Book Signing Observations

Having hosted over 250 authors and others at The Well Red Coyote during our first two years in business, I thought it might be interesting to write about some of our observations about these events.

A traditional book signing has the author sitting behind a table, informally discussing his or her book with whoever is interested, and hopefully signing copies for those who want to purchase it.

We usually host a more formal presentation, with the author discussing some aspect of the craft of writing and/or something about the book and its topic, followed by the book signing.

If you attend a book signing, there usually is no requirement that you have to buy the featured book. Although, some stores will require a purchase in order to get in to see the author, most, including us, do not.

But don’t be surprised or offended if the author asks you to buy a book, directly or indirectly. The primary reason for the book signing, after all, is to sell books. That is why the author is there in person.

Don’t buy the book on Amazon.com and bring it in for the author to sign. This is offensive to the author and to the bookstore hosting the book signing. You can better support both by purchasing it at the bookstore – the author earns a larger royalty and the bookstore offsets some of its promotional costs of hosting the event.

If you would like the author to sign copies of his or her previous books that you already own, check with the bookseller first. This is almost always okay, but it’s best to be sure before you walk in with an armful of books. Most authors are in fact very flattered when longtime fans show up with old copies of their books.

Last and not least – this actually happens more than I would have ever expected – if you decide to buy the book, don’t offer to pay the author directly. When you go out to dinner, you don’t pay the chef for making your dinner, you pay the restaurant. Same thing with book signings – you pay the bookstore for the book. Don’t worry. The author will eventually get paid for the book you bought.

Book signings and author appearances are a lot of fun, for the reader, author and bookseller. They are wonderful opportunities to literally “read between the lines” of a book and discover more than what appears on the printed page. Hope to see you soon.