Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 40

The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing

The big day is soon to commence. You’ve followed the details from the last post that dealt with approaching a store, professionalism and planning ahead. The day has been booked and now we need to go over some of the do’s and don’ts at a book signing. A lot of the time you see two extremes when it comes to authors in book signings: At one end of the spectrum they are sitting and not engaging with people that pass by. On the other end they are too aggressive and nag potential customers. The best is to be coherent of your surroundings, be polite and be excited about your work.

The Do’s and Don’ts when preparing for your signing

See a pattern with these marketing-related blog posts? Prepare in advance and be professional, these are you two biggest keys to success when marketing your book. You must make sure you have everything you need in order to have the book signing do well. If it does, the book store is going to want you to come back.

DO have copies of your book ready

If you are from a smaller publisher or self-published, you are going to want to order copies from the distributor. If you are with big house printing – chances are a lot of the items in this post will be covered for you. Having books in storage is very important as an author. Sometimes events pop up or someone you know wants to buy your book – always have books in storage.

Regarding your book signing, it can be hard to know how many books to have available. If you have never done a signing or promoted a book before, order 100 and see how quickly you can move those copies. From there re-adjust your ordering frequency and quantities.

DO promoting for the signing

Advertise the book signing to your fans through your newsletter, your website and your social media. If you are feeling very ambitious, get posters and postcards ready and pass them to the store you are doing the signing at. If you have extras – put them up around town and in cafes and other local stores.

It can be challenging to dictate how effective promoting your book is prior to the event, especially with physical posters. Your energy is better spent online to your fans that will be more likely to come out to the signing.

DON’T wait to the last minute

Order everything you need as soon as the book signing is confirmed to make sure you have the supplies required. The books may have to be shipped to you which has its own set of complications, so order a month or two ahead of time.

The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing

The day of your signing is finally here. You’ve followed the Do’s and Don’ts leading up to the event – today is the big day! Below are some ideas on what to have for the signing and behavior when you are at the event.

DO have an attractive table

What encompasses an attractive table? Some ideas are:

A table cloth to hide underneath the table – you will probably store your books there. People don’t need to see that. Keep their focus on your books.
Signage to tell people what your table is about. People aren’t going to know why you are at a table with a bunch of books. Signage can be a roll up banner, banner flags at the front of the table or a poster on an easel.
Book Stands. They are very critical because they allow the book(s) to stand upright, facing people. If the books are all flat on the table, no one is going to be able to see the cover – and they do judge books by the cover. You only really need one book stand per book.
An author bio plaque. If you have a bio or other credentials worth mentioning, having a plaque describing who you are gives people something else to look at.

DO have takeaways/freebies

Having smaller items at your book signing can help hook people in to come learn about your book. This can be as simple as a bowl of candy or it could be postcards, button pins, or another small item that you are willing to give away to potential buyers.

DO have a newsletter signup sheet

This could be an actual form on your table your you can dress it up a bit by making it a dropbox contest to give people a chance to win a short story or a copy of your book. Gathering emails is a very handy tool down the road when you want to tell people about your next book or event.

DO talk to people

This should be a given, but a lot of the time authors will wait for people to talk to them first. If you see people walking by your table and they slow down to see what it is all about – say hello! If it scares them off they weren’t that interested.

DON’T arrive late

This should be a no brainer, you should be treating this as you would with any other meeting – arrive early. Think about how long it will take you to set up? It takes time for the managers to get the required supplies too (often they supply the table and chair). Don’t show up right at the time the signing starts, that is go time, even if there are no lineups to come meet you.

DON’T hide behind the table

The last thing you want to do is sit behind the table, slouched or keeping your head down. This doesn’t make you look approachable and it doesn’t make people want to talk to you. It is okay to sit from time to time, these signings can be long days. When you do, make sure you are alert and attentive to those around you, sit up straight!

DON’T wing your pitch

This should be another no brainer, but you never know. Practice telling your story in an engaging and short method and keep it to no more than thirty seconds. This will help you when talking to people about your book so you don’t fumble around with your words.

