Step-by-Step Guide to Book Author Events

[caption id="attachment_551" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Creative commons by Matt Rollefson[/caption]

Did you know that it typically takes 6-8 months for readers to gain an awareness of a new release? There were over a million new authors in 2011 and that number keeps increasing. With that being said, one of the most important things an author can do is focus on reader exposure. That means getting out there and meeting readers. Easier said than done, right?  Not necessarily. You can still fill up your author dance card and book events in 2014. Here are just a few of my tips on how to get started.

Finding Events and Bookstores 

• Google. Yeah, I know. Seems pretty basic, but a lot of people don’t know what to look for when trying to locate author events. Google will generate a lot of results, so you’ll want to pare those down.

Include a geographic location. When you’re searching don’t just add author events to the search field. Try putting in author events east coast for example. You can definitely get specific and add in a city, but you don’t want to limit your search criteria too much. For example, I’m in Pittsburgh, but Cleveland is two hours away. I’d be willing to travel there or anywhere in between. However, if I limit my search to just Pittsburgh, I could really miss out on a lot, so use a wider geographic area.

Limit Results To the Past Year. When you Google using the default settings, you’re going to get a ton of results, but why waste time following bunny trails about events that happened two years ago and haven’t since? Click the Search Tools drop down and then choose Any Time. Then select a date range—I usually pick past year.

Allow For Lead Time. I recommend that you give yourself a good four-six months in terms of scheduling signings or events. However, if you happen across an event that you really want to attend, don’t hesitate to politely inquire if they are still accepting authors. It can’t hurt to try and you may end up booking a great gig.

• Facebook

Search for author events on Facebook, you’ll be amazed at how many events are out there and most of them have groups. One that I’ve found particularly helpful? Author Events Around the US.

• Bloggers

Book bloggers are not only usually super-nice peeps, but they are also incredibly helpful. Subscribe to sites for bloggers who review in your genre, whose reviews you enjoy. Often they’ll post about upcoming events or events they want to attend. One book blog that does at a great job at this is Love Between the Sheets.

• Bookstores

Bookstores often have events at different times of the years. I’ve found that participating in larger events is more impactful than an individual signing. You also get the added advantage of meeting other local authors. To locate bookstores in your area, check out www.indiebound.org.

Making Contact

• Make a Spreadsheet. There are a lot of events and venues out there, so my suggestion is to make a spreadsheet of stores and/or event organizers you’ve contacted.  Include: their contact information, when you contacted them, their response, and any other pertinent information.
  
  [caption id="attachment_550" align="alignright" width="300"] Creative commons by photosteve101[/caption]

• Be Professional. I can’t stress this enough. Remember, booksellers and event organizers don’t owe you anything. Plus, they have dozens of people in line right behind you. Be polite and courteous when contacting individuals and organizations about your events. Being nice goes a long way.

• Stick To E-mail. It’s a busy world in the book industry. So it’s important not to clutter up inboxes. Most people coordinate events via e-mail—do the same. E-mails should be considerate at all times, and never abrupt.

• Don’t Get Discouraged. As I mentioned above, these folks don’t us authors a thing. They have many requests to follow up on and many authors interested in appearing at their location. If you send out 90 e-mails and you get 10 responses, don’t sweat it. That’s 10 organizations that are interested in hosting you.

 

Booking An Event

• Clarify Responsibilities. Once you’ve booked an event, be sure to clarify what the coordinators expectations are of you. For example, are you responsible for providing marketing materials (i.e. flyers, bookmarks, etc.)? How far in advance are these needed? Should you communicate the event via Social Media? (always) If so, when should you start doing so? How much space will you have at the venue? What have other authors brought with them to similar events?

• Know the Costs. Once your contact has agreed to an event, make sure you identify any expenses you’ll be incurring for the event. For example, a book fair might have a table fee, you may need to bring your own table, pay for books or have them ship.

• Think About What You Commit To. That being said, before you raise your hand and commit to attending (events especially), be sure that it will be valuable for you. Always ask yourself: is this event worth my time and energy? If it’s not a value-add, then it may not be worth taking up your contact’s time to inquire.

• Be realistic. If you have scheduled an event for December, and it is March, don’t expect your contact to have everything planned out. Harassing them about details too early could damage your relationship with this individual. Instead, add an Event tab to your spreadsheet and make a note of when to follow up.