My February Harlequin Intrigue, Circumstantial Memories, is in book stores this week and that means promo time. The biggest promotion I'm doing is a book signing at my local Borders this Saturday - Valentine's Day! I had postcards printed and I slapped labels on the back with my website and the place and time of the book signing. I then left these cards in a few coffee houses, including Starbucks' bulletin board, at the Borders, and shoved into the January Intrigues at book stores! I also handed them out to friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and other soccer moms. I'm hoping for a good turn out, since it's a local signing. I had a bunch of people at my first book signing, but that was for my very first Intrigue and the excitement has worn off a little for my third (for them, never for me!).I'm always rearranging books in book stores these days. I'll straighten out the category romance section and make sure all the Intrigues are in their proper spots, all facing outward. If I have books on the shelves, I'll take them out and autograph them. I'm always making sure the Secrets volumes are in the right place and I always turn them so they're facing forward.
Talk about hands-on promo, I personally sold one copy of my book today. I went to Target after work to pick up some of those boxes of candy conversation hearts so my son can hand them out to his 5th grade class (he's too cool for actual Valentine's cards now, and I was in such a rush I didn't realize I had bought the Spanish version of the hearts - Hola, Dulce, etc.) and some red and silver chocolate kisses to put out at my book signing. I moseyed over to the book section because I had shoved my postcards in the previous month's Intrigues about a week ago (that's when my son saw Wee Man from Jackass at Target, but that's another story). ANYWAY, an older woman was browsing the books when I crouched down and realized the Feb. Intrigues were on the shelf, including Circumstantial Memories. So I yanked the books off the shelf and started signing them. I asked the woman next to me if she read Harlequin Intrigues, and she said she didn't read them often because they were too short for her. I told her I was signing my book (how cool is that?), and she got interested. When I finished signing the books, I started to walk away and realized I didn't leave any postcards in the books. So I went back to do that and the woman had grabbed one of my books. Woo hoo! One book at a time!
So if you're in Southern California and want a chocolate kiss and maybe a few Spanish language candy conversation hearts, drop by the Borders in El Segundo! Gracias y abrazos y besos!
6 comments:
That sounds like fun, Carol!! Best of luck at the signing. Sell lots!! :)
Carol, good luck at the signing. I finished CM this morning. I loved it!!! You need a street team so you don't have to handturn all those books yourself.
Vonda, I've invited enough people where I won't be sitting there by myself - at least not for too long.
Jill, I'm glad you enjoyed CM! I've been known to send my husband into book stores for recon missions too. He was skulking around the erotic romance section waiting for an opportunity to move a Secrets volume, and a store employee was watching him. LOL I told him she probably thought he was a perv getting his jollies looking at the covers.
Hi, Carol!
Wishing you much success at your booksignings :) Can't wait to read Circumstantial Memories!
Best wishes for continued success,
Shawna
We were set up in a really lousy location last time I did one, with 2 other authors whose books were way too different than mine, so no draw there either. I'm talking like historical fiction, no romance, metaphysical religious...and here I am with my werewolf book, a vampire teen romance, and a Highlander romance, so way different. At least no one had a picture book. :)
But I spied this lady with a handful of paranormals and I had to make myself sit! And not jump up, chase her down, and give her a spiel. Luckily, she came to the table and bought one of everything I had. :) The romance was so far away, we were set up by reference books and I just knew anyone looking for what I wrote would never make it to the table!
But I sell a ton more books by signing them beforehand and then again after I leave. :) So good luck and have fun! :)
Thanks, Shawna.
Terry, I only ever do book signings at my local Borders or at the Barnes and Noble where my local RWA chapter holds its meetings. I have a great turn out at the Borders because I tell all my friends, my co-workers, my acquaintances, my kids' teachers, my kids' friends' parents, and so on. My husband tells all his co-workers, his friends, his Aikido dojo.. I live in a "small town" (population about 15,000) plopped in the middle of Los Angeles, so we have a small town atomosphere here and everyone is very supportive. I think I sold about 50 copies of my first book at the Borders signing. Not sure I'll sell as many this time because this my third book, not my first, but I should do OK. Should be fun!
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