As a relatively new writer, I am learning on the go. Not just about the craft of writing, but about the whole process: drafting, editing, revising, fact-checking, publishing, distributing, and … marketing.
Marketing.
I am not made for marketing. This isn’t something that I have learned on my writing journey. I have always known that I am not a marketing person. Only now it is a bit more obvious.
Still, marketing is part of writing and if I want to self-publish books, I at least need to do some of this myself. With the release of my first novel, I’m trying to be more intentional about using social media, blogging, and networking to expand my reach.
Time will tell if my efforts are successful.
For today, I want to focus on in-person events. I’ve participated in a handful of book promotions in various settings over the past year. Now, with a second book published and a fresh slate of events on the calendar, it seems like a good time to revisit my very first in-person event and unpack some takeaways from that experience.
My First Promotion
Through my publisher’s network of connections, I received an invitation to hold a book signing at a nearby large national chain bookstore. Of course, I couldn’t say no.
My first book was an Advent devotional—a seasonal book for a niche market. Being a realist, I did not put much hope in an event at a mainstream chain bookstore in an urban mall. Clearly, I would be well outside of the insular “bubble” where Christian products are typically sold. I decided that if I could sell five books, I would call that a success. Even if I sold no books, I would be happy to hold an in-store book signing for the learning experience alone.
I was fortunate that, despite planning the event in August, the store was booking authors for November timeslots. Perfect! I was able to claim the Saturday before Thanksgiving—right about the time that Christmas displays start to go up. I couldn’t ask for a better day to sell Advent devotionals.
How Did It Go?
I sold nine books, and the store sold a couple of copies prior to the event. They also asked me to leave behind a few signed copies to add to their shelves. By my math, that’s over a dozen books: success times two when measured against my five-book benchmark.
I was pleasantly surprised. I was in an environment where people simply didn’t go out of their way to look for a Christian book. Statistically, many were probably not Christians or even churchgoers. So I was happy to exceed even my meager sales expectations.
More importantly, I came away from that experience with some insights that I hope will help me to grow as a writer, as a marketer, and as a Christian.
The People that You Meet
My first observation came long before I got into the store: parking was not easy. The lot was full and the mall was packed. Despite everything that I have read about shopping malls failing across the country, this one was doing something right. That gave me some optimism going into my two-hour stint as I got myself set up in front of the New Book display with a direct line of sight to the front door.
As shoppers entered, I found they fit into two broad categories; those who saw me and those who pretended not to see me. The former would nod, wave, or say hello. The latter would move with laser focus toward whatever shopping objective moved them—even the new book display right behind me.
I can’t be upset with these people because I am one of them. I don’t want to take surveys, and if your free samples are truly something that I want, I will stop. But please don’t approach me.
Of course, plenty of shoppers did engage. Some stopped to talk simply because there was someone at the table. I suspect that any author, selling any book, would have the same initial experience with this group. After all, people who buy books tend to be interested in people who write books.
Once discussion began, our interactions usually diverged along one of several pathways as people reacted more to my book than to me. By that, I mean the realization that the featured product was a Christian book with a Christian objective determined the course of the rest of the conversation.
After the passing “hello,” these interactions shaped my time at the table.
Excited Christians
A few shoppers were so elated to see a Christian author selling a Christian book in a mainstream store that they made up their minds to buy a copy before I could finish describing the book. In a way, these shoppers reinforced my not-entirely-accurate notion that a mainstream mall store was a less-than-ideal venue for a Christian writer by expressing their surprise at my very presence.
On the other hand, I could just as quickly argue that these shoppers refuted my faulty expectations by their very presence. After all, I was the one who stepped outside of the economic bubble of the Christian media sub-culture expecting to find myself alone in a strange place. I was glad to discover how wrong I turned out to be.
Friends of Christians
Most of the shoppers who purchased a book expressed that they were buying the book for someone else. This is understandable. After all, most shoppers in a mall at the onset of the gift-buying season will simply have other people in mind.
What I found notable was that these buyers told me that they were buying the book for someone else almost apologetically. I sensed in their admissions that they had no interest in a Christian devotional, but simultaneously had a desire to support a local writer. In these cases, picking up a gift for a sibling/grandmother/coworker gave them a perfect win/win/win opportunity.
People Who Liked Signed Books
Actually, this was just one guy. One really energetic, positive, and excited guy. He wanted to know what else I had published (at the time, nothing), how long the book had been out, and what future books I was planning. Realizing that this was the first printing of my first book only amplified his excitement.
After he completed his purchase he came back to my table to let me know he was hanging on to this book in case I ever became famous. I don’t have any aspirations (delusions?) of becoming famous, and I’m sure that my autograph will only ever be worth as much as the check it is written on.
Now, a year has passed and I don’t know if this person has read my book or if he still knows where he put it. Even if I am forgotten to him, his contagious enthusiasm left a lasting impression in my memory.
People Who are Hostile Toward Christianity
In the world beyond the aforementioned bubble, we Christians do well to remember that not everyone we encounter is a Christian. Not everyone understands Christians. And not everyone likes Christians. Most visitors to my table who have no affiliation (even through a relative or coworker) with Christianity politely said that they weren’t interested in the book. However, one particularly memorable interaction stands out.
A woman came to the table and asked about my book. I wasn’t even two sentences deep into the description when she said, “I have nothing to do with that!” before abruptly turning and leaving. I don’t know what negative experience she has had with the church or with Christians in the past. I don’t know what wound she might be carrying around. And I never will. But I know two things.
First, this was my most important interaction of the day because it created an opportunity to give someone a new experience with Christians, different from the past encounters that shaped her perceptions. Granted, she left so quickly that I couldn’t say anything. But that gave me time to consider what response would be best if I had an opportunity to offer one.
Second, it wasn’t the end of the dialogue. After the woman finished shopping, she returned to my table to apologize for walking away. “That’s not who I am,” she said, “and that’s not who I want you to think I am.”
“Thank you for coming back,” I said and offered a handshake. I had questions, but I knew none of them were important. So we chatted a moment about nothing and exchanged pleasantries, and that was the end. She may or may not have any significant recollection from our encounter now. Still, like the autograph collector, she left me with a lasting memory that will forever inform how I interact with the world around me.
Final Thoughts
I started this post by talking about marketing. I still have much to learn about marketing my books and myself as an author. But the key takeaway from my first book promotion was perhaps the most important “marketing” lesson I could have learned.
Selling books is my secondary calling. No matter our profession or role in society, we followers of Jesus are called to be ambassadors of his kingdom. Every circumstance, every interaction, is an opportunity to let his light shine in us and through us.