Practice makes perfect

The above Do’s and Don’ts will help steer you in the right direction. Ultimately it is practice that will make you do well over time. Think about how your signing goes, and you’ll quite quickly think about what you could have done better. How could you get more people to come to your table? Was the location/time wrong? Was the signage not prominent?

If you’ve had experiences with book signings or have specific questions share in the comments.

The post The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Does the Hustle Stop?

A new book is out – woohoo! You’ve probably been watching the Instagram and Facebook posts leading up to the launch of YEGman and post book release. The noise has paid off well, the book launch was a success. YEGman hit bestseller for Edmonton and sold out at the Calgary Expo. A number of reviews came through and already doing interviews about it. Whew, that was a busy couple of weeks and now it is back to playing catch up with the graphic design biz. Does the hustle stop?

Probably not. I think that’s a good thing?

Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

April was crazy. My days were booked down to the hour. So, this Unprocessed Thoughts is going to be focused on general updates and what you can expect over the next few months.

With all the YEGman hype my time has been pretty swamped with events, engaging with interviews set up by my publicist, and distributing the books accordingly. Where is there time to write? Truthfully there hasn’t been a lot. What little time there is has been focused on research and plot outlining. Basically I am doing the big picture kind of stuff with my idea book which was used as a featured image for the blog post “Why You Should Keep An Idea Book”.

April is done, YEGman is out

Alright, now that we are in the post-launch era of 2018 I will be focusing on writing again – finally! The events slow down. There is one book signing in May, followed by the Calgary Horror Con June 2nd and 3rd. Otherwise it is pretty much one signing a month, unlike last year, where I was signing every week. The purpose of this is to dedicate more time on the craft and get a new book ready for you to read.

Some of you have already finished YEGman!

I am honoured by this. After the launch some attendees contacted me saying they enjoyed the book and can’t wait for more. Wow. Guess I should start getting more work out there. Before YEGman, the last new release was Seed Me in 2016.

So again, this is why I am taking a step back from the events and marketing as intensely. I want to give you all some more stories to consume. A fun hint, this does include something consistently in the blog… stay tuned for that.

Does the Hustle Stop?

At this rate no, but that is self-driven. I am okay with this because doing something you love makes the grind worth it.

Beer Note: Wild Rose Brewery High Harvest

A hemp beer? Neat! I was lucky enough to try this over the weekend in Calgary. It is an unfiltered beer. If you like super bitter and sour beers, this is the one for you. It had a subtle hemp flavor, the hops overpowered it for sure. Knowing my biased hoppy taste buds, I’d give this one a 4/5.

The post Does the Hustle Stop? appeared first on Konn Lavery.

You Published a Book…. Now What?

By McKensie Stewart

You wrote your book in record time, surpassing all your self-imposed deadlines.  The carrier service rings your doorbell, you snatch the box from the delivery guy’s hands barely scribbling your signature acknowledging the receipt of the treasure within the box.  You close the door with a bump of your hip and race to the kitchen table.  No need for a box cutter you peel the tape securing the contents of the DREAM, your dream of becoming a New York Best Selling Author.  That’s right you said it; you will be on this prestigious list. You rip the box open and there it is your master piece, your book.  You grin a wide smile from ear-to-ear.  You know you will sell the contents of the box and more because you were told you are an excellent writer and your book will be turned into a movie in no time.  You scurry up the stairs to your office, pull out the list with all the names of everyone who ever told you they would purchase your book.  Tirelessly, you call every name on the list only getting the commitment of five people on the list; two of the five are your parents.  You flop in the ergonomic chair you convinced your spouse you needed to be a better writer.  Now What? You have two choices: Once you sell the five books, the unsold inventory can be used as doorstops throughout your house.  This is an option but is an expensive way to prop open a door.  Or you can promote your book to a wider audience.

