A great advantage of blogging about book publicity is that I get to ask booksellers questions from a vantage point other than that of desperate author. 

Jenn Northington has the kind of job that book nerds everywhere find glamorous.  She is the events manager at WORD, a truly wonderful indie bookstore in Brooklyn.  (Motto: EAT SLEEP READ)  Author readings, signings and events are in her hands.  I asked her if she wouldn't mind providing a bookseller's perspective for an audience of eager authors.  Thank you, Jenn, for giving us Five Favorite Things to Hear from an Author Proposing an Event!

--Sarah P.

By Jenn Northington

1. You know what might be fun?  No! Tell me! We love to do events that are out of the ordinary, that invite audience participation, that take the average reading-plus-Q&A and make it better, faster, stronger.

2. I noticed from your website (or, even better, from shopping in your store) that you sell a lot of the genre that my book is in. In fact, you even have a staff pick for one of the books that influenced me!  Don't say it if it ain't true, but do do your homework before approaching a bookstore. If they sell mostly mystery and your book is a nutrition bible, trust me -- they're not the store you want to do your event at. Take a look at their events schedule, get a feel for the types of things that they are saying yes to, and pitch (or don't pitch) accordingly. 

3. You'll be my only event in the area.  Hallelujah! Many folks seem to think that if they're not reading and signing at every bookstore, library, rotary club, and grocery store in a given region, they're not doing their jobs. But I honestly believe that you'll better serve yourself (and your chosen venue) to pick just one. If you saturate an area, you're really just splitting your audience. 

4. My (aunt/best friend from high school/second cousin/whoever) lives in your neighborhood and loves your store, and will bring people to the event.  Glorious! Listen, we want to put butts in chairs just as much as you do. When an indie says yes to an event, it's because they want it to go well, and they'll do everything they can to help get people out for it. But there's no doubt that we can always use the extra help to spread the word, so if you've got local connections use 'em!

5. Why no, I haven't put my book online as a free download.  While this may help you in a multitude of other ways (yes, I realize we live in the age of Seth Godin and Cory Doctorow), it does not help sales at author events one iota. A signature on a page is not enough to make a person buy your book twice, especially if they didn't have to pay the first time, and even more especially if the book is in hardcover. If you want to do a giveaway online, consider a teaser chapter -- or maybe just wait until after you're done touring.