Weslynn & Friends

Your First Book Signing

by Weslynn McCallister

     On the morning of my first book signing, I changed my clothes three times, smeared my make up, and took far longer than I had intended dressing. In my opinion,  it’s important to appear as professional and well groomed as possible. I wore, and still wear a black or a white suit to most of my signings. 

     If your book signing is held out of town and if you do not own a GPS, be sure you know exactly where the store is. The manager or CRM will expect you on time.

     Following are a few suggestions for your first booksigning: 

           If you are booking your own book signing rather than the publisher or a publicist, you will more than likely want to schedule it several months in advance. The bookstore may or may not advertise your signing. If they do not plan to advertise, then you must do it yourself. Notify your local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations about your event. Tell the radio stations about your book and ask for an interview.   

        On the day of your first book signing, be at the bookstore at least fifteen minutes ahead of time so that you will have time to set up your table. Have a poster made of your cover, take along your business cards, brochures, and any other advertising material that you may have. If your book is a POD (print-on-demand) you will probably be asked to bring along your own copies for the signing. If it is not published by the POD method, bring along 10-15 copies just in case the book stores order didn’t arrive on time. 

     Start 5-10 minutes late — give people a chance to get there. The CRM or assistant manager will more than likely introduce you. If not, someone should even if it is a friend. You may type out an introduction for them to read if necessary.

    Give a short talk about where you got the idea for the book, what inspired you to write it, and the synopsis. If there was anything unusual or funny that happened to you while writing it, tell your audience about it.  Invite questions for 5-10 minutes.

      Do a brief reading of 5 minutes or so – not too long, as you may lose people’s interest. Then, announce that you will be signing books for the next XXX minutes or while supplies last.

      Finally, Move to your table. Hopefully the CRM will have provided you one with good visibility and lots of room around it, not blocked into a corner where two people standing will block all access to you. Have a stack of books next to you (not all of them — keep some of them under the table so that it looks like the supply is limited.) Have a couple of pens handy for signing.

     Have your introducer announce about 15 minutes before your closing time that the signing time is almost up.

     When your signing is over and you have stored all of your books and marketing materials in the containers that you brought them in, don’t forget to thank the CRM or manager of the book store for hosting the event. I almost always give a complimentary, autographed copy of my book to the CRM in gratitude for all that they have done for me and my book.

    Finally, whether you have sold out or have not sold one book, remember that you are a success! You have written and finished the book of your dreams, gone through the lengthly process of publication, marketed your work, and finished your first book signing. Smile! Enjoy yourself and the people that you have met.

     After polishing my recent work, I have been 

researching publishers.  The best resource I have

 found is Jeff Herman’s Book of  Publishers, Editors,

and Literary Agents.

      When you feel your work is ready to submit,

 please remember to follow the publisher’s

 submission guidelines precisely.

There are some great on-line writer’s links. Following are just a few of mine:

Absolute Write: http://www.absolute write.com/

This link offers resources for freelance writing, novels, poetry, screen plays, non-fiction, songwriting, etc. It also features interviews, articles, and a newsletter.

The Author’s Guild: http://www.authorsguild.org/

This is “the authoritive voice of American writers.” The site features contract advice, information on  electronic rights, how to join this organization,  and current articles regarding the publishing field . There is also a link for Back-in-print.com.

Bookwire: http://www.bookwire.com

Bookwire is a partner with Publishers Weekly and the Literary Market Place, among others. This site offers industry news, reviews, authors interviews, and guides to literary events. It also features  publicity and marketing opportunities for publishers, authors, etc.

Midwest Book Review:  http://www.midwestbookreview.com

This site gave me a wonderful review ***** for my  latest novel, SKIN DEEP. It is responsible for Bookwatch, a weekly TV program that reviews books, vidios, music, CD-ROMS.

The National Writers : http://www.nwu.org/

This is the trade union for freelance writers of all genres. It also provides  links to various services including insurance, job information and databases. I have never used this link but you may find it invaluable.

  www.copyright.gov/register/

  If you are serious about your work and being published, you need this link!  This site offers information in regard to copyright procedures and provides publications and forms which may be downloaded. You may also link to information about international copright laws.