Here are three simple ways to promote your book:

Establish Your brand. Who are you? Visualize yourself across all media platforms how do you want the public to understand who you are.  I decided to brand myself by using a pseudonym (pin name).   I wanted to separate my professional life from the books I write. If you write children’s books your website should not have adult content. Look at what your brand says about you.
Social Media Presence. You will at least need Facebook as a social media platform to establish yourself as a writer.  This is a great way to highlight your work and post content associated with writing, book promotions and a place to keep your fans engaged which means you must create a separate account from your personal.  Rule of Thumb, stay away from political rhetoric on your author page.
Book Signing: You sell more books by inviting your friends and family to a book signing instead of calling them individually.  The pressure of everyone  making a purchase will influence them to open their wallets.  You should have books on hand to purchase along with light snacks.  You can read excerpts from the book to entice them to want to know more about the characters and the plot.

The three steps are the first steps in promoting your book.  If you want to know more about marketing or self-promotion contact me on social media (McKensie Stewart) on Twitter and Facebook.

You can listen to the Writer’s Edge with McKensie Stewart every Friday 3:00 pm-5:00 pm CST on the Fishbowl Radio Network (FBRN.US; Grey Stream).

About McKensie Stewart

McKensie Stewart is a native of Columbia, South Carolina where she attended Columbia College.  Currently, she is an educator, fictional novelist and entrepreneur living in Charlotte, North Carolina.  McKensie enjoys long walks on the beach with her Yorkshire Terrier, Jewel, when she isn’t terrifying and romancing her readers.  Presently, she is working on her next novel.

 

 

 

Shattered

Emily finds herself metaphorically waking up to face a life she no longer recognizes.  She loves her husband Brendon Graham, the Senator for the State of Pennsylvania along with their twins Madison and Connor but that isn’t enough any longer.   The ripple effect of her college professor, Dave Banks, taking a piece of her innocence destroys her marriage every day. Even though Emily only shared part of the secret with Brendon; he is on a destructive spiral choosing escorts, booze and heroine to cope with the pain he feels from their loss.   Kyndall, the matriarch of the family, and Emily’s mother-in-law will do everything in her power to ensure that her dream of Brendon becoming the President of the United States will come to fruition no matter who she has to kill to make it happen. Emily’s true love, Julia, her college roommate has a huge secret of her own that will shatter any reconciliation between the two of them.

The post You Published a Book…. Now What? appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Calgary Horror Con 2018

This year I am pleased to announce I will be a part of the Calgary Horror Con!

There are many special guests, screenings and vendors at this convention.

Find the map and full list of vendors on the Calgary Horror Con website.

When?

June 2nd & 3rd, 2017

11:00 am – 7:00 pm daily

Where?

Clarion Hotel

2120 16 Ave NE

Calgary, AB T2E 1L4

The post Calgary Horror Con 2018 appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Steena Holmes, NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

This month’s guest is Steena Holmes, whose work has been named the “20 Best Books by Women in 2015” by Good Housekeeping and Redbook. She has also won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for her novel Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is a self-proclaimed “travelholic” who can’t resist a good cup of coffee.

Thank you, Steena Holmes, for joining us, can you give a brief introduction of yourself?

Hey! Well…to start, I’m one of those people who need a good cup of coffee in the mornings to get my day started. Actually, to be honest, I need a lot of cups to get started. I have three daughters that keep me on my toes since they’re gorgeous teenagers (and probably the reason for all the grey hair I have to keep coloring). I’m a small town girl who grew up on the Great Lakes and the sound of the water soothes my soul almost as much as travelling fills my well. I love black sheep and chocolate cake and curling up in front of a fire with a glass of wine. On weekends I smile when I come across a flea market or craft sale and I hate to cook.

Tell us about your latest novel, The Forgotten Ones, which was released April 1, 2018.

The Forgotten Ones is a story about the secrets that can be buried for so long within families that you think they disappear until one day, they come back to haunt you.

How does The Forgotten Ones vary from the other books you have written?

It’s a little darker than my other stories. I gave myself permission to go to that dark side and in the process, realized it was a journey I really enjoyed!

You currently have 25 books listed on your website ranging from Womens Fiction, Psychological & Suspense, Small Town Contemporary to Sweet Romance – wow! Has your process evolved much from book to book?

