Because we live in a digital age, most authors assume that all publicity, marketing, and branding can be done online and that there is little need to venture out of the house. They often believe that bookstores are crumbling and the age of nationwide book tours is over. But no matter how active you are online or how large your online following is, it is still necessary to take a shower, put on pants, and venture out into the real world.
Social media and other technological advances have not—I repeat, not!—replaced in-person networking. Instead, they’ve made it easier to build an audience and promote what you’re doing out in the real world.
Most authors are expected to participate in events in conjunction with their book release. This can take the form of launch parties, bookstore and library signings, conferences, trade shows, live lit events, and book festivals. If you write for children, there are school visits and youth group talks. If you write business books, there are symposia, events where participants receive CLE credit, and other corporate functions. Many of these can assist you in promoting your book and your brand, but not all are the best use of your time. No type of event should be ruled out, but it’s important to scrutinize each opportunity and avoid the temptation to say yes to every speaking invitation that comes to you.
Every published author who has gone on tour will have horror stories from the road. Most of them will recall memories of arriving at a bookstore to see only two people sitting in the audience, one of those people being the bookstore employee. Standard bookstore and library signings can be brutal.
So, why even bother?
When authors tell me their horror stories, I assume one of three things went wrong:
In most cases, one of the first two things went wrong. Or both. Gone are the days when people would head down to their local bookstore each week to catch an author they’ve never heard of talk about their new book. Instead, they’re at home watching Netflix, or on Twitter chatting with the authors they’ve actually read, or going to one of the many concerts, movies, and other events competing with that bookstore signing. The people who show up to bookstore signings are your friends, family, and die-hard fans. If that community of people doesn’t live within a 30-minute drive of your event, no one is showing up.
When considering whether or not to schedule bookstore events around the launch of your book, the most important things to consider are locations. Create a list using the following criteria:
Create a list of geographic locations asking yourself the first series of questions. Think of all the friends and family that could potentially attend your event and come up with a number of people you’d invite. Then take half that list and assume that’s who will come. So, if your list contains 60 people, assume that 30 of them will show up. Also, consider how many of those people would buy the book even if you didn’t have an event. Your mom, brother, daughter, and best friend will definitely buy your book, but your colleagues from work or cousins may only pick it up if there’s a party attached to it.
Highlight the locations where at least 30 people will attend and the majority of those people will only buy the book if you host an event. Most likely, your list just got significantly shorter.
From there, search for potential venues in those geographic locations. IndieBound has a database of independent bookstores, which you can search by zip-code. Barnes and Noble can work as well, but only if they’re accustomed to hosting events and open to having authors coordinate their own.
Go to the bookstore’s website and see what types of events they host. If they regularly have events for top authors, it’s a good sign that the store is worth pursuing. If they seldom host events or if it’s mostly indie press and smaller authors, then you may want to pursue other options. Bestselling authors wouldn’t visit stores that didn’t have an audience or weren’t savvy about hosting events. Follow the pros.
Once you’ve identified the key booksellers in your location, make a note of whether or not there is media potential in that area. If it’s a big city with lots of competition for stories, then maybe not. On the flip side, if it’s an extremely small town without its own set of radio and TV shows, then it may not be great either. But if it’s in a medium-sized city—Omaha, Kansas City, El Paso, etc.—there’s a good chance you’d be able to book a radio or TV show while you’re in the area.
Take a look at your list now. Compare it to when you started. Most likely, you’ve narrowed it down to just your hometown. See why nationwide book tours are falling out of fashion?
Usually organized by professional writing organizations, conferences range from small one-day events with a few hundred people to mammoth, four-day, multi-panel tracks with thousands of attendees. The upside to speaking at conferences is that there can be a huge built-in audience and you don’t have to rely on your friends and family to show up. The downside is that you’re competing with dozens, sometimes hundreds of other authors doing the same thing.
Most conferences are set up the same way: authors register for the conference (yes, you do need to pay a fee) and request to be placed on a panel. Depending on the conference, there may also be an opportunity to pitch a workshop. There are usually two to five programs running at the same time, and the panels are made up of three to five authors, plus a moderator. Some conferences support solo talks and workshops for authors and industry professionals with expertise in relevant areas, and there’s usually a handful of headlining authors who get solo interviews.
