Re: Book Signings?

**B*@aol.com**

Are book signings at book stores really worth the time, trouble, and
sometimes expense for authors of garden books?

Jessie,

There are two kinds of book signings. Those that are set-up by the 
publisher's PR people, and those you do yourself. They can serve two 
different functions.

For publisher arranged signings the publisher should cover all the expenses, 
and work with the bookstore (or other venue) to assure there are enough 
copies on hand to meet demand. Your investment in these is only time. 

Often, the bookstore people will ask you to sign additional copies, which 
they will then promote (on-site) as "signed by the author" copies, often 
using large point of purchase displays for this purpose. 

All in all, these signings serve as promotional events to sell books. Your 
only return is the additional royalties you earn on those sales. Plus it 
sometimes leads to other things, like lectures and consulting work.

If you sell your own book, then book signings are an intergral part of that. 
You set up the signing and cover your own expenses. However, with the typical 
publisher's discount to author's, you actually can earn much more money by 
selling the book yourself. 

One caveat: Book dealers usually want to work with publishers and book 
distributors for the copies they sell, not with authors selling their own. So 
you have to use other venues; i.e., nurseries, garden shows, church meetings, 
garden clubs, etc. for this to work out. 

To maximize profit on a book, you should not only sell your own, but ask the 
publisher to charge the books you buy to the royalty account. Some will, some 
won't do this. But for those who do, you realize, in practical terms, 100% of 
the retail value of the books you sell yourself. 

Hope this helps.

Brook
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