Book signing successes in small cities or towns
In the past 4 years, I have done over 150 book signings in many different cities. But I have to say, there is something to be said for the smaller cities and towns. Please share some of your successful signing stories in small towns/cities. Here is mine:
This past weekend I left the big city of Edmonton for the smaller city of Red Deer, Alberta. I went there for a book signing at Chapters. The welcome and support I received there was phenomenal. God bless those smaller cities!
My husband drove the 1.5 hours there and back, so I was able to do something I rarely have time for—read a book. I’m reading Luanne Rice’s Angels All Over Town, and is it ever good! We arrived in Red Deer early (I hate to rush) and I wasn’t expecting things to be ready for me yet, but when I entered Chapters, they had the table set up, red tablecloth and my book display. The store had just opened. Wow, that bookstore is Efficient! I grabbed a Chai tea (one of my addictions), and started to work.
What a friendly place Red Deer is. I have always enjoyed it in the past, but my signing there on Sunday was the icing on the cake. I felt like part of the ‘team’ and was often asked if I needed anything and how I was doing. A couple of hours into my signing, one of the young gals came up to me and handed me a gift card. They do a ‘random act of kindness’ where each staff member hands out a gift card to customers. But she said she wanted to give me hers because of the great job I was doing. It was so sweet and I was very grateful. I need more books. I always need books.
Then she told me that one of the gals had ‘quit’ her job that day and it was my fault. Of course she smiled when she told me this and then proceeded to explain. One of the prized positions at Chapters is the job of “greeter”. I think they must fight over this like cats and dogs! I know I would. ;) Apparently, Nicole--who was supposed to be greeter--decided to ‘quit’ because she said I was doing a great job greeting everyone who came into the store anyway. I hope they didn’t make her stack the shelves…yikes. Sorry, Nicole.
Hey, you guys put me at the door and I’m not going to just sit there and stare off into the distance. No matter which bookstore I am in, I always take it as my responsibility to be the unofficial store greeter. Not only that, I can usually direct customers to the washrooms, book sections, Starbucks (ok…if there is a Starbucks in a 5 mile radius, I usually know where it is!). Just don’t ask for directions to some place outside of the store. I am directionally challenged on a wider scope.
So thank you, Red Deer Chapters. You all are wonderful and I can’t wait to come back. You made my signing fun, you showed so much interest in my upcoming movie deal on The River, and you were all very efficient and enthusiastic in how you advertised beforehand and promoted me during my signing. Loved the announcements, although the first time you said “bestselling author” I had to pinch myself. (Oh yes, wait…that is me.)
And imagine my utter ecstasy when I arrived home, only to find this wonderful review waiting for me, like a reward for a signing well done.
"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written a beautiful, haunting novel." -- NY Times Bestselling novelist Luanne Rice, author of Beach Girls and What Matters Most
I think I need to go to Red Deer more often!
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, Divine Intervention and The River
This past weekend I left the big city of Edmonton for the smaller city of Red Deer, Alberta. I went there for a book signing at Chapters. The welcome and support I received there was phenomenal. God bless those smaller cities!
My husband drove the 1.5 hours there and back, so I was able to do something I rarely have time for—read a book. I’m reading Luanne Rice’s Angels All Over Town, and is it ever good! We arrived in Red Deer early (I hate to rush) and I wasn’t expecting things to be ready for me yet, but when I entered Chapters, they had the table set up, red tablecloth and my book display. The store had just opened. Wow, that bookstore is Efficient! I grabbed a Chai tea (one of my addictions), and started to work.
What a friendly place Red Deer is. I have always enjoyed it in the past, but my signing there on Sunday was the icing on the cake. I felt like part of the ‘team’ and was often asked if I needed anything and how I was doing. A couple of hours into my signing, one of the young gals came up to me and handed me a gift card. They do a ‘random act of kindness’ where each staff member hands out a gift card to customers. But she said she wanted to give me hers because of the great job I was doing. It was so sweet and I was very grateful. I need more books. I always need books.
Then she told me that one of the gals had ‘quit’ her job that day and it was my fault. Of course she smiled when she told me this and then proceeded to explain. One of the prized positions at Chapters is the job of “greeter”. I think they must fight over this like cats and dogs! I know I would. ;) Apparently, Nicole--who was supposed to be greeter--decided to ‘quit’ because she said I was doing a great job greeting everyone who came into the store anyway. I hope they didn’t make her stack the shelves…yikes. Sorry, Nicole.
Hey, you guys put me at the door and I’m not going to just sit there and stare off into the distance. No matter which bookstore I am in, I always take it as my responsibility to be the unofficial store greeter. Not only that, I can usually direct customers to the washrooms, book sections, Starbucks (ok…if there is a Starbucks in a 5 mile radius, I usually know where it is!). Just don’t ask for directions to some place outside of the store. I am directionally challenged on a wider scope.
So thank you, Red Deer Chapters. You all are wonderful and I can’t wait to come back. You made my signing fun, you showed so much interest in my upcoming movie deal on The River, and you were all very efficient and enthusiastic in how you advertised beforehand and promoted me during my signing. Loved the announcements, although the first time you said “bestselling author” I had to pinch myself. (Oh yes, wait…that is me.)
And imagine my utter ecstasy when I arrived home, only to find this wonderful review waiting for me, like a reward for a signing well done.
"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written a beautiful, haunting novel." -- NY Times Bestselling novelist Luanne Rice, author of Beach Girls and What Matters Most
I think I need to go to Red Deer more often!
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, Divine Intervention and The River
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Permalink Reply by norby on
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For what it's worth, I wish more authors would do signings and appearances in small towns. I live three hours from Chicago and Detroit. Now there are a lot of authors that I like a lot, but none that I like so much that I'm willing to drive that far, then try to find my way around a large city that I'm not familiar with for an even that I may only be at for an hour or two. It's just not going to happen. But every time tour schedules come out the same damn big cities are always listed.
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