THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

In the fourteen months since my first book was published, my wife and I have participated in twenty-eight book signing events.
Our experience at these events has made one thing abundantly clear --- nobody really cares!
Oh sure, if you send invitations to your close friends and family, they will come. But let's face it, they would come to see your dog being shaved if you ask them nice enough.
We have had book signings at libraries, bookstores, craft fairs, senior centers and shopping malls, and at each event, people pass within inches of us and it's like we're invisible.
We have a ten foot table with all twelve of my books and a huge sign saying "Meet The Author". How can you miss it?
Now I can understand folks shying away from a grizzled, grey-haired, sixty-seven year old guy, but my wife is eye candy!
Actually, I really do understand. When I put myself in their place, I do the same thing.
When I see one of those guys at the mall demonstrating those super chamois things that soak up gallons of water, I am curious, but I stay just far enough away so that the guy can't engage me in conversation.
Same thing.
We've learned one important lesson; if you don't talk to people, you won't sell books.
There's a really fine line between engaging people in conversation and being a pest. You can't just reach out and grab them.
The upside is that when people do stop to talk to us, we'll sell a book about 50% of the time.
I don't try to talk to people who ignore me completely or rush by like their pants are on fire, but when someone slows to see what's on the table, I know I have about 5 seconds to capture their interest.
"Are you a book reader?" works in craft fairs and senior centers, but is redundant in bookstores and libraries.
"What kind of books do you like?" sometimes works.
"Do you have any book readers on your Christmas list?" works around the holidays.
Sometimes I feel like the schmuck at the singles bar who sidles up beside the girl and says "Hi babe, what's your sign?" Not the greatest pick-up line.
If you have some successful lines that have worked for you, I'd love to hear them.
My email is [email protected]
Lady Justice Mystery/Comedy Novel Series
booksbybob.com

Senior citizens fighting crime, a laugh-out-loud mystery series

I keep thinking of Joey from Friends, "How are you doing?" :-)

You definitely want an open-ended question to get people into a conversation. You might consider:

"What do you look for in a good book?
"What book are you currently reading?"
"What is your favorite book"

Then you can use these answers accordingly to draw them into your work. If they like mysteries or comedies you have an easy in. If they don't, you can still suggest your work as a break from their normal genre.

I might be doing a book signing this summer and I'm nervous about that whole trying to get attention.

Haha oh Joey

"--- nobody really cares!" BINGO! Congrats, you got it. Sorry it took you a dozen books to come to that realization. LMAO I know it's not nice to laugh, but maybe now you can laugh, too. We all tend to take ourselves a little bit too seriously when it comes to our books (opps, I meant 'novels'), that masterpieces of achievement we worked so hard on for the pleasure of everyone else. How painful it is to learn that everyone else is an ingrate!
Mom expects a free copy, signed btw. The rest of your family is sick of hearing about it. And your 'friends' want a discount larger than your royalties. If you can't show any profit from your friends and family, who's left? Your enemies? good luck; they wouldn't take a free copy. Author is a thankless profession... lonely, too.

haha great view

J. wrote: ""--- nobody really cares!" BINGO! Congrats, you got it. Sorry it took you a dozen books to come to that realization. LMAO I know it's not nice to laugh, but maybe now you can laugh, too. We all..."

Yeah, J ... that pretty much covers it. I had several friends who expected that I just got a big ol' box of author copies for free (doesn't happen) and that I could just hand them out like candy.

That's why we do marketing ... and we try as many things as possible. Some of them will work, some won't. And we just keep soldiering on.

my dad thinks I have an endless supply to give out not my friends. i have to remind him i have to order like everyone else.

I tell em,'Friends pay'. Real friends that is. cost me a lot of friends. but then again... did it?

Just heard a good Holiday mkt tip, from a really great promo genie. This idea is hot, people pay a lot of money for info like this; guaranteed to move a shitload of books for ya. Usually I keep ideas like this to myself, but I'm in a Holiday mood, so take advantage:

Kindle is the #3 xmas present. Put a nice downloadable tag anyone can print and cut on ur site or FB with your smashword free code to put in stockings or to include with a Kindle bow. Think about it? too cool,eh?
Think about this,too. The best mkting idea for the holiday season, the best op you'll have all year to move a few books,is a clever way to give it away for free!
roll eyes, head/desk, WTF, i gotta find another profession...

(tapping cigar).... "Wanna be a movie star schweethaht?"

Oh, you mean book pickup lines B^).

"What's the last thing you read, and what did you like about it?"

Ron, I'd venture that your book sales are better than your sex life, but I wouldn't call it a sure bet. :):)

LOL!

Kyle wrote: "I keep thinking of Joey from Friends, "How are you doing?" :-)

You definitely want an open-ended question to get people into a conversation. You might consider:

"What do you look for in a good b..."

Sorry, Kyle, but you've got it wrong. The line is "How you doin'?" Trust me. After twenty years living & working in Brooklyn I find I do it myself.

Ever notice when you meet a book writer how they immediately say, "Imanauthor", like it's the name on their birth certificate? And not much else to say after that.
For pick-up lines, I find that handing her a bookmark with my contact info attached to a French Tickler kills two birds... especially if she's into Erotica. If she's a Vamp freak, though, you gotta be a little cautious.

haha wow

I always have difficulty approaching a writer, even at a signing. After I've said, "I really enjoyed (fill in title)", I draw a blank, standing there pretty much looking like an idiot. The weird thing is that I am friends with several authors who I have known for years, with whom I have socialized. I know they are 'real people' but it doesn't keep me from being tongue-tied around others I do not know.

Steve wrote: "I always have difficulty approaching a writer, even at a signing. After I've said, "I really enjoyed (fill in title)", I draw a blank, standing there pretty much looking like an idiot. The weird t..."

I recently had a horribly embarrassing experience while introducing a wonderful Urban Fantasy writer I know and respect at a conference -- forgetting every single one of her titles. My only minuscule redemption was remembering her main character's name.

The instant I arrived home from the conference I put all of her titles on a sticky note which is STILL on the wall above my monitor.