Book Marketing Tips: Sold By Author

I keep detailed sales records so that I’m ready for tax reports at the end of the year. I track paperback books and Kindle books sold. I also have a category called Sold By Author. The books in this category are the ones I peddled at personal appearances. In most cases, I must collect state sales tax and turn it in to the state at the end of the year.

I’ve tried many ways to reach buyers this way because it is more than just selling a few books. It is a way of selling yourself. Some people may stop by and then go home and buy the Kindle edition. That’s fine.

There are book fairs where you rent space. Or, you may be asked to speak somewhere and then sell your books at the end of your presentation. I like this approach.

For the past year, a friend and I have had a book signing table in an area where people wait for a table at a popular restaurant. They charge us $30 for three hours. We split the cost. I may sale three to fifteen books and my friend, who has children’s books, usually sales twice as many. It is hard to find places like this, but if you can, it is worth it.

When you evaluate how to do this, consider the cost. I've found the cost often exceeds the benefits. For example, the annual Texas Book Fair (http://www.texasbookfestival.org/) is huge. It lasts for two days and draws around tens of thousands of people. However, that means it can charge huge fees. Much of the space goes to large publishers and bestselling authors. I managed to get half a table for a few hours one year as the result of a drawing held by the Writers League of Texas. I didn't sell enough books to cover the cost, but it was fun.

You may find some friends and get a table together and share the cost. It helps to have others with you anyway. I had a table in a book fair a couple of years back and managed to get it free for giving a talk to the group on selling books. Book fairs are only good if the organizers can get the customers there.

My friend and I set up a table at an annual Harvest Fest hosted by a church in town. There is no fee, but they expect us to tithe. That is, we pay them ten percent of our sales. Sales are good and I wish we had more opportunities like this.

Stand in front of the table if possible, to draw people in. Get the book into every visitor's hand if you can. If they turn the book over, be quiet while they read the blurb. I presign all the books to save time but will add their name if they ask. Have a similar pen ready.

We try to get email addresses from buyers, so we can add them to our mailing lists. One way to do so is if they pay by credit card. You can send them a receipt by email. Another way is to hold drawings for free books to get names and e-mail addresses.

Have displays and handouts available. I use business cards, bookmarks, flyers, posters, and other handouts.

A poster could be an enlargement of your book cover mounted on poster board. I use them at book signings to draw attention. Most print shops can make these for you. Business cards and bookmarks can be handed out at book signings, especially to those who didn't buy a book. I notice e-book sales increase after an appearance and I suspect some of those sales were due to the handouts.

I bought a tee shirt with the book cover on the front of two of my books. I’ve sold a few extra books due to the shirts.  

Before you participate in a personal appearance check to see if it is okay to sell books after your talk. Next, learn how to prepare for such events. For my first personal appearance I did an Internet search on "preparing for a book signing event" and found many useful pages of information. Still, it is a challenge to be prepared for anything. I did a book signing in the historic Clarksville neighborhood of Austin and almost blew away.

I grew up in Clarksville and used the neighborhood in my books. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to participate in the annual event. That was when I only had one book. Exhibitor tables were inexpensive and there were several events scheduled to draw visitors. Suddenly a strong wind came up. The table cloth I had brought took sail. I grabbed it and held it down until the wind subsided long enough for me to find a few rocks to weigh it down. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. I only sold one book during that long, hot, windy day, but attending was worth it. I made a connection with the pastor of the church there and he has helped me with book sales since then.

At another book signing, this time at the Harker Heights Public Library, I met several writers who became friends. Watch for networking opportunities at all your book signings and other personal appearances.

One thing you may want to take with you to these events is snack food and a bottle of water. If the signing lasts for a long time, the hosts may provide drinks and sometimes something to eat. But, it wouldn't hurt to take your own just in case.

Take change with you. In Texas, we must charge sales tax anytime we sell books. What I do is change the price of my books so that the price plus the tax comes out to an even amount. In my case, my books sell for $10.00 ($9.24 plus .76 tax).

To compute the selling price so that it plus tax is equal to $10.00 I divided 10.00 by 1.0825 since our sales tax rate is 8.25 percent. You can compute your round-figure price by changing the 10.00 to what you want and dividing by 1.(your sales tax rate). Mathematically, the formula I used for my price and rate is:

X + 0.0825X = 10 (X is the new price for the book)

1.0825X = 10 (the tax rate is 8.25 percent)

X = 10/1.0825

X = 9.2378… (round this to 9.24)

To compute the tax, multiply 9.24 times 0.0825 and you get 0.76.

The price of the book plus the sales tax is 9.24 plus 0.76, or 10.00.

These special personal appearance prices are less than the Amazon price so the customer is happy and I still make a profit. I also am prepared to take credit cards. It is easy now to use a smartphone or a tablet with a credit card reader that is provided free. You do have to pay a fee to the company you're using. I use Square. There are other methods available.

Consider partnering with another writer. It is sometimes easier to sell another person's book. Some of us find it difficult to brag about our own.

