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Writing Advice

Reading it Right is Fundamental

By John R. Platt

If you haven’t done it already, it will happen.

Some day soon, you’re going to be standing in front of an audience, reading from your latest work. If it goes well, there’s no feeling like it. If it doesn’t ... it can be a crushing blow to a writer’s ego.

So ... why not hedge your bets, and make sure it goes well?

Publicity. Your reading starts well before the day you arrive at your local bookstore.

Most of the big bookstores print internal fliers for their customers. and send announcements of their upcoming events to newspapers. But don’t depend on them. Maker fliers of your own and leave them in places outside the bookstore. Call the local newspapers to see if they’ll do an article about you. Have other people call the newspapers to ask for information about your reading to display some interest in the event. Call the local radio stations. Check websites that list local events. Your goal here is to make sure that anyone looking for something to do knows about your reading.

Make a display of yourself. The bookstore will probably have something set up for your reading when you get there, but will it be enough? Signs, props, and other displays should promote you the way you want to be promoted. When you get to the store, leave them in your car until you see what the bookstore has set up, so you don’t offend them. If you need more, you have them as backup.

The play's the thing: Use a three-act structure. Start your reading with one small piece. No one shows up for these things on time, and you also want to pull in people from the store. After you’ve read the first part, re-introduce yourself and your book, then begin your second segment. This gives more people a chance to come and listen and feel like they are at the beginning of something. After your second reading, open the floor up to questions. Try to interact with your audience. They'll love you for it.

Oh, and Act Four is when you sit down, and they line up to buy your book. Keep chatting. Take your time. Enjoy!

The runner. The store might be full of people, but even with the right publicity, they won’t even have a clue that you’re there. Come to the reading with a friend, and give that person fliers to pass out around the store. These people are there to buy books, they just don’t know that they might be buying yours yet.

Practice makes perfect. Read your story several times before you get there, so you’re comfortable with it. Each time you read it, you’ll get a bit looser, more into the characters and their emotions, more into the pacing of the story. You’ll knock your audience out when you finally get to read it for them. Reading cold will just leave your audience cold.

Tag-team it. If you can team up with other local writers, there are more reasons for audience members to attend, more reasons for people to stay, and more chances to reach your future readers. It also puts less pressure on you.

Keep the magic alive. While people are there, get their addresses. Let them sign up for your mailing list. Use this list later on to promote your work as it becomes available for them to buy.

Send ‘em home happy. Don’t be disappointed in the people in your audience don’t buy your book. But don’t let them forget you; they might buy it later, or recommend it to friends. Have fliers ready so people can take your book’s name home with them, even if they don’t take the book itself. Bookmarks work really well for this.

Don’t let the bookstore over-order. Only let the bookstore order a few copies of the book, not a case of 50. You won’t sell them all, and publishers consider returns bad news. Also, having a stack of copies in front of you sends a message to potential buyers that no one else is buying. If you only have a few copies, then they assume that there’s already been a run on the book.

So what are you waiting for? Call your local bookstore today.

Sidebar:

Just doing a signing? No problem!

Most of the time when authors appear at bookstores, they're just signing, probably sitting behind a little desk or table with a pile of books in front of them and a smile on their face.

If this is you, then great, most of the above still applies. Definitely still do the publicity, definitely have hand-outs to keep your message going, definitely have ringers in the store to drum up interest.

Be friendly. Talk to people, but don't do the hard sell. People will resent it and walk away.

If your friends show up, don't spend all of your time talking to them. Anyone else will feel left out and not break in to the conversation.

I know several authors who bring in a bowl of candy or other treats to draw people in. They'll take the free stuff, and because they feel guilty about taking a candy bar and walking away, they'll stay and chat for a bit. Talk up the book.

Bring a really good pen or two. Anyone spending $8 to $25 on your book deserves an autograph that doesn't smear all over the place.

And most of all, don't be disappointed if you don’t sell too many books. Just sign the copies that are left, be very friendly to the bookstore staff, thank they for all of their help, and let those nice, friendly people who now know and like you talk up your book and sell it to customers days after you've gone home.