It has. With each book I find I grow as a writer and as a storyteller. My goal is always to challenge myself, to write a stronger novel than the one before and hopefully I’m doing that. When I started, I was a ‘panster’ – someone who never plotted. Now I find that I need a bit of a plot (which is something my plotter friends have been trying to help me with for years.)

Do you find the writing process has gotten more templated, systematic, or is each one a challenge on their own?

Each book is different. Each one has its own process and no two books are written the same. For instance, the story I’m in the middle of right now is being written in sections that I’ll have to piece together before I submit it to my editor.

You also keep busy blogging about travel and advice for authors for branding with intent, how do you manage your time throughout the week?

I did mention that I need a lot of coffee to get my day started, right? While the caffeine starts to work, I focus on everything else other than writing. I find my sweet spot is late afternoon/evening – I can stare at my computer screen for hours and struggle to get 200 words down, or I can sit down for an hour or so and pound out a scene in no time. I’ve struggled for years to train my brain to write during the day but I’ve decided to throw in the towel.

For aspiring writers, what would be one piece of advice you would give them?

Can I give more than one? Pretty please? You know that passion that you feel whenever you think of your story? Never let that go! Embrace it, use it and give it space to grow as you grow as an author. Focus on that first story and just let the words flow. The most important thing you can do is write the story. Afterward, you can find editors to help correct things but first, you need to write. Which means, carving out time to write without feeling guilty. When I started, I had three small children at home and worked a full time job. I would write during my lunch hours and then for an hour after the kids had gone to bed. If it’s important to you, you’ll make the time. If it’s not, you’ll make up excuses.

My last piece of advice would be to stop comparing yourself to other writers. We are all on a different journey and we all have different strengths when it comes to writing as well. Surround yourself with people who understand your passion and share it but don’t compare yourself.

Let’s thank Steena Holmes for joining us to talk about her writing!

You can find Steena Holmes’s work at the links below:

www.steenaholmes.com

Amazon

Kobo

Barns & Noble

iBooks

You can also follow online her at:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

The post Steena Holmes, NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author appeared first on Konn Lavery.

YEGman on BeatRoute

Vigilante justice propels new fantasy crime novel

EDMONTON – Edmonton’s night life has its fair share of cops and thugs. There was a time when a typical night out would almost certainly involve an encounter with either one. Boom and bust Edmonton produced some of our most rambunctious citizens and Konn Lavery’s new novel #Yegman captures the zeitgeist of this era with clarity…..

Read the whole article

The post YEGman on BeatRoute appeared first on Konn Lavery.

YEGman at Southpoint Chapters

Head over to Chapters Southpoint for your copy of YEGman!

I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Southpoint for a signing of YEGman May 21. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.

When and Where:

Saturday, September 16th from 12:00pm – 5:00pm

Chapters Southpoint

3227 Calgary Trail NW

T6J 5X8

The post YEGman at Southpoint Chapters appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Calgary Comic Expo 2018

YEGman, Mental Damnation and Seed Me at the Calgary Comic Expo!

I will be heading over to Calgary for the exciting yearly expo of comics and entertainment. This year I will be bringing YEGman, Seed Me Dream and Reality novels for you to consume. In addition the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score will be available to purchase in CD format as well.

Where is the Calgary Comic Expo?

April 26 – 29, 2018

Calgary Stampede Park

Thurs: 4:00PM – 9:00PM, Fri: 12:00PM – 8:00PM, Sat: 10:00AM – 7:00PM, Sun: 10:00AM – 5:00PM





I’ll be at booth BF SP5112

See you all then!

Be sure to grab your ticket to join this exciting event of costumes and pop culture.

The post Calgary Comic Expo 2018 appeared first on Konn Lavery.

YEGman at Westside Chapters

April 21, come to Westside Chapters for your copy of the new YEGman novel!

I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Westside for a signing of YEGman. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.

When and Where:

Saturday April 21 from 11:00am – 4:00pm

Chapters – Westside

9952 170th Street, Edmonton, Alberta

The post YEGman at Westside Chapters appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Why do I need to do Book Signings and Where to Begin?

