Cap Parlier
[Editor's Note: Cap Parlier has written two Commonwealth books, The Phoenix Seduction , a science fiction novel which has been picked up by national chains and the forthcoming book TWA 800 which he co-authored with Kevin E. Ready. Since Cap has been so successful in setting up dozens of author signings in the last few months for The Phoenix Seduction, we asked him if he could give our other authors some sage advice on book signings.]
Writing, by its nature, tends to be a solitary endeavor. While some authors manage to engage others in the creative process through research, reviewing, editing and whatnot, most of us do not enjoy Sir Winston Churchill's modus operandi of dictating volumes of literary work to a stream of secretaries. In my case, I take great pleasure in the quiet of the early morning hours when it is dark, quiet and solitary to spin the story in my mind and translate it into words on the page or the display screen. So, it should not be surprising to anyone, the enormous contrast an author feels when faced with public engagements like booksignings or readings. The creation process being almost the ultimate in solitary activities, and the selling process being virtually the other extreme as one of the most public and exposed events. The truth of the matter is public engagements to help sell your books are an essential, maybe even mandatory, part of being an author. It is one of the few, if not the only, time an author has to interact with readers of books, the very people who make writing worthwhile, whether you write to share your ideas and stories, or you strive for the mega-bucks and fame so distant for most of us. Sometimes, you may sit in a bookstore for several hours and feel like a fool or the stereotypical used car salesman and only sell one book. Then, the time will come when people appear from nowhere and want to talk about your book or the writing process. Each conversation, exchange of words or intercourse about the story becomes a pearl in a string that will someday become a beautiful necklace. Do not let the daunting sensations of rejection -- sitting there all alone -- turn you away from finding the pearls among the sand. As a new novelist, not familiar with public engagements and the etiquette of public engagements, I approached this task with some trepidation. How do I set these things up? How do they work? Who does what to whom? What is my responsibility, and what belongs to the bookstore or Community Relations Coordinator (CRC)? These questions and more flood in once your book has been published, printed and distributed. As the writing experience is personal and unique to each of us, so will be your efforts toward public engagements. There are some observations that may be helpful. Non-fiction appears to generate more interest in readings and discussions followed by signings. Fiction does not produce great demand for readings. The activities are not fundamentally different, so please allow this discussion to simplify to booksignings. Most publishers, Commonwealth Publications included, can not provide a great deal of assistance. They help as much as they can through materials like bookstands, posters (if available), promotional covers and the like, however the arrangements, publicity and coordination are largely your responsibility. If you have a friend, spouse, significant other or partner willing to help, any assistance is quickly amplified and can relieve considerable stress. The first step after you have a retail release date is establishing a contact list. The obvious starting point should probably be your favorite local bookstore no matter what size. You can usually obtain a listing of a chain's bookstores from the local CRC including Barnes & Noble, Borders, B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, among others. Another very helpful contact source is the World Wide Web. The American Booksellers Association maintains an excellent searchable database of independent bookstores in the US, Canada and other countries: As a new and generally unknown author, the CRC's will commonly ask for some specific information: Who are you? A short bio would be handy. What is your book about? A brief synopsis will do the trick. Do you have a press release, reviews or other media information about your work? Imagination helps here. Who distributes your book? Commonwealth has worked very hard to develop a relationship with the mainstream distributors: Ingram and also Partners. Have your ISBN number handy, that is how the bookstores will look up your book and order copies. Some bookstores will say, no thanks. Do not be offended. They are simply trying to reflect the desires of their clientele. There is nothing personal; it is just business. However, some will say, yes. With those bookstores and CRC's that want to see you, try to book an engagement time and date, six to eight weeks ahead, that is convenient for both of you. You might want to ask about high traffic times, potential conflicting events, local media contacts and any special requirements. Seek the store's help in talking to local media people for interviews or other public interest activities. If you arrange a booksigning at a major chain outlet like Barnes & Nobel or Super Crown in a metropolitan area, they often have a corner of their major newspaper advertising space set aside for special event notices. Ask to be included there. Even some smaller stores do such advertising, ask to be included if they do. You should define your limits and be prudent. Start close to home, so travel does not become an issue. Set an initial limit, say three to four hours driving time, so a booksigning can be done in a day...no hotel expenses. Since most of us have day jobs, the weekends or just one day of a weekend would probably be appropriate. It is critical that you keep a diary or notes of contact information, commitments, dates & times, and most important a calendar to keep your commitments straight and within easy reach. It is imperative that you present a professional image regardless of medium -- by telephone, the written word, or in person. Also, you might want to check with an accountant; most expenses incurred setting up and performing booksignings or readings can be considered selling expenses. Remember, this is business. You are not seeking the bookstore's assistance for personal gratification. You are there to help them sell books. Of course, your ulterior motive is to get your name in front of the reading public, meet your readers, try to develop new relationships with readers. But, it still boils down to business -- sell books, your books. There is much more to this aspect of being a published author. However, this should suffice for an opener. Good luck. Enjoy the experience.