GETTING PEOPLE TO ATTEND
In order for these multi-author book signings to be successful, you need to bring people along who might buy a book. A good goal is to aim for six attendees, with couples counting as one.
Reality check: On average, if eight people tell you 'yes', chances are, only six of them will turn up, so you're looking for eight 'yeses'.
If you have any reservations about being able to get people to a meeting, follow the steps set out below. You'll be amazed at how easy it is. PROMOTE THE EVENT ON THE WEB
MAKE AN EVENT LIST
In order to have six people turn up, you’re looking for at least eight people to tell you they’ll be at the signing. Make a list of everyone you could invite to an event (you'll need a separate list for each county you hope to do a signing in).
If it helps, imagine you’ll get a thousand dollar bonus for every name you add, you’ll be surprised how quickly it fills up. Keep that list safe. Add to it all the time.
Be creative. If you belong to a writer’s group, add their members to the list, but try to get people from outside the group as well. If you don't know someone's name, put down a description for the time being eg: girl who writes westerns, guy from across the street etc.
Start by posting details of the event on your website/blog, but don’t think for a minute that your work stops there.
You'll see a dramatic improvement in your results by doing your invitations in person.
Rather than 'informing' people (please note: announcements on your website or Yahoo message board, and email invitations count as 'informing'), you should invite them in person. It will take you longer, but a personal invite is a lot more effective than a junk email, especially if it’s done face-to-face. If you can’t invite people face-to-face, call them. Only use email as a last resort, and even then, make it an individual invitation rather than a blanket 'To whom it may concern...' effort.
Reality check: An email promoting the event is easy to send out, but it's the on-line equivalent to handing out leaflets at the mall. You'll be lucky if 3% of those people show up.
In my experience, people shy away from personal invitations because they don't want to be told 'no', but any writer worth his/her salt will have heard that plenty of times from agents/editors etc; so it shouldn't be a problem for us.
When you've finished your list, get a seperate sheet of paper. We'll use this to write down the names and telephone numbers (remember, face-to-face invites work better), of the ten people who you think are most likely to say 'yes' when you ask them to come to the event. Leave space between each name so that you can mark your progress.
IMPORTANT: Before you start inviting, please read the instructions below, you might find them helpful.
THE INVITATION
It's important to understand that a successful invitation is a four stage process which neither begins nor ends at the point where you ask a person to come to the event. We can break it down like this:
Individual motivation + the pitch + response/confirmation y/n + friend? = succesful invitation
INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION
Why you want them to come, and why they should come.
Your motivation is simple, you want them to come to a multi-author event because you set a goal to bring six people. It doesn't matter if they've already bought your book because they might be interested in one of the others on sale that day.
What's important here is the motivation for the people you intend to invite, which depends entirely upon their relationship with you. If they're non-writing friends or family members who read (at least occasionally), chances are, their only motivation for coming is to support you, so your invite should reflect that. If they're fellow writers and/or avid readers, then as well as coming to support you, they might also be interested in hearing what some of the other authors have to say.
What about people I don't know very well?
I'm glad you asked. In addition to being by far the largest group on your list, it's also the easiest to add to. People in this group fall into two categories: Those who know you've written a book, and those who don't. Your 'pitch' will be the same for both, except that one will start with the words: 'Remember I told you I have a book published...' and the other with: 'Did I ever tell you that I have a book published...' (see below for the rest).
THE PITCH
Before you make a face-to-face invitation, make sure you look smart and have the following:
A smile and two business cards, one of which has details of the event written down on the back.
Handy tip:While smiling usually helps, if it's forced, you'll look insincere (or, worse, constipated J). Neither of these is good, so just be yourself, but friendly.
What to say and how to say it?
Just like you should have a one sentence pitch for your book, you need a one sentence pitch for the event. Something like the following:
'I'm doing a book signing next month with some other authors. Would you like to come?'
Okay, so that's two sentences, but you get the point. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can preface that with a
'Remember I told you I have a book published...' or a 'Did I ever tell you that I have a book published?...'. Make sure you allow them to answer before you launch into your invite.
