Well, I went to the store signing. Eight people.
Eight *enthusiastic* people, mind you, including some net denizens (among them Matt who had to assure me he’s not a stalker since he keeps showing up at functions I’m attending.) And John Ordover, my editor on the Trek novels and “Apropos” came all the way in from Brooklyn. Everyone was attentive and interested and enjoyed the reading and, unlike the last time I did a book signing, no one came by to proclaim loudly that everything I write sucks, so that was a plus.
But the store clerks said in disappointment, “Gee, y’know, so many people expressed interest, we really hoped for a much larger crowd.” It wasn’t said to be hurtful; it was, however, typical. I hear it all the time and I’m just tired of letting store owners down. Bottom line, I don’t draw in the hundreds of fans at bookstores that other authors do. Fans of mine go to conventions. There I get huge lines. And on very rare occasions, in comic book stores (although preferably if I have an artist next to me.) Other than that, no. And it’s a lot of effort for very minimal practical return. So that’s that for store signings. My conscience is clear on that score.
And in answer to the one person who asked: Well, I didn’t bowl so hot, but I’m trying some new stuff with my delivery, so I was expecting my average to take a hit. However, I rolled well enough to beat my opponent two out of three games and win my overall match point, so that helped.
PAD
• 
PAD,
Sorry that happened to you. I would love to been there, just could not make it.
Hey, PAD! What’s your average?!
At the moment, 167, which kinda sucks. That’s why I’m trying some new things with my delivery, to bump the numbers up.
PAD
I couldn’t bowl my way out of a paper sack. I’ve never been able to bowl worth spit. I’m lucky if I break 100. Awful, huh?
PAD, I would kill for your 167 average. (Well, I wouldn’t actually KILL for it.) I’ve been in a league for three years now and have only succeeding in raising my average from 126 to 143. I almost always have two good games and one below average game.
Fazhoul
My observation is that you situation is normal. In the entire time I worked at a bookstore the only times we would have people show up for a signing would be if a self-help author was there. Writers of religious books could bring in a crowd of thirty to forty, tops. When Orson Scott Card came through to promote Sarah, he had an audience of around thirty.
I can’t vouch for your signings, obviously, but the problem is usually promotion on the side of the bookstore. One of the major chains doesn’t train their promotions managers on how to promote a signing. Nor can they usually hire people who know what to do. Our promotions manager believed that ‘if you hold it, they will come’. Last I heard he was saying, “Would you like fries with that?”
If you decide to attempt to do signings in the future you might want to develop a press kit, if you don’t have one (and I’ll bet you do.) Include in it advice on how to promote the signing, as you don’t know if anyone at the store will know how to get the word out.
Or change your name to Neil Gaiman.
Hope it helps.
Before the crash of the site, were there not old entries of BID? What happened to those? I for one would like to be able to read those again. –Dee
I once suggested that whenever we had a signing that after the event we should take the author bowling. (There’s this hip bar that’s also a bowling alley just down the street.) That way the author has fun whether the signing turns out well or not.
I figured it would turn out to be this great tradition and touring authors would insist on stopping by to do a signing/reading just so they could go bowl.
At the time, no one agreed with me. I still think it’s a good idea.
So can we call you Peter “Ten Pens” David?
Peter,
I remember working in Huntington, NY, I would drive past that book store on New York Ave and 25A. They would always have large posters in the window advertising weeks in advance who would be there for book signings. I now live in a large town in Texas and rarely see promos for upcoming signings. It’s all how they do it! P.S. I have to wait until Oct 22 to read The Woad to Wuin, my birthday gift, but I can’t wait. I have enjoyed your stories twists and turns for many years. Thank you!
Well, I went to the store signing. Eight people.
Eight *enthusiastic* people, mind you, including some net denizens (among them Matt who had to assure me he’s not a stalker since he keeps showing up at functions I’m attending.)
Well dang, given the situation, you’d think you’d welcome stalkers 😉
So that’s that for store signings.
Ah well. Glad I showed up then.
Just bowled my first 600 series this week and it felt so good… Learned that slowing down my delivery a little on the first ball helps. It gives the bowl a chance to grab the lane and really hook.
Now I’m just trying to be more consistent and not make stupid mistakes like that blown 5-pin the other night.
Er, uhm, so what kind of bowl are you using, PAD? One of those fancy reactive resin jobbers, or plain ol’ urethane.
Don’tcha love how this is turning into a bowling thread?
