While you can sell lots of books online, selling in person gives you face time with readers. It can also give your online sales a bump. A well-planned signing event is a great way to make some sales and meet some people. But you have to put your event in the right venue. Fortunately, book-signing locations abound.
Nearly anywhere can be perfect for a book signing. You just have to know your audience and go where they hang out. If you’re looking for the perfect place to sell and sign some books, try these locations.
The Most Obvious Book-Signing Location: Bookstores
It would be silly not to mention the most common book-signing location, so here we go. If you’re looking to find book buyers, the bookstore is your best bet. It’s possible to have a signing at your local Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million, but indie shops are easier to work with.
As an aside, if you rely on Amazon KDP to print and distribute your book, bookstores will not want to sell it. Using IngramSpark helps you sidestep this potential problem.
Sell Books at Your Church
Write a Christian book that people in your congregation would appreciate? Talk to church leadership about making your church a book-signing location.
Of course, your event shouldn’t take the place of worship. But there are plenty of other days to sell books. Perhaps you can set up a table on Wednesday night when your church has mid-week meetings. Or you can choose another evening or a weekend afternoon.
You can even have a church-based signing event if your book doesn’t focus on matters of faith. Just make sure there is no offensive content that would make your congregation uneasy.
Sip on Coffee, Sign Some Books
Ask Google if coffee drinkers like to read, and you’ll get a ton of results. In short, the answer is yes.
This is good news, because that makes every coffee shop in your town a possible book-signing location. Go grab a cup of joe and chat up the barista. Ask who you should talk to about your event and prepare to sell books and sign them for a well-caffeinated audience.
Gear Up for Sporting Events
Seems strange, but sporting events can be great book-signing locations. Why? Because lots of people go there to have fun. Many come with extra cash for concessions. By setting up to sell and sign books, you can divert some of their extra funds into your pocket.
As with any other location, check to make sure it’s kosher to sell books at a sporting event. There are likely rules regarding outside sales. Follow them closely, and you’ll have sports fans raving about your book!
Get Wild at the Zoo
Yes, you can sell books alongside your favorite animals. In fact, one Argyle Fox Publishing author already her local zoo into book-signing location.
To get started, call your zoo and pitch the idea. It may take hard work, but if you keep at it, you may meet your goal.
Pro tip: You may find better luck if you sign books during another zoo event. So ask what events are coming up and ask to take part in it.
Check Out the Library as a Book-Signing Location
Like bookstores, the library is an obvious place people go to get books. The only difference: Library patrons go to the library to borrow books. For free.
Don’t let that deter you. Library-goers love books. They love them so much that they buy them—quite often!
Talk with your librarian to find out when you could set up shop. By choosing the library as a book-signing location, you may even meet local folks who can help you sell more books!
Chow Down, Drink Up, Sign Away
Everyone eats. Everyone drinks. A lot of them like doing this out on the town. Why not meet them there by turning local restaurants and bars into book-signing locations?
You may have to pay for an area where you can sell or sign, but many restaurants let you do it for free. Why? Because if you advertise well and people come to get your book, they’ll also spend money on food and drink.
So, by setting up at an eatery or watering hole, you bring in patrons like a cover bad. You just don’t make as much noise.
Make Your Book Recreational
Live near a park? Take your book there and use the great outdoors as a book-signing location.
As with all other spots, you’ll need to get permission. Fortunately, this is usually easy and only takes a few minutes (and maybe a bit of paperwork).
Anything Local
Local businesses like supporting local businesses. As an author, you are a local business. After all, your book is a business! Reach out to other businesses with storefronts and ask to use their space for an afternoon as a book-signing location.
This can be an antique store, hair salon, or any other local establishment. Most likely they’ll be game, because—again—you may help to increase their business.
Is your book still stuck on your computer? To get it in readers’ hands, you have to edit, design, and format it. Then you have to research appropriate keywords and more. Or, you can let us handle all that. Learn more about us to see if Argyle Fox Publishing is a good fit for your book.