In the age of the Internet book signings have taken it on the chin. Everybody pretty much hangs online and the book signing of old might go away eventually. But right now they are the independent booksellers best friend and for good reason; they still bring readers and authors together. I had a signing last night in a great store in Oak Park called Magic Tree bookstore. The chairs were set up with a table in front and the books were stacked. Then you wait.
To have a good signing you need people. Ten is a nice number. You settle for five or even four. And if you hit twelve or thirteen you are doing really well. People are busy and going to a bookstore on a Thursday night is not a priority. But there they were. Fifteen braves souls sitting in the wooden chairs and an author up front. And then it begins and you have all those great questions about writing and how the book came about.
And that magic dynamic happens beyond the Internet and chat rooms and every other disembodied experience that comes from interacting with a screen. It is actually very American to sit in a small town in a small bookstore and have a literary event. It speaks to a healthy culture. And you even sell a few books.
And then it is over and you are left with a great feeling. It's not just the book signing or the selling of books. It is the fact you just bumped up against your readers and had a great time. And that is priceless for any author.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
The Pitcher
To have a good signing you need people. Ten is a nice number. You settle for five or even four. And if you hit twelve or thirteen you are doing really well. People are busy and going to a bookstore on a Thursday night is not a priority. But there they were. Fifteen braves souls sitting in the wooden chairs and an author up front. And then it begins and you have all those great questions about writing and how the book came about.
And that magic dynamic happens beyond the Internet and chat rooms and every other disembodied experience that comes from interacting with a screen. It is actually very American to sit in a small town in a small bookstore and have a literary event. It speaks to a healthy culture. And you even sell a few books.
And then it is over and you are left with a great feeling. It's not just the book signing or the selling of books. It is the fact you just bumped up against your readers and had a great time. And that is priceless for any author.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
The Pitcher
