Only 2 people showed up at my book signing. At the craft fair, only a handful stopped by my table. At my first book signing at a store I sold 7 books.
It’s easy to wonder if it was worth my time. Did it really make a dent in my marketing?
At the first event I mentioned I shared chocolates and chit chat. I gave away free homemade beaded bookmarks. I shared about my writing journey and answered questions. We laughed and created some memories. I connected with my readers.
I arrived early and met the author who had an event prior to mine. She bought my book and I bought hers. We traded contact information for a possible future guest blog post.
One of my other guests took a stack of bookmarks to place in her church library. She also planned to check with them about carrying my book. She took my contact info because she is part of a group that occasionally needs speakers.
The third guest was a friend and fellow writer. She had already read my book, but bought another one for someone else and talked to me about my donating a copy of my book for a worthy cause.
Before the event started, I passed out invitations to around 100 people. I invited everyone I knew through my social media. The bookstore had it up on their FB page as well as a listing in the local book news spot of our Sunday paper.
My 2 new friends signed up for my newsletter. One was already signed up.
Even with only 2 guests, was my event a success? You bet. Here are 5 questions I use to determine if an event was worth my time.
· Did I connect with my readers? Was I generous and kind to them? Did we have fun and make memories?
· Have more people heard about me and my book through this event and the advertising for it?
· Did I sell anything? Even if it’s only one person who likes my book, they can make a big difference sharing with their friends.
· Did my email list grow?
· Did my contact information make it into more hands?
It’s important in the process of building our platform,that we don’t forget the face to face moments.
Have you had a successful author event?
How did you determine if your event was worth your time?
Angela D. Meyer, author of Where Hope Starts, lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of more than 23 years. She homeschools their daughter and recently graduated their son, who is now a Marine. She loves God and her family. She enjoys good stories and connecting with friends. Someday she wants to ride in a hot air balloon and vacation by the sea.