How to Approach a Bookstore about Event Inquiries

Bookstores are obviously the prime location for an author event. A place where people are already interested and looking for their next great read. But how do you approach a bookstore without overstepping boundaries or being annoying.

Here are few simple rules to approach your favorite bookstores.

We'll be honest here, one thing we hear a lot from booksellers is when authors come in with just an idea. There's no thought in that idea, authors just know they need to sign books in front of people to get their book in the world. But there are many types of events when it comes to author signings. So have a solid plan before you even approach a bookstore.

And having a plan means taking into account the space of the bookstore itself. Look at their past events, and see what they normally do. 

If the bookstore is a single room, jam-packed with books in every nook and cranny, the likelihood of having a full author talk with a PowerPoint presentation is slim. That space might be a good space to just sit and sign. 

In the same vein, understand the store itself. Quantity over quality is not always the best approach. If a store a very clearly a romance bookstore and you wrote a local history book about a hotel, that is not going to be a good fit.

Walking into a store and chatting with the minimum wage cashier isn't necessarily going to get you what you want.

The best way to approach this is actually to do your research ahead of time. Look on their website and try to find the event manager of the store. Then you can walk in with confidence and ask for that specific person. The event manager doesn't always work in the store, or they work wonky hours because they manage after hour and weekend events, so if they're not available, you can request their information or ask for a manager.

This is where you'll have to set your pride aside. Sometimes, the managers and event managers don't want to speak with you. And that's OK! They might instruct the cashier or floor worker to just take your information. In this instance, give them your information AND the information of your Arcadia publicist. A lot of bookstores prefer knowing that your book isn't self published, but backed by publisher. And some event managers would prefer to speak with a publicist than an author. Each experience will be different.

Don't be pushy, accept what they tell you and move on. Be considerate of their time.

We do recommend, however, that you request the information of the event manager, and specifically say you will hand it off to your publicist. 

Just like you wouldn't show up to someone's house party empty handed, you don't want to show up to a bookstore empty handed.

Marketing materials can do a lot of heavy lifting for you here. You can take a stack of bookmarks or postcards with you to the bookstore, and simply ask if you can leave them near the cashier. Usually, bookstores are happy to have free swag to give out!

Having the physical book with you can also help. Managers being able to see the physical book and read the blurb can make a more informed decision about whether that book will be a good fit for their store.

Regardless of whether they show interest in hosting you for an author event, end the conversation by offering to sign a few copies of your book. Signed copies are often displayed more prominently and they sell faster, and a bookseller understands this.

Offer your John Hancock, or offer to come back when the book is available to sign copies.

(This also makes for a great promotional post on social media. Take a photo of yourself in the store signing books and tag that store in the post!)

Don't forget to write a thank you note. If you have a manager's email address, shoot over a very quick thank you for your time and consideration the same day you visited with them. This not only is a polite thing to do, but it also keeps you top of mind.