Too often, I see authors get fixated on their panel placement: is it at a good time, is it a good topic, are the other panels at the same time more interesting, etc. But the panel presentation is not the only purpose for attending conferences.
Because conferences attract a greater number of authors, they also attract more booksellers, librarians, bloggers, and other people who can generate buzz for your book. There’s also an opportunity to network with other authors, which is very important. You never know when you’ll need a blurb or social media boost or book tour buddy. Lastly, the fans who attend conferences usually attend every year. There’s an opportunity to build relationships with readers and develop those relationships over time.
As an aspiring author, you were probably focused on attending writing conferences and workshops that focused on craft or the process of getting an agent. Now that you’re a published author, you want to target fan conferences and conventions, which will reach more readers. Examples of these include:
Most of these are genre or age-group specific, which helps for ensuring you reach the target audience. Conferences like Bouchercon and RT move to a different city each year, while Dragon Con and San Diego Comic Con are in the same location each year. While conferences have built-in audiences, location still plays a part in deciding which events to participate in.
Start out by Googling “writer’s conference” or “book convention” and see what comes up. Add the ones that have potential to your spreadsheet, including name, URL, location, and any notes about the conference. Then, look at authors similar to you and see which conferences they’re attending in the coming year. If you belong to a professional writing organization like Mystery Writers of America or Sci-Fi Fantasy Writers of America, go to that organization’s website and look for a list of sanctioned conferences and events. If the conference has sponsorship from a professional writing organization, it’s a good sign. You can also visit the website UpcomingCons.com and search conventions in your area and read reviews of past events.
Once you have your list, talk to your author friends, agent, and other industry folks to see which ones they think are worthwhile. You may receive different opinions on whether or not the conference was worth the time and money, but if you ask the right questions, you should be able to determine whether or not it’s a good fit for you:
If you just ask an author whether or not a conference is worth attending, they may say no because they didn’t get on a panel, or yes because they had a fun time (even if it wasn’t very productive). “Is it worth it?” will yield a subjective opinion, while these other questions will provide actual information.
Book Festivals are similar to conferences in that there are usually multiple panels and talks, and a large amount of authors vying for attention. But most book festivals boast a few key differences.
The first, and main, one is that they’re free. Book festivals tend to be supported by community grants, media sponsors, and vendors who pay to have booths in the exhibitor area. While conferences attract the super-fans who are willing to spend money to meet dozens of their favorite authors, book festivals attract a more diverse population. The super-fans come out too, but there are many festival attendees who come out to browse the book dealers and listen to a handful of authors. If there was a fee, they’d probably skip it, and since most book festivals are outside, so much depends on the weather.
Another key difference is that most book festivals are open to all genres. While most of them tend to have a literary bent, more and more festivals are putting together mystery, romance, and other genre panels. There are also a large number of festivals that focus only on teen and children’s lit, but most standard book festivals boast a hefty amount of children’s programming. After all, what better way to attract a wider audience than free outdoor story time for families?
While conferences usually consider all registered, published authors for panels, there is usually a more rigorous selection process for book festivals. The submission process begins well in advance of the event—up to nine months earlier. There is usually a committee that selects keynotes, featured authors, and panelists. If you’re vying for a slot in the lineup, make contact with the programming director early.
If you don’t receive a speaking slot, there are often opportunities to sign with bookstore vendors and writing organizations exhibiting at the festival. Look at the list of exhibitors and see if there’s anyone you have a relationship with or who would be open to having you sign at their table. The local chapter of your writing organization or your local bookstore is often a good backup.
The major book festivals include the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Brooklyn Book Festival, Miami Book Fair International, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival, Texas Teen Book Festival, and Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. There are hundreds of others around the country, and while they may be smaller than the major players, it’s a great place to start. Our authors have had very productive appearances at the Fox Cities Book Festival, Arkansas Literary Festival, Wordstock, and Utah Humanities Book Festival. Start local and work your way out.
Unlike book festivals, which are consumer facing events, trade shows are geared toward people in the industry.
Because trade shows are industry facing, these are usually events your publisher will submit you to. When you start the marketing and publicity conversation with your in-house team, ask them if you’re on their submission list to any of the trade shows. Emphasize your willingness to travel and even pay your own way there. Speaking and signing at these events is a great opportunity to build your brand, and it would be worth your time and money.
