You’ve done all of the hard work of writing and publishing your book. But what about offline events for marketing it? These are gaining traction once again, and could still be a great way to attract a whole new fan base. Even though you might be doing well online, meeting people directly could help boost awareness and word of mouth for your publication.

Many authors still engage in book signing events in order to further market their book to a select niche group in their local area. Not only can you attract the media, but also generate more of a buzz for your new title. Are you ready to get started? Here are a few ways to make an in-person promotion successful.

Getting Your Ducks in a Row

Make a Calendar date and time

We all have busy schedules, and so it is important to decide in advance what day of the week and time will work best. Many times authors choose the weekends when more people are out and about. Find out the hours of the location(s) where you would like to set this up and ask the person in charge what the dates they recommend.

Manage your book signing day by creating a start and end time that works for you and the location. This could vary anywhere from one hour to up to three hours. It’s up to you on how long you want to be there and how many different venues you will attend. Consider doing a talk that will bring interest that is aligned with your topic (not a sales pitch).

How to Find the Best Location

The right venue for your book signing is vital to the success of how many people will choose to attend. Make sure you choose a place that has good foot traffic and possibly a lot of tourists.

Many libraries offer free space for authors to make an appearance and even post flyers for you to their patrons. Coffee shops and meeting halls are other good choices of where people gather. Here is how to decide which one is right for you:

• Size of the venue

If you have not been to the space before be sure to go and check it out for yourself. Is it a small space with limited capacity? Or is it more wide open allowing for a greater attendance? The location of where book signings take place should also be considered for best visibility. 

• ADU friendly

You want all different types of people to be able to attend your event. There are those who use wheelchairs, canes, walkers, or people who don’t drive and choose public transportation. How accessible is the building for visitors?

• Standing or sitting

If you plan to have a sit-down event then you will want to determine how many seats can be placed in the room. If it a stand-only event consider a shorter period of time. Also remember while some venues include audio equipment, many do not and you might need to rent those types of services separately. Small venues will not require this.

• Free or paid parking

Some places have paid parking lots or street parking while others have open parking. If the parking is too limited then you may not have enough attendees for all the work you put into your event.

Private versus public

Will this be more of an exclusive event for those in your network or will it be open to the public? Some choose the private route initially depending on their goals such as attracting journalists to secure print visibility and book reviews.

Use your own personal and online resources to contact others and let them know about your event. Get the word out well ahead of time in order to attract the most people.

Will food and drinks be offered?

Catered events are a great way to attract attendees. This could be sold at a low ‘cost per plate’ with a small menu or offered for free. If you choose to host an event in a coffee shop consider coordinating with the owner on any food and drink promotions, which can be a win-win for both of you.

The most popular choices for foods are sandwiches, cookies, water, and a punch bowl. You can go as fancy as you like or keep it simple.

Want to go big? Consider a catered sit-down event or a buffet-style where people can choose what they would like.

Create a timeline for your event day

For larger events consider a specific order of what will happen in your designated time frame. Get this printed out and ready to hand out to guests – this works well especially for sit-down, catered book signings where you will be talking about your work and answering questions.

Getting the Word Out

Once you have your event ready and on the calendar, the next step is to create a marketing campaign to get ‘butts in seats’. There are several ways to approach this including an email announcement, videos on social media, and reminders to your fans and followers.

Have a website in place

A professional presentation to others requires you have an online presence. This could be a simple website where people can learn more about you or a dedicated sales page about your book and you.

If you have a blog this could also be an advantage to you as an author as you create posts leading up to your book signing event.

Lead others to Your Social Media Accounts

As you meet people in person you will want to encourage them to follow you on your social networks. This will give you an opportunity to further engage with them and keep them updated on your topic of interest. The more they get to know you personally the more they will spread the word about your book.

Choose the right platforms that fit your audience. For example, if you are a business book author then you will want to start interacting on LinkedIn. If your book is fiction then Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook are good places to find groups and tweet chats.

