by | Jul 9, 2019 | Book Marketing Basics, Booking & Promoting Events

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In a world of social media, email and online events, there’s something very special about in-person author events, and I want to give you some book promotion ideas for making these hard to come by marketing opportunities a reality!

Author and book events can be a great way to generate local media as well. In fact, this is often the number one reason I’ll suggest this to authors. With local media on the rise, book events can be a great way to pull in more attention and generate lots of quality exposure.

They’re also a fantastic way to find new readers as you’re looking to build your fan base.

First, let’s take a look at different types of venues for book events:

Chain and Indie Bookstores

There’s often a big difference between chain stores and independent bookstores. Most chain stores schedules are far more competitive as they tend to be more popular among trade publishers. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead, you don’t want your book to age too much before you get a chance to do its big, local debut.

Libraries

These are always great venues and sometimes easier to get into than bookstores. Participate in various events that your library may hold.  Ask if there is a local author program. There are also showcase events that usually happen annually. Contact your local library. Reach out on the state level, or at your capitol, where many additional events can take place.

Non-Bookstores

In a separate blog post I’ve talked about non-bookstore markets like coffee shops, Costco, gift shops, restaurants, and other creative book promotion ideas and venues. I cover how to prep for pitching these venues and how to make them successful.

For now, just compile a list of places that are popular with your target buyer market. Once you finally compiled your list of places to hold a book event, be sure to do these simple things.

Check the Schedule

Go online first and see what events they have coming up. That way you’ll know a) how far out you may need to request a date and b) what events you may be able to participate in. Ask if you can jump on an upcoming event already planned.  Two authors is better than one, and three authors is better than two.  Increase the likelihood of catching their patrons’ attention. Start by speaking to their events manager. If you’re pitching a Barnes & Noble, this would be the CRM (community relations manager). Make a couple phone calls or just stop in.  Often times the face-to-face request gets you a lot farther.

Prepare Your Pitch

You should have some information ready to go before you start pitching. A one-page author sheet (often referred to as a sell-sheet) is a great thing to have on hand to share with the bookstore or library. Author sheets are brag sheets, which have information about the book, any reviews you’ve gotten, endorsements, and etc. Tell them if you’ve done other author events or are a regular on the speaker circuit. Find samples on LinkedIn!  Make this your most used tool when book marketing. Consider having a local graphic designer help you with this.

Prep what you can do to help promote the event. Keep blog/social media following numbers handy.  Look to add your author event on your city’s online event calendars.  This could be through their local newspaper’s website.  Pitch your confirmed author event to popular bloggers. Prepare to do some promotion, and spell out what leg work you’re willing to do – you’ll be a better sell.

When you’re ready to pitch start by calling the events manager and get right to the point. Most bookstores and libraries are working with far less staff than they used to so most are probably doing several jobs.  Ask what their process is if you’re a local author interested in events.  Most will probably have you email them. If you’re nearby, dropping off a copy of your book and sell sheet is a great idea.

Book Promotion Ideas for Timing Your Event

There is no “best time” per se, but I would suggest not going after super popular dates that everyone is clamoring for. Targeting events around Thanksgiving and Christmas is not generally a good idea. Some bookstores simply don’t do events around that time because of how busy they get.  If they do, they book up early. Stores want a “sure thing” around major holidays so getting a ‘yes’, as a new author, may be difficult.

Looking at small details like pay periods when scheduling events. Around the first and the fifteenth, when paychecks come in, people are inclined to spend more.

Sometimes bookstores will offer you dates that they’re normally “dark”, which tends to be the slowest for any kind of event. Should you take it? Say yes because if you’re going to get local media interested in your event, what better way to do it than on a day that’s normally slow for events and news in general?

Additional Things to Consider When Planning

We do a monthly round up of special events and popular and just plain wild and wacky holidays and observations. I urge you to try and align your event pitching and planning with something timely that matters to your buyer market and the customer base the venue caters to. The media will key into these pitches if they’re more timely and it gives them an angle to play off of!

Book Promotion Ideas Using Buddy System

If you have a network of authors in your local area consider pitching yourselves as a group to your local bookstores.  Boost your visibility in numerous ways by teaming up with a two, three or more authors.

The media might be more inclined to do an interview or story when there is a group of authors involved.

Pitch yourselves, if you are in the same genre, as a theme. Gather all of the romance authors together for a night around Valentine’s Day, or local mystery authors in the fall when weather starts cooling down.

Combine the all powerful buddy system with a solid seasonal tie-in whenever you can!

Book Signings are Boring

Sitting at a table with a stack of books and a full pen is generally a terrible way to conduct a book signing. Unless you’re a mega-bestselling author, this is usually a pretty bad idea. You’ll draw far more people to you if you offer to do a talk and a reading. Consider whether you can create a unique hashtag to use on signage to peak interest when people walk by.

If you write non-fiction present those strolling by with a common problem you can address. If you write fiction and aren’t sure what to talk about, 83% of Americans want to write a book so you could always talk about how you got published, too.

Some other book promotion ideas include handing out candy, chocolates or other small snacks to break the ice and get people over to the table.

So you’ve secured your event date (congratulations!)  Now what?

Pre-Event Planning

Follow through on the book promotion ideas you shared with the event manager.

In addition to our previous ideas, see what’s possible in terms of promoting the event within the bookstore or library now that you’ve confirmed.

  • Leave small fliers in advance as long as the bookstore doesn’t mind.
  • Get some inexpensive bookmarks printed at GotPrint.net or VistaPrint.com. These bookmarks should have your book cover on one side and event date, time and location on the other side. Remind them what will make the event unique as well, whether you’ll be signing book or handing out goodies.
  • See if the bookstore will let you drop off posters that announce the book signing. If you have a book poster, you can easily get your local copy shop to make an addition to the sign to make writing the date/time of your event easy to update.
  • Get your event added to the bookstore’s newsletter.
  • Do your own outreach to local media, including A&E journalists!
  • Submit your event to local event calendars online, local bloggers, local groups on social media like mom-centric and singles-centric pages.

Book Promotion Ideas for Event Day

Show up early and be ready to sign a ton of books.

Your local broadcasts media may have 30 second or 1-2 min holes to fill in their newscast. This happens when stories fall through, which happens more than you think. Be sure and pitch them on event day, too, early in the morning before they go to publication or broadcast. Don’t be surprised when the media shows up to cover your event!

Reaping the Benefits

Doing events can be a great addition to your book marketing repertoire.  It is one of the best ways to build a solid super fan group that will continue to buy each new book you publish.

Be smart about your research.  Leave no opportunity uncovered.  A unique, multi-faceted promotion can turn a no-name author event into a fun, win-win event for venues that they just can’t say no to!

Share in the comments if you have any additional tips for what helped you secure a local bookstore or library event.

Still in the dark on what to do for your book marketing strategy?  I can help craft your personalized marketing strategy to take your exposure to the next level if you contact me today!

Resources and Free Downloads

Monthly Observances and Content Ideas

Book Promotion Ideas for Author Events in Unique Venues 

2 Comments

  1. Virginia Bollinger

    Hi I am Virginia Bollinger Author of Naked Shoulders. I was wondering if you knew of any social event near Ellwood city Pa. 16117 that I could promote my book at.

    Reply
    • Penny Sansevieri

      Hi Virginia – While I am not aware of any specific events at this time, we do help authors with book promotion locally to them. Please feel free to reach out to Amy, my programs manager, at campaigns@new.amarketingexpert.com to see how we can help with your book marketing.

      Reply

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