READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 Vol. 1 Issue 5 November 2013 | Page 32
By Anna Renault
www.annarenault.com
Book Fair, Expo's and Book Signings
For readers, book fairs and expo's are
excellent opportunities to be exposed to
new authors, to see some of the latest
books and to see what's hot and what's
not. These events can be great fun and a
chance to support some worthy causes,
especially when sponsored by local nonprofits. What a win-win situation to find
great reading material while supporting
worthy causes.
Book signings on the other hand are
usually more targeted to one author, one
genre and perhaps a smaller opportunity
to see what's hot and what's not. If the
author is extremely well-known,
needless to say there will be a very long
line in which a reader will stand in order
to get just a few seconds with the author
as the signature is obtained.
However, if it is a fledgling new author,
the crowd is much smaller and one has
the opportunity to actually engage the
author in conversation. One has the
chance to hear the who, what, when,
where and why of how the book came to
be. What a great opportunity to actually
get to know the author. Who knows you
may be able to brag one day that you
know the author. You will be able to
have the chance to regale your friends
with when and where YOU met the
author and what you talked about! It can
be fun to see the awe in the faces of
your friends when you tell the story.
On the other hand, from the author
standpoint, book fairs and expos can be
very long, tiring events that may or may
not be profitable. One is sharing the
limelight with other authors and sharing
all the potential customers with the
other authors participating in the event.
Is the book fair one particular genre?
Will your book catch the eye of a large
group of attendees? Will you get to talk
with and interact with customers who
are eager to learn who you are and why
you wrote the book?
Book signings, again, often focus on just
one author – you. Are you excited to be
invited to do a book signing at the local
book store? Are you eager to meet your
adoring audience? OR, are you afraid
that you will sit at the store and pray
someone shows up to buy your book?
Will you sit there fearful that customers
will walk on past your table and not give
you book a cursory glance?
OR, do you have a best seller on your
hands and the customers are lined up,
eagerly awaiting your autograph on the
book they just purchased? Isn't it
wonderful to see so many books selling,
so many happy readers impatiently
waiting for their turn to stand before you
hoping they will have the chance to have
a few brief moments of your time? Have
you decided that you will simply write
the same little one line message to
everyone before signing your name? Are
you willing to personalize each
autograph based on the customers'
wishes? Is your hand beginning to cramp
after signing book after book after book?
Do you notice your enthusiasm begin to
subside and tiredness begin to set in,
perhaps your back has begun to ache?
Oh, as a new author isn't this a dreamcome-true?
As a reader which is your preference? Do
you prefer to go to the book fairs and
meet lots of authors, browse through
lots and lots of books in one place? Have
you attended such events, met a new
author, and fallen in love with their
book? Has meeting the author
personally added to your enjoyment of
reading the book?
As an author, do you get excited about
each and every book signing you attend?
Do you find the positives from each
experience? Are there lessons learned
from the signing when you have few
readers stop by to see you book? Are
you still animated about your product
after a few hours of sitting beside your
book which is selling or not? Are you
thrilled to have finger cramps, realizing it
means you sold lots of books?
Is there a pearl of wisdom here for the
reader, for the author to consider as we
move forward in the world of book
publishing? What will you do differently
in 2014? How will your reading/writing
experience change? Feel free to send
me your comments through my website:
www.annarenault.com
Happy Day to all.