Stick a bookmark in each book sold. Especially if you have several books. Have a handout ready for those who don't buy, perhaps something that emphasizes an e-book edition of your books that they may order later.

Don't feel disappointed if you don't sell as many books as you'd like. Part of the reason for a book signing is to build name recognition. You may sell books later as a result of the book signing event.

Smelled Like Rotten Eggs

While at the Texas Book Festival last week, peddling my book, Where Love Once Lived, I told a few potential customers how the book was set in Austin, and one of the scenes took place just a few yards from where we were in that tent on Colorado Street. Here is an excerpt from that scene:

“You know,” Mr. McCullough said as he and Brian walked through the capitol grounds, “a few years back, ever’one would be staring at us.”

Brian was six foot two, and Phil’s dad was five two or three at the most. Mr. McCullough had just gotten off work at the Driskill and still had on his white shirt and bowtie. Brian wore shorts and Birkenstocks. Still, Brian knew Mr. McCullough was talking about race, not stature or clothing. Mr. McCullough was from a time in history Brian could never fully understand, but he’d read about how blacks suffered. It was a time of segregation.

They’d walked from the Driskill to the capitol without discussing a destination. The goal was to talk, and Congress Avenue just naturally led them into the capitol grounds. The grassy area surrounding the huge pink granite building was inviting this time of year. It was hot, but the shade of the trees along with a breeze made it comfortable.

Phil’s dad led the way to a bench under a tree near a water fountain. It was a pleasant place. Birds soaked the area with song, and statues stood rigid watch over the grounds while people walked back and forth, seemingly unaware of their verdant surroundings. This was the perfect place for the conversation with Phil’s dad, and Brian silently thanked God for leading them here. The realization he couldn’t ask Karen to marry him until his faith in God was stronger had come to him on the trip to California. He wanted to love God more, but couldn’t. Perhaps God hadn’t forgiven him for what he had done thirty years ago.

Mr. McCullough looked around. “When I was jus’ a kid, nine or ten I’d say, my parents brought me here.” He motioned toward the spot where they sat. “My daddy told me to drink from a sulfur fountain that was here. Said it’d be good for me and make me healthy. But there was a problem. Back then, you see, we had separate drinking fountains. One marked ‘white’ and one marked ‘colored.’”

He paused, but Brian waited for him to continue. “There was only one sulfur fountain and it wasn’t marked one way or ‘nother, colored or white.” He laughed. “Didn’t matter. We sneaked a sip when no one was about. Only once, though.” He shook his head and made a face. “Terrible stuff. Smelled like rotten eggs.”

Let me know what you think of this scene.

See: http://sidneywfrost.com/capitol.htm for additional photos of the Capitol grounds.

Texas Book Festival Was a Blast

I had the opportunity to sell my book, Where Love Once Lived, at the Texas Book Festival last weekend. Laura Bush, a former school librarian, founded the festival 15 years ago, and this year she spoke about her new book, Spoken From the Heart.

What surprised me the most was the size of the event. The streets around the Capitol were closed to vehicles and huge white tents popped up around the area. I had a two-hour slot to peddle my book in one of the long row of exhibitor tents in the middle of Colorado Street where it intersected with 12th Street.

When we first got there, I knew it was going to be big because there were no parking places available. We had to park on the fifth floor of a parking garage and lug two boxes of books down to the exhibitor tent, without the aid of an elevator. I'd originally planned to only bring about three dozen books and go back to the car for more if needed. But since it was so far to go back, I decided to take both boxes from the start, books plus a box of supplies such as bookmarks. I couldn't have managed it in one trip without help from Celeste.

There wasn't a time during the two hours that there weren't potential customers. The place was packed with people, all stopping, or at least glancing at what we had to offer.

I tried to get a book into their hands to make them feel some degree of ownership, but usually the book was quickly returned. Some took a little time to read the back cover before putting the book down. A few actually bought the book. A very few. Counting my friend Betty Caywood, who purchased two copies to give to friends, I sold a total of five copies.

However, the lack of sales wasn't a disappointment at all. I met some interesting people and learned that I can describe my book verbally. I handed out many cards and bookmarks and, perhaps, some of those will turn into sales.

Texas Book Festival

I dreamed of being asked to participate in the Texas Book Festival one day. I may have even mentioned it in a prayer sometime along the way. But I wasn't serious. It was one of those dreams about winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A wonderful goal you know you'll never achieve.

Well, guess what.

No, I wasn't asked to speak at the Texas Book Festival or to read from my book. My name's not on the list of authors for the event. However, I'll be there showing off my latest (i.e. first) novel, Where Love Once Lived.

How's that?

I won the lottery!

Actually, me and nine other members of the Writers' League of Texas. We each won a two-hour slot at the League's booth. I'll be in t he shadow of the State Capitol at booths 122 or 123 in the exhibits tent on Colorado between 12th and 13th streets Sunday, October 17, 2010 between 2 and 4.

Come see me!

You can read more about it here: http://www.writersleague.org/events/10-book-festival.htm