The most notable trade show in the book world is BookExpo America (BEA), held annually in New York, though it now plans to move to different cities every three years. This is where publishers from around the world exhibit their upcoming titles, agents meet with foreign publishers to negotiate foreign rights sales, and librarians and booksellers have the opportunity to scout out talent for their upcoming events. Attendees consist of media professionals and those who work within the publishing industry, not the general public, so the purpose of attending is different than other events. Trade shows are primarily used for networking and generating early buzz for the book among booksellers, librarians, and other people within the industry, not direct sales.
In addition to BookExpo America, there are smaller regional trade shows around the country including the Northern California Booksellers Association (NCBA), Southern Booksellers Association (SBA), and others. These are a bit more accessible than BEA, as there is a regional focus. Publishers tend to showcase only their top authors at BEA, but there’s a chance they would submit you to the regional trade show in your area, especially if you’re able to get there on your own. I always recommend speaking to your publisher about this possibility.
While BEA and the regional ABA shows focus on booksellers, there’s also the American Library Association (ALA) conferences, which focus on librarians. There are two main ones: ALA Annual and ALA Midwinter. There are also regional ALA trade shows around the country. If your books do well in the library market, or librarians are a part of your target demographic, then I recommend adding these shows to your list.
If you are self-publishing, I don’t believe that these conferences are worth the return on investment. Since trade shows are aimed at those who work in bookstores and libraries, two places your book probably won’t be available, you wouldn’t be reaching anyone in your target audience. I recommend focusing on consumer facing shows instead.
Just as there is “off-the-book page” media coverage and “out-of-the-bookstore” events, there are also plenty of trade shows that target people outside of the book industry. If your book has one of those hooks, then I recommend researching and submitting yourself to those shows. For example, if you write about business management and small business marketing, trade shows targeting CPAs, attorneys, and medical practitioners could be good opportunities for getting your name out there and reaching new readers. If you write about food or cooking, there are plenty of trade shows targeting chefs, grocery retailers, and food-industry people. Again, think about your target audience. They may not be going to BEA or ALA, but they may be attending the CPA Society conference or the World Food Expo.
In most major cities, there has been a surge in live literature events which combine writing, storytelling, and performance, often in non-traditional venues. These events usually are more high energy and less formal than the old-school traditional salons or reading series. Most happen monthly and often center on a theme—confessions, moments of reckoning, childhood memories, etc.—and showcase a handful of seasoned writers, comedians, or storytellers who either read their work aloud or tell their stories off book. Not everyone is cut out for live lit, and not all material is appropriate, but if you have a good stage presence and a story that fits in with the theme, these events may be worth pursuing.
Note that most are not open mics—the lineups are almost always curated ahead of time. Also, it helps immensely to visit the shows you’re considering ahead of time to meet the producers and hosts and help determine the type of audience they draw and the styles of storytelling that particular audience tends to enjoy.
Since live lit is more about the performance than the individual storytellers, many events have a large built-in audience. People go regardless of who’s reading because they know what types of stories they’re going to hear and are confident the performers have been vetted. Because of this, you don’t have to scrounge up as many of your own attendees. And since most events showcase multiple authors, each person will pull in their small network, which leads to a cross-pollination of potential new fans.
While these live performances reach a new audience and are quite the rush for you as the author, they don’t usually generate a lot of book sales. The regulars are there to see a performance, and don’t necessarily have an interest in adding to their to-be-read pile. Most live lit events don’t even bring in a bookseller to provide books; any authors who want to sell copies have to do so themselves.
So what’s the point of doing these events if they don’t result in book sales? Most of the time, there isn’t a point. Rarely do we incorporate live lit events into an author’s tour. But for our authors who have a stage presence and whose work is perfect for the bar scene, there are some advantages:
As a consumer, I’m a huge fan of live lit. I think it’s a fun night out and can be far more entertaining than a play or a movie. In the many years I’ve attended these events, I can count on one hand the amount of books I purchased from the readers, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t buy their books in the future. So while it doesn’t make sense for all authors and shouldn’t be done in lieu of a launch party or other bookselling event, there are occasions where reading at a live lit series is worth your time.
If you write for children, tweens, and teens, school visits are going to be an important part of your campaign. School visits can be very rewarding and productive, if done correctly.
