Author: Sandra Herner May 29, 2018

Do you have printed copies of your book and wish you could “get them out there.” Well, summer is a great time for selling books. From leisurely beach reads and books tucked in a car for travel to simply mentally escaping the heat and reality, people love to buy books in the summer.

Plus people are heading for daytime fairs and local events as well as evening readings and groups during the long summer days.

Here’s how to gear up to take advantage of these months and sell your books!

Personal Appearance Book Events

If you are willing to “put yourself out there,” selling face-to-face is great way to sell your books. These events can include:

• Live readings at organizations
• Conferences
• Book fairs
• Local bookstore signings

Show Up and Be Up

However, just being at one of these events doesn’t mean people will flock to buy your book. Don’t hide behind a table! You need to greet readers with a smile and engage them in a discussion about your book (not easy for all writers!).

The best advice is to have fun and look at this as an opportunity to talk to a lot of people about your book. This is networking, and it can provide great, unexpected opportunities.

When possible, stand to talk because you can meet people at eye-level and have a better chance of actual engagement.

Speak Up

Make eye contact, then say something that suits you and your book, and that cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” For instance,

• Who is your favorite mystery author?
• What do you think of the latest ______ movie? (something in your book’s genre)
• What book are you reading now?
• Where are you from? (in a venue with out-of-towners)

Mention anything that engages them and leads to something that fits your book’s genre, locale, or audience.

Once you’ve created an opening, tell them about your book. Be sure to have a pitch ready.

Your Book Pitch

Prepare a one-sentence pitch ahead of time that sums up your book. For instance, “My mystery book is about a beauty pageant winner who is suspected of being a serial killer.”

Or: “My short story collection is a humorous take on zombies, where the zombie leader is trying to save the world from evil.”

Or: “My book is about a genius lab assistant who volunteers to be cloned, only to discover there are already clones of him.”

Mention the bits that create intrigue or fun. Hand them your book to hold and look at while you pitch your story.

As you deliver the pitch, it gives you the opening to reach out to them with a freebie.

Your Freebies

NOTE: You do not have to spend a lot of money on expensive items to give away.

Freebie #1: 

You can print bookmarks with an enticing book description and images. Be sure it clearly shows how to order your book. If the potential buyer objects, saying they only read e-books, immediately point out that the bookmark shows how to get it as an e-book. (I encourage you to have an e-book option available.)

Many writers skip the normal type business cards and bookmarks and make what is called a “cover card” instead. That’s a two-sided business card with the cover image of your book on one side and order info and website/social media on back.

Either way, they get to take something home for free. More important, it means you’ve made a personal contact, literally handing them something as you give your pitch. When you give away something for free, most people feel inclined to give you a moment’s opportunity to talk to them.

Expand on that one-sentence pitch if you see the opportunity but be brief.

If they are not familiar with your genre or subject, that can be great! You can explain why your book might be the perfect introduction for them to a new genre.

Freebie #2:

If they have paused a bit, are listening, or better yet talking to you, offer the second freebie: a copy of the first page of your story, including purchase information and your website address.

Some people may want to read the copied page right away. Let them. Afterwards, you can chat about questions they might have.

Others will just take it to read later, which is fine. Chat with them about where they are from, why they are here today, what they are interested in—no hard sell. You both want to be comfortable. Get to know them a bit and enjoy the conversation.

Close the Sale

If they seem interested, consider a closer:

“The retail price on Amazon is $15.99, but I’m selling them today for only $12, and I’d be glad to personally autograph it to you!”

If they decline, no problem! Let them know you are glad they stopped and you enjoyed chatting with them.

Plan to Reconnect

If they buy, ask for an email address for notices about sequels. Have a notebook with several email addresses already entered (even if they are a list you made of your own friends). Everyone likes to think they are part of a growing group.

Tell Friends, Coworkers, and the World

Don’t overlook the obvious: let everyone you know that you wrote a book! As with many other aspects of marketing, this is LESS about making a sale and MORE about networking. The more people who know what you’ve written, the more likely you will find opportunities to talk about your book and, yes, sell them, too.

Arthur Daigle, the author of several fantasy books, provided information on his publishing experience for my book, “How to Publish a Book, Novel, or Series.”  He says this:

“Your coworkers can help you.  I’ve found that many people were excited to hear that I’d written a book, and I’ve heard the same from other authors.  Chances are at least some of your coworkers are going to buy your book if they like you. That personal relationship means they’re also more likely to write reviews. You need reviews like you need air, so be nice to these people.”

SUMMARY

Again, remember any live event is primarily a networking opportunity. Use it as a chance to meet people and discover even other ways that your book—or your writing talents—may be discovered.