I’ll be perfectly honest with you. I don’t expect a lot of sales at this event. It’s a small store with no room for readings, it’s a Thursday morning, and the newspaper article about my book won’t be out until after the new year. That said, book signings aren’t really the stuff massive sales are made of, outside of speaking events. Exposure is what it’s all about. There is quite a bit of foot traffic so far, and me and all my merchandise and advertising is the first thing they see when they walk through the door, and the last thing they see as they leave.

There’s a smile on my face because I’m genuinely happy to be here, and if the only thing shoppers leave with is a friendly smile, that’s fine with me.

I was invited recently to host my own web radio talk show, which was a complete surprise. My husband had just bought me a professional mic and headset so that I can start working on the audio version of the book and begin podcasting. So, the timing of the invitation was perfect. We’ll see what comes of that.

I was so excited when my first books came! I was finally able to fill all my pre-orders, which felt great! My next goal will be sending all my tribute families and endorsers their copies. I feel like I’ve been saying “It will be coming out soon,” forever!

Ironically, I thought I’d be able to stop and take a breath once I finally approved my galley for print! Turns out promotion is even more work than writing. Live and learn. I’m beginning to appreciate even more the luxury of publishing in periodicals.

After four hours, it was time to pack up and collect my check. Although a good deal of my time was spent working on my laptop, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of foot traffic the book store had on a Thursday, and the number of friends who came by to buy my book and visit. I even had strangers stop to talk, ask questions, and wish me luck. With a sale of six books, and the exposure my book received, I have to say the event was a success. Especially given that the only advertising I had was my own Facebook ads and posts.

So, with my first book signing under my belt, onward and upward!

Until next time, happy reading!