-Augie, 176 average; reaching for 180 this season
Part of the problem with store events is that they’re likely to only attract local fans of that one person. (You aren’t likely to have people like me from Michigan going out to New York–though I wish I could’ve, to get my battered NF #1 (or perhaps not-so-battered #11 HC) signed–it just isn’t practical).
Cons, on the other hand, have multiple people, as well as other events or the dealers’ room, to attract fans. With more than just one reason to go, it’s easier to justify a trip.
Not too surprising, sadly…
Last October, Greg Rucka’s publisher sent him on a store signing tour and he came here to Phoenix. A friend and I went, and there were 12 people. One reason: the store owner (and it is a great store) is a comics hating snob and refused to publicize anywhere but in a tiny blurb in the paper.
I’m guessing this was something of the case for you?
Marc
I’m afraid I must agree that the low (but enthusiastic!) turnout was most likely due to lack of promotion. The only reason I knew about the event was that it had been mentioned here, and I go by the store frequently.
Hëll, I overheard employees wondering “Who’s the guy reading aloud over there?” If the folks who work there don’t know there’s an author reading/signing going on, then how is the potential audience supposed to know?
Of course, we enthusiastic few ended up getting a skosh more “quality time” with PAD, so it wasn’t at all bad for us. (Although I should have ordered a decaf mocha, ’cause I was up until 3AM. But I digress…)
Anyway, Peter, we enjoyed the evening. Thank you for coming out in the drizzle.
And good luck with that bowling league…
I don’t know what to tell you. If you’ve done enough signings for a long time, you probably know where the crowds are drawn the best.
You do deal in sci-fi and comics more than anything else (that I’m aware of), and sci-fi and comics fans are best catered to at comics shops and sci-fi conventions.
I say, stick with what works. If you’re a draw at the cons, work the cons.
Honestly, the only signing I’ve ever been to was Jackie Chan at Media Play in Rockford when his autobiography came out.
For the most part, they just don’t excite as many people, as I see it.
Peter:
I just finished Bowling 101 & 102 at my college, and one weird thing that I found works (and works well) is screwing the “professional” form, and actually using your thumb, index, and middle fingers, instead of the ring finger. You get a much better spin on the ball, and getting the 7 and 9 pins were easy as cake, as my control was greatly increased.
That, and I got the highest score in the class (which had 70 people in it…), thus scoring me an ‘A.’
Give it a shot, and good luck!
I’m glad that I was able to make it to what may be the historic last bookstore signing by Peter David, even though I hope that’s not the case. As someone else wrote, I agree that the problem was in lack of promotion. After Peter’s appearance on Destinies, in which he said he wasn’t sure of the date, I called Borders on 9/21, and asked when he would be appearing at the store. They said at the time that they didn’t know, and since the October schedule wasn’t available, I should call back after October 1st. I did call back, and even when I did, the first person I spoke to didn’t know who or what I was talking about. The events coordinator finally gave me the date only a week before the event.
Peter, maybe you should consider the Book Revue in Huntington. They do put up large posters advertising signings, and I know that both Neil Gaiman and Kevin Ryan’s wife Paulina have done succesful signings there.
I very much dislike Borders and Barnes and Noble. Several years back we had a great locally owned book store, then Borders and Barnes and Noble came along so they had to move their store farther away. The books in Borders and Barnes and Noble just seemed to be scattered all over the place. There was no logical way of actually shelving the books that I could see. And the places always seemed to be crowded. So I took the longer trip and went to the locally owned one.
A couple months ago I was going to go there to get Woad to Wuin, knowing that if anyone had it, and I could actually find it, it would be them. I went there only to find out that they had to close down.
So I decided to go to the crowded Borders, spending several minutes trying to find the book. I couldn’t find it so I asked an employee who spent half an hour looking on a computer and searching in different areas of the store. Finally the employee told me, “Well, we have several copies of the book. I just don’t know where they are, sorry.”
Man…A 167 average is nothing to sneeze at! I’m currently hovering at about 130 (and that might be a little generous…)! I know that my problem is with the bowling balls I use–I have a former “House Ball” that I received from a local bowling alley and a ball that I purchased from a thrift store for $2.00…Both are in the 12-13 lb. range, and they still have the original holes in them. I never had them re-fitted. I’ve developed a wicked hook by throwing with only the two finger holes–no thumb. Unfortunately, while the hook is powerful, the control is lousy! What I really need is a new ball, drilled for throwing with a lot of spin–I’m sure that thumb hole would really increase my control…
I used to live in Woodbury, about one minute from that Borders store. Too bad only eight showed up, but I’ve never noticed a lot of people in that store anyways.
-Brian