BOOK SIGNINGS, PAPERBACKS, AND YOUR LOCAL MARKET

On Saturday,  I joined authors Carol Ann Ross and C. Evenfall for a book signing event at The Mermaid’s Purse in Surf City, N.C.  The weather was a little nippy. Okay, I’m lying.  It was downright cold & the winds coming off the Atlantic were brutal.  Good thing our table was inside!

Beach towns have a tendency to become ghost towns  in the winter and considering the weather, we were afraid no one would venture out.  Lucky for us, there were a few brave souls. I think we all had a wonderful time.

In the digital age, don’t discount the paperback:

There’s an old saying that goes something like this – He’s a big fish in a little pond.  In the ocean that is Amazon, I figure I’m something akin to plankton. When it comes to my local pond, I’m certainly not the biggest fish, but I’m not snail sludge either.

My books: I chose to publish e-Books as well as paperbacks.  (And I’m thinking about trying an audio with the next one.)  On Amazon, the e-Books sell, the paperbacks -not so much.  The profit margin on the e-Books is pretty slim.  I’ll have to sell a lot of them to quit my day job.

This is why I like paperbacks:

It’s hard to participate in a book signing event if I don’t have a physical copy of my book. Let’s face it – nobody wants me signing their Kindle.

I live in a vacation area.  Visitors like buying books by local authors.  Having said that – locals like supporting locals, too.  Not only do I have books in local shops, I’ve found participating in community events like craft shows and Holiday festivals are a great way to not only get my name out there, but to sell books.  The truth of the matter is this:  When we’re talking money – my local sales out perform my internet sales.  Maybe one day that won’t be the case but for now, it is what it is.

Looking at my KDP report isn’t exactly exhilarating, but selling several books at a local festival – that rocks! And getting a monthly check for the books sold at a local store isn’t too bad, either.

My advice:

If you’re not finding the success you’d hoped for on Amazon, etc.,  don’t overlook the value of your local market.