The best way to set up school visits is through your local bookstore. Most children’s buyers have relationships with the area schools and work closely with them to ensure they stock books that coincide with the curriculum. And since book sales are a part of any school visit, it’s in the bookstore’s best interest to organize the largest possible events in markets where the students will purchase books.
This is another reason to do bookstore events. Often, if you schedule a signing there that evening, the bookstore will schedule school visits for you during the day.
If the bookstore in your area won’t set these up on your behalf, then you’ll have to schedule them yourself. Researching schools and finding the appropriate contact information can be time consuming, so here are some tools to help with your search:
If you’re planning on traveling to other locations for signings, conferences, or even vacation, I encourage you to check out the area schools and see if there’s an opportunity to pay them a visit. Making personal connections is the best way to reach the 17-and-under crowd.
If you’re visiting high schools or middle schools, you will want to ask for a school assembly, with multiple classrooms present. If that’s not a possibility, a media center visit—where they can bring in 50–80 students—is still worth your time. Some teachers will ask for you to do classroom visits, which is more time consuming and draining, but if you’re just starting out and it’s a good school, then you may have to make it work. Avoid anything that requires a lot of work and time on your part without the return.
If you write for younger children, classroom visits or story time in the library may be your best option. There is no way to command a room of 100 eight-year-olds.
In most instances, I recommend preparing a 20-to-25-minute presentation using PowerPoint or Keynote. While there are many students who are interested enough to sit still and listen to someone talk for 45 minutes, most kids need visuals to guide them through and keep them engaged. Going back to your brand and talking points, think about what presentation would engage your audience and attract new readers.
Sample presentations include:
Create your own list of topics and descriptions of what the presentation will entail. I also recommend creating different versions for different age groups.
Remember, book sales should be a component of every school visit. If the local bookstore won’t set up the event on your behalf, they will usually facilitate book sales. Since most middle schoolers and high schoolers don’t walk around with a lot of cash on hand, the bookstore will usually send order forms home in advance of the event so students can place their orders and have the books ready for them at the school. This is the best way to maximize sales because it allows students to ask their parents to buy the book for them, rather than counting on them to use their own cash for the purchase. It also helps you anticipate the crowd and enthusiasm for the school. If you have a huge book order, you can expect an enthusiastic group of attendees. If the order is small, you may want to bring candy to bribe them into participating in the discussion.
These unique and creative events can be the most fun to brainstorm and plan, but are often the most difficult to execute. As I’ve mentioned several times throughout this section, it is very difficult to get people out of their house and drive through traffic to an event. You’re competing with movies, concerts, theater, and a million other local entertainment options. But what if your event was the most interesting happening thing in your area?
Over the years we’ve worked on dozens of unique events like this. They have included:
Based on the literary salons of the 1700s and 1800s we brought together a group of panelists to discuss a topic. The inaugural event was, “Does Monogamy Kill the Soul?” and included a genetics expert, a Kabbalist, and two married comedians. It was held in a restaurant, so there were drinks and appetizers, and it was billed as “the thinking person’s night out.”
We held this event in early December and marketed it as a way to find the perfect gift—a signed autographed book—for everyone on your list and have a beer while doing it. We had a variety of authors, each of whom write in different genres, in an effort offer something for everybody, and the authors were on hand to sign and personalize the books.
This is the event we’re best known for and have been organizing for nearly four years. Created with the idea of replicating the hotel bar at any writer’s conference, the Literati event is an evening of networking with authors, booksellers, and publishing pros. There is no program but there are featured guests so attendees have a touchstone of whom to expect at the event. The first 30 people to register receive swag bags or books and other literary-themed goodies.
There are authors who team up with bands and hit the road for a combination of music and live lit. Authors who write about food collaborate with restaurants and stores to provide cooking demos and classes. Some coordinate with wineries or distilleries to combine a tasting and signing. The possibilities are endless, as long as you keep a few things in mind:
If you are up to organizing one of these unique, “out-of-the-bookstore” events, I recommend joining forces with another author or two. This way, the burdens of planning duties and bringing in the audience won’t all fall on your shoulders. While these take a lot more effort and planning, they can often yield the biggest return.
I always tell clients, “It’s my job to book the event and fill the seats. It’s your job to sell the book.” Securing events is only a piece of successful in-person branding; the bigger piece is winning over the audience.
