I'm so impressed that you are still making the time to tell us this Kydd, thanks for the info I really appreciate it....wobble wobble.. thats my kness even daring to contemplate such exorbitant heights as a book signing.  Best of ....mmmm I cant say that I still don't know hee haw about you, where are you from and, your profile pics too small,  whether your and  XX or an XY.

Good luck.

D A Reynolds

Okay, back to the book signing stuff.

Yipes.  I think I can honestly say that I'm nearly done prepping for it.  Practically everything's complete except the backup plans when things go wrong.  Always go with a Plan B as a backup. Take it from someone's who's family name is Murphy (on my mom's side).

Today is the Festival on Main Street here.  So I spent yesterday putting up flyers for my booksigning next month and then right before it happens, will go back and put up more.

Made some flyers and posters for the campus signing too.

Had to deliver to the book store where one of the signings is taking place (on Main St. where the festival is happening): 2 framed 20x30 posters for their storefront (on Main St.) easel window displays (complete with the book signing removable corner sashes so they could hang the posters in their store afterwards), 2  11x14 posters (with corner sashes) for their parking lot entrance in the back, the bookmarks, the flyers, the promotional cards (business card-sized cards with the cover of the book and ISBN and publisher info on the front, the description of the book on the back) for each book title, copies of my previous books and anthologies (signed and marked with autographed by author stickers) for her to put on her sale shelves, and a list of media venues now advertising the event (i.e. Eventful, Metromix, etc.)

Walked up and down Main asking businesses if they would let me post a flyer in their window or somewhere about the signing so people coming to the Festival could see it.  90 percent said, of course. It not only helps promote a fellow business owner, but brings people downtown who will see their businesses as well. There are a lot of restaurants along that area of town, so businesses tend to stay open a bit later.

Today, I received the vinyl table banner and the giveaways: playing cards , mousepads, coffee mugs with my book covers on them.

I also purchased a special thank you gift for my publisher that actually matches perfectly to one of my books AND it's steampunk which he's into. 

Yesterday, the university publicity liaison contacted me for my bio. This stuff will go out to the newspapers, radio and television stations. Contacted my writing guild to put it in their news column for me.

Today I arranged for the actors to do the dramatic readings for me. I could do them, but since all my characters are male (and my surgery affected my voice where it just shuts down sometimes), it was best to have them do the readings. There's a possibility that I'll even have people who sort of match my characters doing it. That would be cool indeed. But I scripted out the sections of the book they'll be doing (actually turned it into scripts.) Once I know who the actors are, I will have to do a brief "playbill" for them to have at the signings.

I've written my little speech about each book complete with the required jokes and even put together a list of clever things to write for the autograph session. Not just "Best wishes, xxx".  Nope. Nothing so mundane for moi... hehehehe.

Even the catering is arranged. Phew.

That's what I do as a side venture, by the way, not catering, but I organize, market/promote, and creative consult for events like conventions and corporate parties. I also direct and coordinate interactive murder mystery evenings. Bet you didn't know that about me, eh?

They say planning for a book signing if you're just starting out is a lot like planning a wedding.  I think that could be true at this point.  I'm about $500 into the promotions, but in the long-run I hope it pays off. I think it already has. People are already purchasing the books at Barnes and Noble and the local bookstores are getting requests already too. I've got almost an entire hotel filled with just my guests who will be attending the event too, so the hotels are happy (and asking for promotional materials to offer "things to do" for visitors).  See, I bet you never considered advertising your book signing at the local hotels, did you?

Don't forget your local museums too. Museums, libraries, community boards, rec centers, grocery store bulletin boards, and keep an invitation card with you at all times to hand out to everyone you know and meet.  I went to deposit a check and gave my invite card to the teller.  All the other tellers wanted one as well with one exclaiming (after reading what the books were about, that it was just up her alley and that she was going to plan to go). I gave it to the girl who did the posters for me.  She asked if she could bring some of her friends.  Of course.  I gave it to my mailman.  He said, Wow, that's perfect.  That's my wife's birthday and she loves to read. I should take her out to dinner and then bring her to your book signing before we go out dancing."  I handed an invite to all my doctors and surgeons who know me so well these days... Even my dentist insisted on a personal invite. Several have already responded positively with RSVPs.

Don't forget every cousin with a kid in college.  Have them get their kids to hand out bookmarks or flyers at their campus.

AND, if you've got more books coming out soon, have your publisher get their graphics people to whip up a temp cover for those, so people can anticipate more from you. In my case, I am blessed with Tirzah as my artist/graphic artist and she's already doing a fantastic job on my covers. The publisher loves her (he just told me that again this morning when I talked to him).

Do a couple of drawings during the event for the giveaways.  I couldn't afford to make them for everyone, so I just made a few and will do drawings for them.

Ouch, my brain is hurting.  I need a Coke...  

More later if I think of things.

Kydd

You can do it yourself.

I have a couple of how-to's on my blog.

But you can find great cover designers and shitty ones everywhere.  I've done some of the covers for people on TNBW.  They were nice enough to let me learn as I go.



This is one of the first ones I created for Kydd.  Took me forever. I've gotten faster since then.





This is the one I created for her Blood Totem's book.




and Kydd will forgive me...a sneak peek at the ROUGH DRAFT of her new book, Counting Coup.



and I've done a few for other TNBW authors such as Apryl's books The Awakening and The Promise.

I'm getting better.

If you have the patience you can create your own great covers...well patience and a few tricks i can teach you.

Last edited by TirzahLaughs (08-25-2012 18:37:46)

I was just boasting of your talents here, Tirz.  I posted it at the same time as you... LOL.

Of course I don't mind sharing what you're doing for me.  It's awesome.