Notice how you haven't mentioned date/time/location yet? that's because you only need to go into details if they show an interest.
You steeled your nerve and made your pitch. Now for the most important part of the invitation: the response/confirmation. You probably think you have nothing to do at this point, but you'd be wrong. As a matter of fact, what you do next is VITAL to you success.
RESPONSE/CONFIRMATION (immediate and follow-up)
This is VITAL: After you make your 'pitch',
SHUT UP AND LET THE OTHER PERSON RESPOND J
That sounds so obvious you're probably wondering why I even mention it, but the urge to fill a silence, or intercept a possible 'no' before it happens can be almost irresistable. Bite your lip if you have to. You've done the hard work (the personal invitation), now you must let the other person answer.
Here are the most likely responses (if you think of any I missed, please let me know):
A: "I'd love to...", or words to that effect.
B: "Maybe/probably/perhaps..." , etc.
C: "I'm not sure...", etc.
D: "But I already bought your book...", etc.
E: "No thanks."
Let's begin with A:"I'd love to...".
Before you start doing the happy dance, bear in mind that you still have to give your new best friend the event details. This is where your business card comes in.
Take a fresh business card and (even though you already (should) have them on your website), write the event details on the back for him/her. In addition to making the invitation more personal, you're also giving them a physical reminder that they agreed to come.
Again, this next part sounds so obvious, you'll wonder why I mention it, but ASK IF THEY KNOW SOMEONE ELSE WHO MIGHT LIKE TO COME, THEN WAIT FOR A RESPONSE.
That person counts as a 'yes'. Mark your invite sheet to that effect. If they said they might know someone, make a note of that too, but remember, as Gimli might say: 'That still only counts as one!'.
How about B:"Maybe/probably/perhaps..."? They count as 'yeses', don't they?
I'm afraid not. With rare exception, when someone tells you they'll 'probably' be there, they mean: 'No, I will not be there'.
That doesn't mean they don't want to come, but it does mean they haven't agreed to... yet. People lead busy lives. Chances are, if they haven't made a commitment - ie: said 'yes' - to being somewhere/doing something, they'll find themselves busy with other things on the day.
So what should you do if they say 'probably'?
You treat B:'probably' and C:'I'm not sure' the same way.
Tell them: 'It's a multi-author reading/signing. We're working hard to get a lot of people there and I'd love to see some familiar faces in the crowd when it's my turn at the mike. Will you come?'
At this point, they may agree, or (more likely), they'll tell you they have to check their calendar/talk to their spouse etc. It doesn't matter, the important thing is that you made it clear that you wanted that person there, rather than just 'announcing the event' to them.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BE PUSHY. Give them a card with the details of the signing on the back (fill it out in front of them if there's time). Tell them you'll be in touch a week or so before the signing to see if they can come. Ask if they know anyone else who might want to come.
That person counts as a 'maybe'. Mark your invite sheet to that effect.
D: "But I already bought your book..."
A lot of the people on your event list will have already bought your book. I recommend using the same approach you used for B: & C:, because it tells them other authors will be there too (don't forget to add 'Will you come?'). When they hear this, their response will change. If it's an A:, B:, or C: write the details on a card for them etc. (don't forget to ask if they know someone who might like to come).
E: "No thanks."
Hehe, we saved the easiest for last. Like I said before, 'no' is never fun to hear, but when someone turns you down, don't ask for an explanation/burst into tears/fly into a rage/threaten to let their tires down etc. If you feel it's worth mentioning, ask if they know anyone who might like to come (but don't expect a positive response), otherwise, smile, say "okay", and move on to the next person on your list.
REALITY CHECK: There are close friends and family members on your list who you know for sure will come out to support you, some of them won't. On the other hand, casual acquaintances, and other people you almost didn't bother asking because you 'knew' they wouldn't be interested, will turn up at the event and bring a friend. The trick is to invite them all, and not take it personally if they turn you down or fail to show up on the day.
Invite all ten people on your event sheet. If you haven't got eight 'yeses' (remember, 'probably' doesn't count), add another five names from your main list and go through the above process until you do.