There are many other links for writers some of which are on my  website at: http://www.weslynn.com.

Following are just a few books and magazines that have much to offer aspiring writers. Most you may find at your local library.

Most magazines listed are available at bookstores, libraries, and anyplace that magazines are sold.

“The Writer’s Digest”

“Poets & Writers”

“Romance Writers Report”… available only to members of The Romance Writers of America 

“1001 Ways to Market Your Book” by John Kremer

“How I Write,” by Janet Evanovich

“On Writing Romance,” by Leigh Michaels

“On Writing” by Steven King

“Guide to Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents 2010,” by Jeff Herman.

“Guerilla Marketing for Writers; 100 Weapons to  Help You Sell Your Work” by Jan Conrad Levinson, Ric Frishman and Michael Larsen.

“Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maas

“The Writer’s Legal Guide” (2nd edition) by Tad Crawford and Tony Lyons

 ”The Writer’s Market 2010″ 

“The Songwriter’s Market 2010″ Where and How to market your song.

Please comment if you have a favorite that is not listed above.

Weslynn’s Questionnaire for Forming Characters 

You may want to use this or modify it for your next manuscript. If you’re writing a novel, you may find it helpful to have for reference so that your characters have the same color of eyes, etc. in the beginning as they do at the end of the book!

Name of Protagonist:

Name of Antigonist or Villian:

Name of Hero or Heroine: 

What is the history behind his/her name?

 Nationality:

 State and Country that they live in:

 Languages:

Description of home:

 Setting:

 Birthday and Zodiac Sign:

 Most Striking Feature:

 Least Attractive Feature:

 Hair:

 Eyes:

 Nose:

 Mouth:

 Shape of Face:

 Height:

 Weight:

 Childhood:

 Career:

 Religion:

 Politics:

 Hobbies:

 Musical abilities:

Sports:

 Clothing:

 Sleeps in:

 Education:

 Pets:

 Parents:

 Siblings:

 Children:

 Other close relatives:

 Friends:

 Enemies:

 Romantic interests:

 Sexual preferences:

 Quirks:

 Pet peeves:

 Most undesirable quality:

 Physical disabilities or limitations:

Medical history, if significant:

 Faults:

 What is his/her passion? What does he/she want?

What stops him/her from obtaining it?

 You may want to customize this questionnaire for yourself, but it’s always nice to have one to refer to. I actually cut out photos from magazines and attach them to my characters descriptions.

In regard to Zodiac signs and the descriptions of each sign, if you do not have a book on astrology,  you may want to purchase “Timing is Everything; Astrology is the Key” by Wes Alistair. It is available at Trafford.com, Amazon.com and through the author’s website at http://www.weslynn.com.

Just a few days ago, during a writer’s meeting, an aspiring author expressed her desire to write the book of her dreams. But, she didn’t know where to begin. Following are just a few suggestions:

1.  Decide what genre you would like to write. Romance, Mystery, Historical, Horror? Fiction or non-fiction?

2. Where will you find your readers?

3.  Have you considered your setting?

4. Once you have answered these questions, you may want to write a loose outline of your plot. It must have a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

5. What about characters? If you are writing fiction, you will need a protagonist, an antagonist, a hero or a heroine.  Describe your characters to include their physical descriptions, educational backgrounds, careers, habits, likes and dislikes as well as spiritual or religious beliefs.

6. Decide whether you are going to write in the first, second or third person.

7. While you are writing, remember to show; don’t tell. 

8. Don’t use chiche’s. 

9. When you have finished your manuscript and you believe that it is the best that you can do, set your book down. After a couple of weeks, read through it again. If you’re not satisfied, re-write until you are. Once you believe that it is the very best work that you can do, have at least three people read and evaluate your book before submitting to an agent or to a publisher. Make certain that you send your query, partial, or manuscript to an agent or publisher who accepts your genre and that they are open to submissions. Follow their guidelines exactly.

While you’re waiting for their reply, be patient, persistent, and hold onto your dreams!

http://www.weslynn.com