Photo credit: Real You Inc

Every wanna-be writer and actual writer daydreams about their book signing. Picture this: You’re sitting at a table in a popular bookstore in your favorite city or in a locale you’ve dreamed of visiting surrounded be a number of of your books only surpassed by the number people  waiting for you to sign it.  Every person you encounter is waving your book in his or her hand and are just gushing over how your words changed their life. Each patron is hurling questions at you about your inspiring talent and making comments in the hope you’ll let details about your next book slip. It soon becomes obvious from the pillows, sleeping bags and smell of stale coffee that some fans have even camped out all night just to ensure the chance to meet you.

Now you have the pressure of having something inspiring to say to the single mom that took off work to bring her daughter to meet you–in the hopes of teaching the girl that even the seemingly impossible is possible.

You have little old ladies parceling out cash from their fixed income to buy your book feeling comfortable that a few hours of enjoyment is only a cash register ring away.

After your hand begins to cramp and you have no more fascinating words to impart, the store manager closes his doors promising rainchecks and a repeat performance in the coming months.

Wouldn’t be great if that was the play book by which every book signing is executed? Many say book signings are useless to most unless you are already a household name. Many who gathered a strong following from coast to coast or even just in their own backyard enjoy the opportunity to meet their fans.

Potentially all this can be true and more. I’ve witnessed the incredible lines that wait to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon and I’ve heard about the writers who sat at tables only to be greeted by their mother and a few close friends.

If you’re a new writer, the best thing is to get involved in art festivals and writers groups that host book signings. Make friends with bookstore managers who support local authors. Most of all, until you break the big time, know that a book signing may be more about selling yourself as an author and promoting your book as a dynamite read. Remember that short pitch you used to sell the book to an editor or agent? Yeah, you better dust it off and read it over a few times because you’ll need it for those scrutinizing book buyers that haven’t heard about you yet. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

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