Yesterday, I gave you some tips about managing your own book tour. Here are some more tips:
7. Do your own follow up. Ten days before your event, call your contact and confirm time and place and if the books are on hand. If the location is in your area, drive there and see if your book is displayed and there are notices.
8. The day before the event, call your contact and ask what time you should be there. Overkill? Not at all. Some places want you there an hour before, some just 10 minutes early. Making the call will help you remember the name of your contact.
9. Out of town event? Check maps for directions, one-way streets, parking garages. Ask the store owner if the street number is on the store. Find landmarks. Bring change for parking meters, and cash for parking garages. Then plan on arriving half an hour early. You can’t be late to your own event.
10. Some spaces expect you to have a contact list in their area and will expect you to bring in your own clients. If you don’t have a list, you may want to mention that in an early discussion.
11. Even if three people show up, put on your best show. You owe it to your book, your self-esteem, and your work ethic to do everything as well as you can.
12. Bring your business card and use them. Make your card colorful, make it a card people will want to keep. Glossy stock is very popular right now, but you can’t write on it easily. Print cards so people can take notes.
13. Ask people for their cards. Have a sign-up list to keep people current on your activities. Then send them the links to your blog or website–wherever you post updates. Write them occasionally–a non-sales note. You can’t say thank-you too much.
14. Send a thank-you email to every contact in every place you go. Even if it was a disaster, thank them for their effort. You want to encourage people to do the right thing.
15. Never say anything bad about a book signing out loud. It’s cheap and that’s not you. But keep a list of which ones worked and which ones did not. That’s smart information for you to use next time.
–-Quinn McDonald is on a book tour for Raw Art Journaling. She’s also reviving her creativity at JournalFest this week.
QuinnCreative 