Building Local Readership

delt1
Would You Buy a Used Car From This Person?
How About A Book?

I’ve posted my thoughts on building a local readership several times, but once in a while, it seems like a good idea to address it again, especially when I’ve been to an author event like yesterday’s Authors Fair at the Deltona Regional Library. I know it might not be something everyone enjoys as much as I do, but I really think attending local events where you can meet not only readers, but other writers, is a great way to promote your books, and most importantly, yourself.

I stress the importance of promoting yourself, because I have a theory that if readers meet you face to face, and enjoy chatting with you, they are very likely to buy a book or two that you’ve written. If not at the event, then later, for their Kindle, or whenever they are in the mood to go browsing at Amazon. (Of course, you must enjoy chatting with them, as well. They’ll know if you’re faking it.)

It’s not about the sales you make that day, which can be iffy. It’s about the ones that will be coming later, because of the interest generated from your table, and from your sparkling personality. You do have one of those, right? *grin* If not, work on it. But remember, everyone sparkles in a different way. Be yourself, be friendly, rather than pushy, and enjoy a laugh or two with those you chat with.

And the importance of meeting other writers, especially local ones, can’t be overstated, for several reasons. First, writers are truly the most supportive and informative group of people, ever. They are almost always willing to share experience, resources, knowledge, and pretty much anything else connected to the business of writing and marketing books. And, they (mostly) seem to know that their fellow writers are not competition, but rather a cheering section. After all, buying a book isn’t like picking out a sofa. Readers don’t buy one, and then stop. In fact, when readers enjoy a good book, all it does is make them want to read another one, right away. So, as with most businesses today, networking is a key factor. Author events offer you the opportunity to learn from, and share with, each other.

For instance, yesterday, I found out several very handy and interesting things about subjects as diverse as editing a book already published on CreateSpace, local book clubs, and even (believe it or not), the mask of King Tut! 🙂 And I also learned that my personal presentations and talks of the past year meant that a lot of folks who stopped by my table had met me before, read at least one of my books, and were looking for more. My Secret Plan is working! My immediate sales were better than I expected, and online purchases afterward went up, too.

After an event like yesterday, where there were forty authors present, or even after one of my (solo) PowerPoint presentations at local venues, I always see an uptick in sales on Amazon. Even those who don’t purchase a book from me the day of the event, often go home and check out my books online, where they can read the full blurb at their leisure, and see what others have to say, before buying. And this is fine with me. I’ll sell eBooks all day long, and smile with every download.

Finally, let me just (gently) urge you to get away from the computer now and then, so you can meet your readers (and other authors) face to face. You will learn a lot about what folks want from your books, and about how other writers approach the craft. And best of all, it’s fun!

dougmarciajeanne
Of all the local Meet the Author events I do, none is more fun than an Eco-Tour aboard the Naiad, with a local book club or other group. An afternoon on the St. Johns River is a treat for everyone, and halfway through the two-hour tour, we stop long enough for me to do a reading, then continue the scenic cruise. Back at the marina, I sign books and do some Q&A, and we all go home tired and happy. I have two Eco-tours coming up soon. April 30 and May 27. Call Doug or Jeanne at (386) 626-9004 for reservations. Hope to see some of you there! 🙂

Now it’s your turn. How many of you actively pursue opportunities of this kind? What has worked for you, and what hasn’t? Inquiring minds wanna know!

DeBary Nursery
61 S Charles Richard Beall Blvd
DeBary, Florida 32713
386-668-4466

It’s not a large nursery, but it’s a great one, crammed full of wonderful things for plant lovers, and employing folks with friendly faces, happy to answer any gardening questions you might have. I discovered it quite by accident a few years ago, while on my way to lunch at Highbanks Marina. Little did I know then that both the marina and the nursery would play such a big part in my life, one day.

The marina was part of the inspiration for my second novel, Swamp Ghosts. The little town of DeBary was, too. And of course, Captain Jeanne Bell and her husband, photographer Doug Little, inspired my main characters in the book, since I fell in love with their Eco-Boat tours, and decided to build a story around a similar enterprise. But that’s not the surprising part of this story I’m sharing today. No, that came after my book was written and published.

It happened one afternoon, as I was plant shopping at DeBary Nursery. I got into a conversation with the owner, Bev McCain, about books. I gave her a couple of my bookmarks, with Wake-Robin Ridge and Swamp Ghosts pictured on them, told her a bit about the books, and she promptly decided she wanted to read them both. So she did. And she enjoyed them. A lot, apparently (thankfully), because she started passing out bookmarks to all her customers and recommending them. And some of them read, and enjoyed them, too.

Before long, Bev decided she’d like to sell the books in her nursery gift shop, so we set up a little counter display. She’s very much into local businesses helping each other, and she wanted to be sure everyone knew I was a local author, and that Swamp Ghosts was set in a fictional version of DeBary, and featured a fictionalized version of Highbanks Marina. Done, and done, with a printed sign in an acrylic counter “frame.”

And this is where it gets good. Bev started by ordering 5 copies of my first two books. In a few days, she wanted more. Now, she orders from me nearly weekly, and has sold just over 100 copies of my books in just a few weeks…from her nursery. I don’t know about you, but I find that astonishing. She doesn’t have a book store, and other than a few pamphlets and whatnot on gardening, doesn’t sell books. But she sells the heck out of mine. Partly because she really liked the books and it shows when she tells people about them, and partly because she’s a dynamite sales person. (I once saw her sell a copy of Swamp Ghosts to a woman who told her up front that she didn’t read! “Aw, that’s too bad,” Bev told her, “because this book is really a fun read, and you’ll recognize so many central Florida places in it.” The woman decided her husband might like it, and left the store carrying my book!)

Will I get rich on the sales of 100 books? No, of course not. But just last week, a customer came into the nursery, walked straight up to the counter, and asked to see the book set in DeBary, adding that she’d heard from several people how good it was. Now THAT kind of word of mouth is gold.

The moral of this tale is, you never know where you might find an opportunity to sell your books, get your name out there, build a group of fans, meet your readers face to face, and take another step up that ladder to writing success. I highly recommend keeping your eyes open when you are out and about. You never know where your next chance to find readers will come from. It could be anywhere, even in the gift shop of a local plant nursery.

If you live in central Florida and you love to garden, I also highly recommend stopping by DeBary Nursery. Tell Bev I said hello!