Just as you shouldn’t post everything about yourself on social media, you shouldn’t reveal every part of yourself during public appearances. You may spend most of your time working from home in your pajamas or wear a suit and tie to your day job, but your author persona may call for a sport coat and jeans or a colorful dress. You may feel strongly about politics, or religion, or other controversial topics, but unless it’s a part of your author brand, they don’t have a place in your speeches or author talks. You should identify the key aspects of your author brand and embody those in all public appearances.
This is something almost all my authors ask before their first conference or TV appearance: What should I wear? It isn’t surprising, since most authors spend the majority of their lives writing in pajama pants and T-shirts, while others go to day jobs where they dress to the appropriateness of that job.
You may be surprised, but your author uniform will vary based on what genre you’re writing in and for what age group you are writing for. If you look at author photos or see authors at conferences, you should be able to identify patterns in what they are wearing.
I’m not a fashion expert, and there are plenty of exceptions to these rules, but if you’re not confident in your personal style and need some guidance, here is the recommended attire for major genres:
For men, and women if they prefer pants, the standard get-up is jeans and a sport coat. Some authors do T-shirts underneath, others do button downs. No suits or ties. Women can also be effective in slim-cut dresses, preferably dark tones and no patterns. Authors in these genres want to exude coolness, confidence, and have an ease about them without being too casual.
These genres allow authors to make a bigger “statement” with their fashion and style. Most authors in these genres are women, and most of these women opt for dresses, color, and lots of patterns. Some will dress according to the subgenre they write in. It is common to see authors who write Western romance to dress in cowboy boots and denim. Authors who write millionaire romances or about female executives trying to balance work and love may opt for a business suit or a skirt and button down. If you happen to be a man writing in these genres, I recommend following guidelines for the crime fiction authors. As a man writing in a woman’s world, you don’t need to stand out more than you normally do.
Since many authors in these genres tend to be college professors, they often dress like college professors. If you write in these genres, you could go a little nerdier and opt for more browns and tans, maybe even a bowtie. Think of what you would wear to teach a course in the English department and go with that.
This can be a tricky one to gauge, and some of it will depend on what you write and what the appearance is. First and foremost: You never want to be more casual than the students. If they’re wearing jeans, you want to wear slacks or a skirt. If they have a uniform and the teachers wear suits, then go for a suit. That being said, I also recommend making more fashion-forward or bolder choices. Teens will notice a cool pocket square or unique necklace, and you’ll be more memorable for it. I know many authors who have signature pieces (chunky rings, funky socks, etc.) that they wear to every signing to make themselves more memorable.
This is where you can break out the ironic T-shirts and Chuck Taylors. In these genres, it’s better to align yourself with the fans than it is to set yourself above them. Showing that you too are a sci-fi or comics geek will help attract readers and build your fan base.
If you’re trying to attract the corporate crowd, then you need to dress like them: business professional. Certain accents will depend on the industry you’re trying to reach (lawyers always wear ties, tech people never do, etc.).
For other genres not listed here, my advice is to think about what brand you’re trying to establish, and then identify the look that will convey that brand. In my case, I’m a publishing professional, so I want to dress slightly more formally than my author counterparts, but I’m also in PR, so I want to demonstrate my creativity. That’s why I tend to wear bowties, funky socks, and cool shoes. If you’re a diet and fitness expert, you could get away with wearing workout clothes that show off your sculpted arms and six-pack abs. If you’re a psychologist with a self-help book, then you want more comfortable, inviting clothing. When you walk in front of an audience, you should be conveying your brand through your appearance.
Your clothes will make the first impression, but you then need to open your mouth and talk about the book. For some authors, this is the part that comes naturally. They can talk about their writing process, books they love, and their recent release easily, without even thinking about it. Others have a tougher time and need to be coached on their talking points, audience engagement, and delivery. And like your attire, the way you speak to an audience will vary based on your author brand.
Think back to the authors you’ve seen speak over the years, which ones were the most memorable? Why? Did they have an ease about the way they spoke? Or were they blunt and direct? No matter the answers, chances are they are consistent for every group they speak to.
If you’ve never done public speaking before, I encourage you to practice your presentation and video record it. When you play it back, notice which parts are the most engaging, in which parts you are most animated, and which parts you struggle through. Analyze your own speaking style; try to amplify the strong parts and quell the weak ones. If you gesture a lot and get really animated, but sometimes go off on a tangent or lose your train of thought, then focus on staying on point and using those gestures as cues rather than distractions. If you tend to be more deadpan and don’t have a lot of emotion in your voice, then play it up and amplify it by having really engaging content. Comedians like Mike Birbiglia and Jim Gaffigan have made a career doing deadpan comedy. It can work.
