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Top 10 Don'ts of Book Signing by Maggie Bishop 11/17/2008 1:28:13 PM
We all need help selling our books and this list will help you avoid irritating readers and book store staff. 10. Arrive late and show disrespect for the staff’s efforts. Show up without confirming the signing at least the day before. That way, if your signing has been overlooked, the staff has time to be prepared.
9. Limp handshake. Be proud of your writing and show it through a firm handshake.
8. Forget own supplies such as a pen, name tag and water. Demand free coffee or food as your reward for showing up.
7. Chatting on cell phone or talking with friend when a customer approaches. Don’t become that store clerk you complain about. Give the reader the respect they deserve.
6. Grab a customer by the arm and demand they “buy my book,” put down other authors and books, use a guilt trip “I need the money to feed my kids,” or steal another author’s customer when at a group signing. These are ways to make a reader avoid you and the store in the future.
5. Eat onions, garlic or tuna before a signing or chewing gum during a signing. You want customers to cry over your prose and not your breath.
4. Sit behind the table, do crossword puzzles or read, and ignore customers. Get over being shy and develop an outgoing persona for your moment before readers.
3. Wear revealing clothing, shorts, old shoes. Dress as you would for an interview–one level higher than the customer. You want to invite people into your space through your appearance.
2. Ignore or be rude to the help or, worse yet, blame the staff for low sales; if asked to sign stock, sign more than requested. The store needs to make money in order for you to get paid. The staff will chat about you after you leave so make sure they feel good about your visit.
1. Attitude that you are doing the store a favor, signing only because the publisher demands it, or that the reader is lucky that you appear in person. The reader is royalty, not you.
