A writer just never knows what kind of signing you’re going to have. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t know if I was expecting to sell more than a couple of books when I had my signing yesterday in Louisville at the Booksamillion. Why?
Well…a successful signing can depend on a few things.
- Are you a huge name? I am not. I’m working toward it. But I am not huge.
- Is the weather nice? Do. Not. Laugh. I’m serious! A nice day? It can be a death knell. Saturday was a REALLY NICE DAY.
- Is there a game? Do. Not. Laugh. Especially if it’s a college town-Louisville… U of L… March Madness. You just never know.
Then there was the weirdness. For some reason, my books didn’t show up on time. They had one copy of Broken. That was it. I talked to the assistant manager on Friday and she left it up to me-I didn’t want to cancel. A few of the people I’d talked to on twitter seemed to be interested in coming, plus, I’d sent out a newsletter announcing it. They did have backstock of my other titles, so we decided to go ahead and do the signing. They got a few titles from the other store.
I get to the store and talk to the booksellers-several of them have me sign books they plan on buying. That’s always cool.
I’m not sitting down more than five minutes when a nice lady comes up and introduces herself. It’s Michele Lee, another writer/blogger who lives & tweets in the area. Very cool.
A gentlemen comes up and intros himself. I shake his hand and he asks for a recommendation, and-mostly teasing, but semi-serious, I say, “Well, you need to give me an idea, what you like to read. You don’t look quite like my typical reader.”
He starts to laugh and shows me his iPod. It’s loaded w/books from audible. Christine Feehan. JR Ward. Paranormal mania. We talk books a few minutes and he asks if my books have any…heated content and if I actually write about it or if it’s sugarcoated. Hmmm. I laughed and assured him sugarcoating anything wasn’t exactly one of my strengths. He buys all three of the Hunter paperbacks, and not only that? As he was leaving the store? He caught up with another reader outside the store and told her she needed to come back in and talk to me.
I didn’t know this, though, until this reader was up there talking to me. As she’s telling me how he chased her down-yes, her words-I’m having this ‘jaw drop’ moment. Can we say mind boggling?
Another twitter friend, Pamela, shows up and selects a book or two. We’re chatting and as we’re chatting, this steady stream of people start coming over. I’m signing and talking with the steady stream while Pamela and Michele are chatting books and writing and every time I think I’m about done, more people come over.
It turns out that the booksellers are just about funneling almost every customer over there. Anybody with a Laurell K Hamilton book? They send my way. Sherrilyn Kenyon? They send my way. Nora Roberts, Lora Leigh, JR Ward. And they kept coming, and coming, and buying, and buying.
More than half the stock sold out.
It was completely and utterly awesome. Kudos to the booksellers at the Booksamillion on Westport Rd in Louisville, Ky. They are amazing.
This was one of the best solo signings I’ve had-maybe the best-and one of the best signings, solo or group, I’ve had. I’ll definitely be going back.