Use these tips to maximize your social media marketing plan:

• Update your profiles to showcase your book.
• Create a Facebook event for both your profile and page and share that with your friends and Fans.
• Use direct messaging to reach out to your network.
• Create videos that you can share on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
• Provide regular tweets updating your followers on Twitter.
• Use LinkedIn to write blog posts and promote your book to your network.

Be Prepared Before the Event

Utilizing a Photographer and/or a Videographer

If it’s in your budget you’ll want to consider hiring a professional to get your images and videos online. This is especially important to share on your social media accounts for more visibility.

You can also consider getting a professional event planner on board who can guide you through the process. They will work with the venue, caterers, and photographer/videographer in coordinating your day/evening event.

Publish a Press Release

It’s fairly simple to create a press release announcement before your event. Because it is considered news there is a chance that a local media outlet will pick up your story and help promote your event. It’s best to pay for a service in order to produce the most professional content as many of those services have editors who overlook the copy.

What Should You Talk About?

Your attendees will want to know more about you. Sometimes this is announced by a host, and other times you will be introducing yourself. Either way be prepared ahead of time on what will be said to your audience that explains not only who you are but how you can help them.

Remember that people want to know more about how you came to write the book and why. They might have some personal questions; as well as, what you like most about your work. You just never know what someone is going to ask, so you will want to be ready for any wild card questions that come up.

Choose a Printer for a Poster

Unless you have graphic design experience you will want to hire a professional graphic design service to create flyers and posters for your event. Many times these will be placed in the front window of your event location or on a stand inside the venue. This should match your current branding a book cover design.

If it’s a larger crowd you might want to rent a screen for a PowerPoint/presentation along with a microphone. Consider all of the necessary items needed well before the event takes place. 

What To Expect During a Book Signing

Speaking to the Public

If you are more of an introvert and do not speak in public very much then you’ll want to get comfortable with this by hosting a few webinars or creating some videos. This is a good way to know how to handle any questions or comments about you and your book.

Some authors will start with small events to become more comfortable with public speaking. Invite your friends and family to attend so they can offer support and encouragement.

As the host, you want to try to make your guests feel comfortable. Try not to be offended at odd questions or comments and focus on the positive during your time together. A coordinator or staff member can also help you manage the crowd.

Bring a guest book for people to fill out and leave information such as an email, address and telephone number. In order to nurture them as your fans, you will want to stay in touch with them.

Your Appearance Matters

Everyone has a different style and look. The most important thing is to be professional, welcoming, neat and clean, and be yourself. Choose attire that is neutral and avoid wearing things like sunglasses or hats during your book signing. Having said that, if wearing a hat is part of your brand, then do so!

The more friendly you are towards others the better perception they will have of you as an author. Remember that word of mouth spreads quickly, especially online, and so you will want to do your best to make a good impression.

Most importantly – just be who you are and appear naturally to your audience. People shy away from those whom they perceive to be fake or not authentic. Be your genuine self.

What is the Goal of Your Book Signing?

There are many different reasons to engage in a book signing event. This could include creating more awareness of you as an author, generating local book sales, attracting media attention, and more. 

In order to make it a success you will want to give yourself plenty of time to promote and invite others. The event should be a great time for everyone involved, including you! Thank your audience for attending and consider giving them a freebie for participating.

Post Book Signing

Instead of jumping right back into the work of marketing and promotion you will want to give yourself some time to rest and reflect on how well things went and what you could have done better. Once you have done this then follow up with those who were in attendance and gather some feedback.

Share Your Story on Social Media

People love to see personal and behind the scenes posts and videos. Don’t wait too long to share your experiences with others, and give time for any comments they might have.

Blog About the Event

Maximize your exposure online and write a blog post with detailed images and videos, which can also be cross-promoted on social media. This will not only attract more subscribers, but create a tangible record of your progress as an author.

Low Cost Book Signings Online

If you are not ready to meet people in person yet, then consider hosting a virtual book signing event, and invite people using services like Zoom or Google. People can engage with you fro all over the world — no need for choosing a venue or other service!

These types of events are becoming more popular, and are a great way to lead into a meeting later on at an actual place.