I encourage you to keep filming your speaking engagements. If the piece is very good you can use it for marketing purposes; if it’s not quite there yet, you can still use it to analyze and improve your speaking—and to see how much you’re improving with practice. Like a football coach analyzing game footage, it’s important to review your mistakes so you don’t repeat them. It’s also important to see where the audience laughed, where they were zoning out, and where they had lots of questions, and to consider tailoring your talk for the next time around.
Above all, your speech and tone should be accessible to your target audience. If you use profanity in your books, it’s okay to curse occasionally when you’re talking to readers, but if you write traditional mysteries or sweet romances with no foul language, then using profanity in your talk will alienate your readers. Language is also important to consider when talking to teens. Clearly, they use profanity and slang, but since you don’t want to position yourself as their peer, it’s a good idea to avoid cursing and slang when speaking to that age group.
Just because you can speak on a topic doesn’t mean you should. In the branding section, you developed a clear list of talking points and facets of your brand you wanted to highlight. Throughout your career, there will be discussions, news stories, and trends that arise that you may be tempted to offer your opinion on. If speaking on these subjects falls in line with your brand, then you should utilize those opportunities, but if the subject matter is outside of that scope, then you should avoid offering your opinion.
For example, we work with many multi-published authors who have won awards, hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, made film deals, switched publishers, and overall, have a lot of experience in the publishing industry. There are many discussions about the future of bookstores, e-books, utilizing social media, and unique marketing efforts. They have a lot of knowledge in these areas and could add a great deal to these discussions.
But they don’t. Because it is not a part of their brand.
In an effort to position these authors as the creative talent, they will speak on the creative process, other books they’re excited about, and what makes a great story, but they won’t speak on the business of publishing or its future. I want them to be known for their books and their writing talent, not their business savvy.
Now, if you’re a business author, that’s a whole other story. You need to be an expert in your field.
Your branding worksheet should give you a clear outline of your expertise and topics to include in your talk. Again, if you’re an MBA or a CPA or a CMO, you probably have a lot more experience and knowledge than what is included on your branding worksheet. But if it’s not part of your brand, then it needs to stay out of your talk.
For the most part, I recommend adhering to dinner party rules: no talk about sex, politics, and religion. No matter what side you’re on, you’ll alienate half (or more) of your audience. Exceptions are made for authors who write about these topics, but if there is no part of your book that addresses these issues, avoid them in all public appearances. If you follow the same guidelines as you do for your social media content, you’ll stay on brand and attract your target audience.
So what do you talk about?
The content of your speech or talk will often depend on the audience. A bookstore appearance will be less formal than a fundraiser or library luncheon. How you address a book club, a group that’s already read the book, will be different than at an event where you’re trying to persuade attendees to buy the book. While the content of your talk may vary slightly depending on the audience, I recommend putting together a template for any upcoming appearances, based on the current book you’re promoting.
The general talking points should be similar to those outlined on your branding worksheet, but here are some additional ideas you may want to incorporate into your public appearances:
If you write nonfiction, you will likely already have a few formal talks based on the topics you write about. For example, this book stemmed from a workshop I’ve given for the past few years. If you’ve bought this book, you probably did it because you attended one of those workshops. By creating a presentation that offers a preview of the book, enough to pique people’s interest but not so much that you give it all away, you’re able to leave people wanting more, which results in them buying the book.
While I always recommend tailoring presentations to meet the needs of the audience, it’s a good idea to have a canned presentation or two. This way, you’ll be able to build a reputation and generate word of mouth, not only for the book, but for future speaking engagements as well.
Events aren’t the only types of public appearances you’ll be making as an author; you’ll also be expected to take advantage of networking opportunities. While there are some formal networking events, like the Chicago Literati, most networking opportunities occur in conjunction with formal events, and others come when you least expect it.
For formal networking events and any type of author event, come prepared to meet people and make connections. This includes:
I meet a lot of authors who attend these events with a mission: make a connection with a literary agent, meet booksellers, get introduced to a certain author, etc. But having tunnel vision means you may be missing out on meeting someone just as important.
