Lessons Learned at a Book Signing

by Elva Cobb Martin

Recently we were invited to participate in a book signing at our local YMCA. My first two romance novels won't be released until March and May of 2017. However, I did have a non-fiction mini-book I indie published on Amazon, Power Over Satan, a primer on our authority in Christ. So-o-o I was happy to accept this invitation for my first real book signing. Here's the link to the book:
buff.ly/1NUkfYD

A dear friend, Edie Melson, also accepted the invitation, and I was blessed to share a table with her.  She arrived before I did and set up our table close to the refreshment table the YMCA provided for the event. I told her that had to be a smart idea. 
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I learned several neat things from Edie who has done multiple book signings. She came with a big chart of her book cover of While My Child is Away, which is a wonderful book of prayers and devotions for parents. She also had a neat freebie, her own designed book mark on a chain with a bird charm on one end and a tag on the other that included the title of her book on one side and her social media info on the other side. She brought book holder/picture frames to stand her books up and she loaned some to me.

I ordered a 11x17 chart of my front and back cover from VistaPrint.com. I folded this just like it was a book cover and wrote $5.00 in the corner so everyone could easily see my price. I stood this up on a book frame.

To advertise my coming novels, my prep included making an 8-1/2 x 11 advertising sheet on card stock of my two novels coming out, Summer of Deception (March, 2017, Prism Book Group) and In a Pirate's Debt (May, 2017 Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas). I included titles, release date, and a photo from my file on each book. This also went on a book frame.

 I brought a small basket lined with colorful gemstones (collected with my gemstone-happy grandson) to stash my business cards in. My books were being sold for $5 so I also brought some change in a bank bag. (At the time I had a Square on order to take credit cards, but it had not arrived.)

So there Edie and I were, all ready to sell our books. We took some pictures, we smiled, we chatted with passersby and we waited. Two hours. 

Lots of folks walked right by our table on their way to the refreshment table. A very few stopped, glanced at our books and most said something like:

"Oh, these are nice but, sorry, I didn't bring my pocketbook into the gym."  (HOW could we forget that most people don't??)

One dear lady told me, "I really need your book. I'm going to the car and get my $5.00."

God bless that dear one! I finally did sell three books.

What I Learned from My Book Signing Experience:

•  Gyms are NOT a good place to sell books.                      
• Books priced over $10 will most likely not sell well these days. One author had a book for sale at $29. 

•  It's good to have a freebie to give away. OrientalTrading.com is a good place to buy trinkets that might go along with your book. Edie got her bird charms there. I can't wait to look for small ships or pirate stuff for In a Pirate's Debt. I will have tea bag freebies for Summer of Deception which is set on a Charleston Tea Plantation. And I will have an antique tea pot or cup on the table!          
•  Even with low sales, I felt I made some good contacts.                                                                            
• I enjoyed fellowship with other authors.

Thanks  for stopping by. Have you suggestions or insights for a book signing?  I  have another coming up in December. . .

Onward!
Elva Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 8 Importance of Conferences, Writing Groups and Writers' Blogs

by  Elva Cobb Martin  @ElvaCobbMartin

I've not blogged for several weeks due to being busy with book edit rounds! It's been a crazy summer and start of fall editing TWO books with two different editors. I will eventually share some great things I've learned, including how important good editors are. They do make our books much better.

Today I want to share the next step to my first book contract. 

Writing conferences, writing groups, critique partners and following good writing blogs have all been part of helping me finally gain a book contract.

As a writer you may feel like or wish to be a loner, but this is not going to fly well today. Networking is important. Many people helped me along the way to a contract. I appreciate them all and hope I, in turn, have helped others.

Writing Conferences

Some great coming conferences I've attended or can recommend, along with their links are: 

• Feb. 17-19, 2017, Asheville Christian Writers; Conference. (formerly Boot Camp)  http://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/

• Feb. 22-26, 2017,  Florida Christian Writers’ Conference, Lake Yale Conference Center,  Leesburg, Florida    http://www.floridacwc.net

• March 10-11, Carolina Christian Writers Conference, Spartanburg First Baptist    www.fbs.org/writers

• May 21-25, Blue Ridge Mtns. Christian Writers Conference, Ridgecrest  http://www.blueridgeconference.com/2017-info

• Sept. 21-24, ACFW Premier Christian Fiction Conference, Texas  www.acfw.com/conference

I consider money spent for conferences, which I have to carefully plan and budget for, is an investment in my writing success. And I keep detailed records for tax deductions for all my writing expenses, including conferences.

My first book contract offer for my inspirational romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, actually came after I attended and pitched it to a Prism Book Group editor at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had 26 rejections of query letters and partial submissions by email before that. Of course, I kept improving my craft after each rejection, but I think the face-to-face contact helped slide me over into a book contract offer. Summer of Deception will be  released  March, 2017.

Writing Groups

Along with conferences, I have been blessed by my participation in several writing groups: our ACFW-SC chapter of which I am president; Cross N Pens, which meets in Simpsonville, SC, and Yvonne Lehman's writing group which I attend when I can in Black Mountain, NC. The critique times in these groups helped me plough through quite a few craft items I needed to improve.

Great Writers' Blogs to Follow:

http://www.thewriteconversation.com

http:/www.seekerville.blogspot.com 

http://www.writerswrite.co.za 
http://www.romanceuniversity.org

I skim these blogs and print out the ones I need to study further. 

Which conferences, writing groups, or blogs have helped you along the way?

All the above things have helped me gain a book contract. But I will never discount the fact that finding time to daily study the Bible and pray over my writing have been the key to any success I've enjoyed and much smoother sailing.

Yes, my second novel, you guessed it, is from the pirate era! In a Pirate's Debt is to be released by Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas next May.

So glad you stopped by. Do leave a comment and share this on your social media if you think it helpful to others.

Elva Martin