Jill Elizabeth Nelson here with an expanded follow-up on my last week's blog on book signings. Angie Breidenbach, a fellow member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), started a discussion on event etiquette for authors on several writers e-loops she belongs to, and she has graciously consented for me to post her results here.
1. Pray first! Ask God's guidance with the crowd however big or small. He needs to be the one giving us the energy. Going into something like a large crowd or a small gathering is still in God's realm.
2. Always acknowledge the person in front of you. Eye contact is crucial. If your attention is pulled away, try to ask one or the other to wait with you. You can do this by a slight touch on the hand to pause the person or a quick word like, "Wait with me a moment."
3. Do your best to treat everyone equally.
4. When questions are asked, answer if there's time. If there is not time, do your best to answer later. You could even have a question basket available.
5. Find a way to smile through the whole thing and be polite regardless of how you feel. It is truly a servant issue of making others more important that yourself.
6. If you don't like book signings, be creative and find another way to do promotion.
7. Set time limits/breaks to handle fatigue.
8. Sign several of books ahead of time so you just have to add the name.
9. Address several people at once if possible by including them in the interaction (as if you are addressing a group.) They'll feel like they've had more time with you. Then shake each hand as you finish.
10. Realize that it is a blessing from God that you are being given the opportunity to have anyone want your autograph or to ask you a question.
11. Realize that your interaction with these folks may be for a purpose that you don't know. Try not to get in God's way.
12. Realize that whatever you do with one person must be done with all the others. You set a precedent.
13. If at all possible, hang around a little longer.
14. Have fun.
15. When things go wrong, do your best to remain professional and gracious.
16. You cannot please everyone, solve everyone's problem, or spend all the time with one person, but you can smile and treat them with respect and courtesy.
17. Remember to thank everyone for purchasing your book.
18. Preplan how you might handle tough situations so that your courtesy and professionalism stays intact.
19. Some things will happen to whollop you, break it down into small bites, one person at a time.
20. Build extra time into your schedule. If the book signing is one hour, then schedule several minutes or more that is not publicly acknowledged on the signage. That way you know you can at least take the time to finish well. The line can be cut off, but you might be able to go down the line shaking hands on your way out.
21. Be present. If your mind is on the next thing, the long line will feel tedious rather than fun.
22. Have a helper (friend, hubby, assistant) that watches the time and is aware of the plan for that signing. They may even be the one aware of the next appointment. This can free up your mind, eyes, and worry.
You can look at each person with a clear mind rather than a stressed one. They can help collect questions and clarify something if you get interrupted.
Thanks so much, Angie, for sharing this compiled wisdom with us. I just have to add that I'm excited for the day when I need to contend with long lines during my booksignings!
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