My First Book Signing

I’m grinning today. I had my first book signing and I was pleased with how it went. I had visions of a lonely long wait with a few books in front of me and no one caring. It helps that it was local and I have a friends and family that thought it was a very cool thing to happen.

The place was the local Barnes and Nobles and I set it up about two months ago, though I contacted them in august to make sure they would be carrying the book. It’s the little details that can help. I stopped by the bookstore several times, but in the end it was all by email. My contact there, who is the community liaison, gave me her card initially and when I kept missing her, I finally emailed. My first impression...I personally think that she was planning to get a couple of books and do a signing, but as a debut author she really wasn’t excited or enthusiastic. As a matter of fact, there were three book signings going on at the same time as mine in different genres. Which sort of signified the importance she placed on my novel.

I had scheduled to have my hair cut, colored and highlighted early in the day, so that it was looking fine for signing. I love my hair stylist. She is wonderful, but her idea of hair with volume and mine are slightly different. She had my hair in a style I don’t normally wear, pumped up on steroids. I warned her that I would be putting a comb through it when I left, so she brought it down some. I know I was driving her nuts, but heck it was my day. I only combed it twice before getting to the signing, and it did look fabulous. Thanks Krystal!

Trouble was that I scheduled a 1030 appt and didn’t get out until 1pm. My family tried to cut in line in front of me with my girl Krystal and made me run late. I rushed to my sisters with my change in clothes to find a large lunch ready with family and a bottle of Champagne opened and a toast. This was very touching to me, but I was also stressing because I had to be there at 2pm and still needed to put on makeup, change and get there. Needless to say, I managed to walk into the bookstore at 2:01. On the first floor was the ex congress man with a line of elder people waiting to get their book. Next to him was the Liaison woman, who really is a nice lady. She sent me to the top of the escalator where the romances are stocked and there was a table with my books all over it and a sign.

I’ve been reading where several authors’ recommend what you need for a books signing, so I brought some of my promo materials, bookmarks and some cool little coasters I’d made for the Lori Foster’s get together. I got this wonderful gift last Christmas from my niece, which was an engraved pen with my Pen name. (LOL) I loved it! I also had a 17 by 11 cover art blown up and put on a board and brought that with a stand. I sat down pulled out my few things and started smiling. When the Liaison came up to me a few minutes later, she told me that my book had been selling like hot cakes and she had another box of books she could bring out if I went through what was in front of me. I have to tell you that was very nice to hear.

My family came around and added moral support, but quite a few of my coworkers and friends came with books they’d already bought to have signed and then more came to buy books, almost all of them buying more than one book. I sold all of the ones on the table and then several of the new ones put out. It was more than that. People came and we were telling stories and laughing. So much so that people came up just to see what the excitement was about. One of the store workers said that my line wasn’t as long as the congressman’s, but we were a much happier group. When it was over I felt like it was a success, so did the bookstore.

One of my friends came by and started telling people how she knew she would read the book because it was mine and figured it was okay since it got published, but had no idea that it would ROCK! You can see why we were all laughing. Those kind of comments make my day. It was a good day. I felt like an author.

Rhianna Samuels