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.