Comments on: The efficacy of book tours

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:26:15 +0000

I think book tours help retain readers more than gain new ones. Or if they help gain new ones, it’s because fans are dragging their friends to the events. Because diehard fans will be like, “OMFG MY FAVORITE AUTHOR EVER IS COMING I MUST SEE HIM/HER OMG OMG!” The personal interaction makes readers even more excited, and then that keeps the author’s name in their heads, and then they want to buy their subsequent books. Although, maybe that’s only teen events. I don’t know much about other events. I’ve been to one litfic reading in my life, and it was for my thesis advisor, so he had a bunch of his friends from school there.

Multi-author events are a great idea! The best ones I’ve ever been to have had multiple authors. They interact with each other and the audience, and make jokes, and do funny things. It’s awesome.

By: lisa

lisa — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:57:50 +0000

Yes! I am constantly reading about American author tours where no crowd shows up, or authors talking about how it’s important to do them even though only a handful of people might show up. Given the cost of travel, and time taken to go, I wonder why these events remain ‘important’ – surely it would be more important to connect with a lot of readers, even if it isn’t done in a traditional (i.e. bookshop signing) way.

I love the idea of the group author tour. No Media Kings used to do something similar (and maybe still does) – the indie, DIY, group book tour, whereby a bunch of indie writers go on tour together with the express intent of entertaining an audience in each city. Not doing readings, but acually doing something fun and interesting and entertaining, and thus draw bigger crowds, and thus sell more books.

By: G

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:14:47 +0000

I have actually been talking about this (in blog comments) quite a lot recently.That is, handselling books, which I have been doing madly after reading them in the modern equivalent of ARCS- (free)e-books. And I am originally from Schenectady, so perhaps I am the answer to everyone’s problem?

That and perhaps publicizing readings sufficiently so that those of us who are readers know in advance where and when to go and making them interesting enough (for whatever reason, including a muffin/drink) to make up for the $10-15 an hour hiring a babysitter costs!

By: liliya

liliya — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:38:12 +0000

i did my first book signing recently and was really surprised that at least half the sales were to random shoppers. I’m sure it helped that it was near christmas and they were children’s books but I’m guessing the real key to success was… I was also giving out free toffees. Nothing like a bit of bribery and coercion.
I sold some to teachers who were looking for books to do with their classes and to parents who I guess thought a signed book would be a more special present for their kids. I’ve done a couple of school visits too and was really struck by how most of the questions were to do with writing processes – i think in the UK there’s a bit of a ‘cult of the author’ which is being really encouraged in schools and that’s why a signed book, even by an author no one’s heard of (as one lady kindly told me at the signing!) is seen as something special. it was a really nice surprise although I don’t really like this festishizing of the writer – I mean it is, actually, just a job description…

By: holly black

holly black — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:11:03 +0000

I think that not only certain genres, but certain books bring people out. Some books are very popular, but for whatever reason don’t bring people to the store to meet the author. Other less popular books have a more rabid fan base — or at least a fan base that’s more aware of the author.

By: sara z.

sara z. — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:46:12 +0000

“Do the writers of his genre insist on doing readings? Which really are—except for the most gifted readers—the most boring way of interacting with a book-loving crowd.”

YES. Every time I’ve gone to a literary fiction author event, author insists on reading for LIKE 20 MINUTES. That is so long! If you must read…talk, read a scene, talk about other stuff, read another scene, etc. I think YA authors get this, and have much more sympathy for their audience.

Also, I love doing group events. I wish every event could be an event with one or two or three other authors. I don’t think adult lit authors on the main would go for this, because there seem to be some “but I don’t want to share my glory” attitudes.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:24:23 +0000

It’s interesting when you look at book tours from a marketing perspective. Okay, so I’m not in marketing, but I work in a book/DVD store that has had a couple of book signings recently and there’s one thing I’ve come to learn about: if someone wasn’t buying your books before, turning up at a book store that they happen to be in isn’t going to make them buy your book.

You might have other experiences, but usually my conversations with customers (not there for the book signing) will be something like…

Customer: Who’s that guy at the table?
Me: That’s [Person x]
Customer: Who?
Me: *Explains a bit about [Person X] and their book*
Customer: Oh.. *grabs their bag and walks straight past [Person X]*

On the other hand, I have actually bought books by people who visited my school (when I was still in school).

Again, I don’t know if as authors you and Scott have noticed things to be different but that’s my experience as someone who’s worked in a shop.