KEEP THE COORDINATOR INFORMED
Keep the coordinator informed about your progress (especially good news like you have your eight 'yeses'). Encourage your fellow participants. Share any useful tips/funny invite stories on the message board.
A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT
You want to be sure the guests you invited intend to be there. Follow up with the those people who said they would, or might, come to the event with a quick phone call to say you're looking forward to seeing them. If they don't intend to turn up, you'll most likely find out then. If they do, ask if they intend to bring a friend.
Reality check: 'Remember, life happens. One or more of your guests may pull out at the last moment. That's why you should aim to get eight people who say 'yes'- it leaves you two 'spares'. Even if more than two cancel, you should still be okay because some of those who do turn up will bring a friend (like you asked).
When you have your final headcount, call the coordinator (don't wait for him to call you, he/she will have plenty to do without having to chase you up for information). If you found your promised 'yeses' dipped below eight, make some phone calls. remember, everyone benefits if everyone does their bit.
REHEARSE YOUR TALK
Reality check: If you aren’t used to speaking in public and/or with a microphone, when you stand up to give your talk, your mind WILL sit right back down again. Be prepared. Have bullet points on cards. Also, however long your talk takes when you practice, expect to finish up to 15-20% faster on the day because of the adrenalin rush.
Handy tip: Imagining the audience naked won't help (and can be quite offputting if you have older relatives attending the event). When it comes to calming your nerves before a 'performance', there's no substitute for knowing that you've practised a lot.
ON THE DAY
BE ON TIME
Spare your coordinator some anxiety. Be at the venue AT LEAST thirty minutes before the event is due to start. Make sure you contact him/her if you get delayed - even if you're only a few minutes behind schedule.
Posters/leaflets/website
Don't forget to bring enough copies of your book (at least thirty – stop laughing, it might happen).
Bring plenty of change and a receipt book.
Handy tip: Don’t pre-sign your books. When I buy a signed copy of a novel, it makes me feel more special when the author signs it in front of me.
DRESS THE PART
Regardless of what we were told at school, people really do judge a book by its cover. Wear your writer’s uniform If you don’t have a deliberate image that you want to portray, dress smart-casual.
1) When your turn comes, be confident. Grab the audience's attention straight away. If you're not sure how to start, a joke is always good for breaking the tension: ‘Now I know how those poor suckers auditioning for American Idol must feel’, or ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to sing’ etc.
If your mind goes totally blank, or find yourself in a panic, ask the audience for empathy - ‘I can’t believe how nerve-wracking this is’ – they’ll give it to you.
2) Be friendly, smile. You'll have more fun and people will like you better (which means they’ll be more inclined to buy your book).
3) Talk to the audience, not your crib-cards. Look at people, especially those who came for you.
4) Unless it’s a memoir, talk about your book as if YOU didn’t write it. Pitch it to the audience as if it’s your best friend’s book and you want them to read it.
5) Introduce your book with a one-sentence pitch, like you'd use in a query letter. My friend, Gary Frank, has a brilliant one for his novel, Forever Will You Suffer: 'A three hundred year love story gone horribly wrong'.
6) Pitch the genre too. ‘If you know someone who reads [insert genre] they’d like this book because…'
7) Please don’t hog the mike. Take the hint if the
coordinator gives it.
8) When the other authors are doing their readings, be attentive, study their technique. You might learn something new.
THE PANEL Q&A
If there aren't any readings, the coordinator will introduce the panel to the audience before the Q&A session. Each author gets to (briefly) describe his/her book, but won't read an extract. Afterwards, the coordinator hosts the Q&A session. Be patient when the questions start. If one isn’t pitched to a specific author, let the coordinator choose who answers. He/she’ll make sure everyone gets their fair turn.
During the event, if someone wants to buy your book, by all means sell it, but try not to distract whoever’s on the mike.
A few days after the event.
Follow up with your 'guests'. Thank them for coming, ask for their input. Is their something they thought went particularly well (or badly)? Pass the feedback on to the coordinator (especially the positive stuff).