Still happy to snag a few signing appearances, given that Matchmaker, Matchmaker has been in release since January, I happily took my Mont Blanc in hand and showed up at B & N in Denver this past Sunday. What a fun time! I call my signings "cold calls" as I show up and see what happens (as opposed to having an agent or publicist contact newspapers, radio stations, etc, to announce my comings and goings. Maybe in my next life, huh). The community specialist at B & N in Glendale was wonderful, giving me a huge publicity sign and a comfortable chair. Of course a chair is a no-no at a signing. You need to engage and energize the literary public that happen by; hard to do if you're sitting down I think. With props (Chanukah sugar cookies and signed bookmarks) in hand I had so much fun conversing with history buffs, medical folks, teachers, and lovers of historical romance. It doesn't get much better than that. I sold some books and signed a few to leave in-store.
My library booktalk in the mountains, while not as well attended as my Denver signing, taught me a thing or two about marketing. No matter how much you publicize things (despite the local newspaper not listing the word "signing" in the promo blurb, daggone it), don't plan any events during the month of December, especially in the mountains, on a freezing night in the snow, and expect the folks to come. If you build it, they don't necessairly come! I'm learning, albeit slowly. A brave, sincere, few showed up for my booktalk and some even bought books. Thank you!!!! You all know who you are. Although my ego is a bit bruised, I don't fault mountain kith and kin. I blame myself for my ill-timed marketing effort.
The "marketing sweats" come in all kinds of ways; not just waiting for reviews to come in. Oy vey! I experienced a few anxiety pangs Monday night but such is the nature of the marketing beast.
Shalom,
Joanne
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