Business of Book Signing II
By LMReviews on Dec 7, 2008 in Multicultural Media, Multicultural Writing, Writing/Freelancing
On day two of my book signing, I learned a lot about people watching and reading people. As a writer, I currently watch people’s mannerisms and characteristics in order to create more believable characters, however, I had yet to progressed to the point where I could apply those same techniques to sell books.
It was great to watch people for entertainment sake, but truly watching people to get a take on what they are in to is important when trying to make a sale whether at a book signing or in any sales situation. You are never going to sell an erotic novel to a devoutly religious person. But as you begin to pick up on the nature of people you would learn not to attempt that losing battle in the first place. Knowing that not everyone is a part of your sales demographic is crucial.
Perfect example, my books are interracial/multicultural, so my books would appeal to African American women in general. However, Caucasians do buy my books. It could be out of curiosity or the straight forward desire for a good story regardless of the ethnic backgrounds of the characters. It could be because the book includes them. I mentioned in another post that there is an interesting dynamic here because for African Americans, Caucasian stories were the only option we had for a long time. When books by African Americans for African Americans started taking off, we now had the choice to read about people like us. Caucasians have always had that benefit, so it might seem a little odd for them to pick up a novel in which their perspective is not represented. If given the choice, initially, would we as African Americans have picked up a book with all Caucasian characters if we always had the opportunity to read about people in our own ethnic group?
For Caucasians, I could see where the story might be perceived as less enjoyable because they might relate to portions of the conflict but not the entire story because they haven’t had to relate to an ethnic slant that was not their own. Let’s face it, some people regardless of race are not interest in the perspectives of people that vastly differ from their own. What I love about Multicultural writings is the ability to bring the cultures together so, if done well, there is something relatable for everyone. As a result, I had to learn not to assume that a Caucasian might not be interested in my book. Just like for some African Americans, some have had to read about Caucasian culture for so long, that they want something that is uniquely and solely represents theirs. That’s why straight African American novels are a growing and striving niche as well.
Additionally, during my book signing I have had openly gay men stop and talk to me about my book. I do have gay and lesbian characters in my book, but you would not know that from the cover or the blurb. I also had women of Middle Eastern decent stop and read my book cover and take a book mark. When a Caucasian girl who looked like a mod or Goth type stopped and picked up my book, I had to find a way to connect my story to her. Surely, the Caucasian cutie on my cover helped, but he and the heroine might have been too metro-sexual for her taste. So, I told her about the burlesque scene in my novel. While she didn’t buy the book, it did prompt her to take a book mark and we started talking about the burlesque scene in Arizona and Nevada.
When at a book signing, use the people watching opportunity to learn how to bring out the best details about your book that might appeal to the visitors at your table. While for some there just won’t be a connecting factor, you will learn quickly if there is, and how to bring it out in order to turn general interest into a sale.
