I developed the following guidelines for Five Rivers’ writers as a way of preparing them for book signing events. I thought perhaps some of you might find them of use as well.

1. Dress appropriately. Think casual business or professional boho. Studies prove people are attracted to a professional, good-looking person and will often rate a person’s performance or product higher based upon that appearance. Sounds unfair, but it is a fact.

2. Show up for your signing about fifteen minutes early. Introduce yourself to the manager. At the very least introduce yourself to the handiest Customer Service Representative (CSR) and ask that they let the manager know you’re here.

3. Suss out the table you’ve been assigned, and re-arrange if necessary so that some books are upright, face out, so customers can see the covers, and try to stack as many as possible to create visual interest by varying heights. Marketing studies prove that customers prefer to purchase from areas that appear to be well-stocked, rather than ones that are sparsely arrayed. Stacking and elevating your books gives the appearance of abundance = success = something worthy of the customer’s time and money. Make sure not to place any stacks directly in front of you, as that gives the appearance of being shielded and unapproachable. You want to make yourself open and accessible.

4. Turn off your cell phone, and keep your pen handy (you did remember to bring your own pen).

5. When doing your signing remember you are there for two purposes only:

     a. promote your name and your books

     b. sell books

6. Engage customers as they approach. Try to establish eye-contact, smile disarmingly, ask them how they are, even introduce yourself as the author du jour and give your name.

7. Prepare a mental synopsis for your books so that it will be easy to give a pithy, hard-to-ignore pitch to the customers once they finally do stop.

8. Encourage customers to pick up the book. Studies prove that if a customer handles a product, they are far more likely to purchase than if they don’t handle the product.

9. Encourage dialogue. By doing so you increase the likelihood of a sale.

10. Do not under any circumstances eat while doing your signing. Having a refreshment at hand to wet the whistle is perfectly acceptable (water bottle, coffee/tea/juice.) Munching on chips or a muffin is not under any circumstances acceptable. It creates an unprofessional image and you want to maximize your public appearance in order to make that all-important sale.

11. Do not under any circumstances read while doing your signing. It gives the appearance you’re un-interested and simply putting in time. If you’re not interested, and not interested in the customers, why should they be interested in you and your books? You can’t expect a customer to simply wander over to your table and purchase your books simply because you’ve committed the act of writing. They don’t know who you are, and frankly couldn’t care less. You’re not Atwood or Clancy, King or Rushdie. There are no line-ups to indicate you’re someone special and worthy of their time. There are no media or paparazzi present to indicate an event of newsworthy proportions. To them you’re nobody. For all they know you’re some CSR from the store attempting to sell them something they don’t want. It’s up to you to win them over with charm, grace, and wit, get that book into their hands and at the cash desk.

12. Always be sure to offer to sign the book a customer purchases, ask to whom shall you sign, and enclose a bookmark with the book so they can refer to Five Rivers’ website and link to any other books you may have written.

13. Do not leave your signing table for any reason other than a bathroom break, and if you do the latter try to let a CSR know where you’re going. They will often cover for you while you’re gone.

14. Don’t shop, don’t wander. Glue yourself to that chair, engage the customer, sell the books. There’s nothing that will turn off a customer, and a store manager, more than an author who doesn’t do everything possible to sell the books the manager has purchased specifically for that event. Doing a successful signing is, in fact, hard work, or it should be.

15. When your time is up leave the table, seek out the manager, or if they are not available a CSR, thank them for having you, for putting on the event (even if the event sucked), and mention that you look forward to working with them again. Make it clear you consider yourself part of their team. It will go a long way toward fostering a solid business relationship upon which future promotions can be built.

By following these guidelines you will realize not only increased sales numbers at your events, meaning more royalties, but engender the good will of managers. And that good will is all important, as it determines how likely they are to keep your books beyond the required 60 days after a signing. It determines how likely they are to face your books on the shelf. It determines how likely they are to encourage staff to read the books and recommend them. Very often it is the follow-on sales that count the most. And you, after all, would like to see a healthy royalty statement, wouldn’t you?

Over the past three years, I’ve developed and used these practices, and have completed 30 successful signings. Sales during my signings usually account for about 50 to 75% of the event stock being sold during the event, with less than 1% returns, and subsequent invitations from store managers to return for special events. Usually any remaining stock sells out within the next six months, and in about 30% of the cases have meant buyers have listed my books as regular inventory for that location. That results in restocking orders. And that results in better royalties.