There’s a woman I know who’s a former bookseller and voracious reader, and volunteers to help with programming for many of the mystery conferences. She tells me over and over again how authors come up to her, introduce themselves, and immediately try to gauge whether or not she’s worth talking to. One even had the gall to ask her, “Are you someone important?” to which she responded with a shrug, “Just a reader.” Immediately, the author’s eyes darted around the room to see if there was someone else they should be talking to, when one of the most important people they could be connecting with, a reader who devours several books a week, was standing right in front of them. Not only is she a potential book buyer, but she’s an influencer in the community and could recommend the book to other conference-goers she knows—that is, if she’s met and liked the author.
When walking into a networking event or through a book festival, you should treat everyone you meet as a worthwhile contact. They may just be a midlist author like yourself, but midlist authors often hit bestseller lists. Or they may be a great critique partner. Or touring buddy. You may meet a book blogger who is just starting out, but in a few months that blogger could be a reviewer for a trade publication or their local newspaper. If you make a good impression, or a bad one, they’ll remember you when your book comes across their desk.
To make a good first impression and lay the foundation for building a relationship, always start with making eye contact, introducing yourself, and shaking hands. That physical connection makes a difference. If you are walking into a group where you know some people but not others, say hi to the people you know, then introduce yourself to the people you don’t. It’s my pet peeve, and I suspect others’ too, when people walk into a group of people and start talking to someone in the group individually without pulling them aside or introducing themselves to everyone else. However, don’t be afraid to join in the group conversation, especially if you’re somewhere that’s set up for networking. When you walk into the hotel bar at a conference, you’ll see small groups of people scattered around the room. Don’t be afraid to hop into one.
Once you’ve introduced yourself, I always recommend focusing on the other person or people in the group. Ask questions that demonstrate you’re listening and genuinely interested in what they have to say. I was once at an event when I was introduced to one of the new publishing reporters at the Wall Street Journal, an important contact for a book publicist to make. We talked for about 30 minutes. Well, he talked. I just kept asking him questions and let him talk the whole time. We swapped business cards, and when I followed up the next day, he wrote back saying that I was the most interesting person he talked to at the party. We’ve worked together on a handful of stories since then.
People love talking about themselves, and most don’t get to do it too often. Don’t be afraid to shine the light on the other person, and don’t be so consumed with making a first impression that you’re the one who talks the entire time. Letting someone hog the mic can make a better impression than keeping the mic to yourself.
But eventually, most people will ask the inevitable question, “So, what do you do?” or “What do you write about?” At this point, you should have your tag line or elevator pitch locked and loaded:
“I write women’s fiction that explores the lengths people will go for their families.”
“I write international thrillers in the vein of Robert Ludlum.”
“I write books to help individuals become better managers.”
Most people will follow up with questions that demonstrate they’re listening and genuinely interested in what you have to say, at which point it’s fine to talk a bit about yourself. Just remember, conversation goes back and forth. Don’t hog the mic.
Remember, you’re trying to connect with many people, not just one or two. After talking to someone or a group of people for a good amount of time, you’ll need to make a graceful exit. If you already have your eye on someone that you want to talk to, just say, “Excuse me, but there’s someone I need to say hi to. It was really great meeting you!” Handshake. Eye contact. Smile.
If you’re not sure who the next connection will be, then I recommend excusing yourself to use the restroom, grab another drink, or make a phone call. But make it genuine—don’t say, “Sorry, I have to make a call,” and then walk over to the person next to you. Take a step outside, look at your phone, then step back into the room and meet your next person. You can also use that moment looking at your phone as a way to inconspicuously scan the crowd and see who you want to meet next.
The final thing to remember, and the key element in making a genuine contact, is the follow-up. The day following the networking event or the conference, go through all the business cards you swapped and send a follow-up email. This should include the following:
These general guidelines are tailored for conferences and networking events, but they work everywhere: dinner and cocktail parties, functions at your day job, even at the gym or community center. Remember, everyone is a potential reader, a potential fan, and you never know who you’re going to meet. I’ve connected with clients through my swim team, street festivals in my neighborhood, even at friends’ weddings. Wherever you go, wherever you meet new people, they will inevitably ask, “What do you do?” And if you follow the steps outlined above, you will secure a new connection, and possibly, a new fan.
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