What
if I threw a party and no one came? That’s probably the fear of every writer
approaching his or her first book-signing or reading. You put the word out
every way you can, but there are no RSVPs, and when you show up for the event,
all you can do is hold your breath and hope.
Saturday
afternoon was the first book-signing for my mystery novel, The McHenry Inheritance. It was held from 1 to 3 p.m. at Crossroads Books, a locally owned store of about 2,000 square feet in a shopping center on
Main Street in Watsonville. Kelly, the friendly and supportive owner, had told
me that if six people show up to buy the book, that’s a good showing. Doing the
math, I figured six people in two hours is one every 20 minutes. If I could
keep each one talking for five minutes, that would be enough action to keep
things interesting.
Leading
up to the event, I got stories printed in three local papers, announced it on
Facebook and Twitter, made an announcement (and paid a fine) at my Rotary Club,
and sent e-mails to more than 100 people who live in the area. After that, I
figured it was out of my hands.
The Curtain Rises
We
got there a bit early on the appointed day and helped with the set-up, which
consisted of putting a table by the front door, with a chair for me to sit in
and a copy of my book propped up in plain sight. Kelly said she wanted me to
sign the books, then have people take them to the register to pay.
The
first customer showed up at five minutes to one, a woman I didn’t know, but who
had read about the book and was interested in it. Shortly afterward, Elias and
Heidi Alonzo came in. Elias and I had worked on a couple of projects in the
past, but it had been a few years since I’d seen him. He got a copy for himself
and one for a friend who had requested one. He gave the friend’s name, so I
could write a personal inscription.
All
in all it was a mixed bag of people: A couple of Rotary friends, two of Linda’s
old childhood friends, a man who had an office just across the hall from me a
few years ago, and a couple of people I knew from around town, and a couple of
people I didn’t know at all. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise visitor was
Margaret, who worked in the classified ad section of the newspaper when I was
city editor and managing editor, and who I hadn’t seen in years.
Setting a Bookstore Record
It
was really busy the first hour, then stopped altogether for about 35 minutes,
then picked up again for the last 30 minutes. When the dust had settled, the
event had generated 13 sales, and a few people also came in who had bought a
book earlier in the week and wanted it signed. Kelly said it was the best sales
event since she had become owner of the store. Afterward, we went out for
coffee with one of Linda’s old friends and her fiancé.
All
in all, it was a successful event and provided some much-needed positive
reinforcement. There will no doubt be other bookstore appearances as I continue
to flog the book, and some may be more lucrative in terms of sales. But none
will be as fondly remembered as this first one.