Your book is completed, you’ve done the launch and a wave of relief brushes over you. Or maybe you have more anxiety now that you’re left in the void. Who knows? Regardless, now that your book is out – what do you do next? In a previous post we chatted about what to do at a book launch and why you need one. This post is geared towards those who have finished their book and are looking to do more public events – specifically book signings. You may be thinking – Why do I need to do book signings when the launch is done? I got to write something new!

Hold up, just because your book is done, that doesn’t mean the fun ends here. This book is brand new to many people for months – if not years – and you are the face of the novel. If you don’t do anything to get it out there, no one will ever know about it. Let’s discuss what to do.

Why do I need to do book signings though, I can sell books online?

Yes, you can sell books online and there are authors who have found plenty of success doing this. There are also a lot of authors who haven’t found success doing strictly online sales. Having a physical presence helps readers and potential fans get to know the mind behind the book. People love behind the scenes – think about DVD releases for movies.

Champion Fans

When you’re at a book signing, someone comes up and wants to know about the book – so you pitch it to them. They like it, they buy it, and have you sign it – they are thrilled. They invested their time and money to get to know you and the impression you leave on them is going to last. These types of fans are known as champion fans, they’re the ones that have gone out of their way to get to know you. These fans also tell their friends about your work and they’ll tell their friends and so on. Champion fans are fantastic ways to promote your book and the best way to find them is to be in the public.

Pitch the book? Talk to people? but I am antisocial!

Yes, as most authors are, hence the stereotype. Ultimately it comes down to practice, this topic gets into sales, pitches and learning to convert leads into sales – a much bigger discussion for another blog post. For book signings, you don’t need to be constantly trying to convince people to learn about your book, that is nagging. Be friendly, be approachable and treat people with respect.

Where to Begin with Book Signings

Okay, now that I’ve convinced you that you need to do book signings, let’s chat about where you begin. If you have publicist, agent or publisher, you may have some people working with you to lead you to success. You also may be entirely on your own, which is an entirely different ballgame.

Plan in Advance

Book signings are done in retail stores, which are bookstores, they plan in months and seasons. So, you can’t want to do a book signing next week and expect a store to give you a day. Think about two to three months in advance when you are talking with a book store.

Now that you are time travelling in the future with your mind, when do you want your signing? What time of day? That is part of the joy of planning ahead. Usually weekends are a good time to have a signing and weekday evenings.

Be Professional

You want your work to be taken seriously? Act serious. That is how you get a book store to want to have you at their location and even return for second book signings. Dress well, speak well and have your contact information available.

Initial Contact

Alright, so you’re being professional, and you’re prepared in advance, time to talk to people! One old school way of contacting book stores is going to their store and asking to speak to the manager. This works great if you are in the area. The approach of asking for a manager also applies to talking on the phone. Use the phone method more often since you can’t go down to every store you wish to have a signing at. Save the in-person approach if you really want to make an impression.

Once you’re speaking to the manager, ask if they are interested in book signings and inform them about the type of book, genre and age range that it falls under. More often than not they will say no, but some will say yes and they will ask for additional information to book the signing. This is where business cards come in handy so you can continue the conversation.

Professionalism – You’re author platform

Professionalism is so key! It applies to your physical presence and your online presence which is your author platform. It is your online presence which encompasses your social media, your website, your book sales, newsletter, etc. This needs to be as professional as you are in person. Everyone searches online now and when you make that first contact with a manager, chances are they are going to google you to find out more about you and your work. Make sure it is how you want to be represented to the public.

Keep Track of Stores and Managers

For each store you approach, keep a notebook or spreadsheet about which one you went to, who you talked to and their contact information. This can come in handy especially if you want to do returning book signings.

Summary

The tips above will help making your first contact with booking a signing. Next we will chat about the actual signing. What are the do’s and don’ts at a signing?

Do you have any other experiences with organizing book signings? Other thoughts? Share in the comments.

The post Why do I need to do Book Signings and Where to Begin? appeared first on Konn Lavery.