Late last year, members of Hornsea Writers joined an initiative hosted in the cafe of Rhapsody Coffee in Bridlington to showcase – and sell – paperbacks from local indie authors. The organiser, Graham Smith, recently stepped up marketing endeavours by introducing an afternoon’s Meet The Author event on the first Saturday of the month.
Joy Stonehouse led the way in February, and I took the March date. But what to do to give it the best chance of success? Liaise with the organiser and prepare!
Splash your name and book covers.
The organiser wrote an article for the local free paper in Bridlington. I live just down the coast so wrote a short piece for my town’s free paper, and for another covering a market town and villages west of the venue.
I kept them short, and sent them in early with a choice of book covers – colour catches the eye better than headlines or, unfortunately, authornames. If your piece is used, email a short message of thanks to the editors. You may want to use their paper again in the future. Cut down the info for use on the internet – Facebook, Reels, TikTok… whichever you frequent.
Check out the venue and its clientele.
If you live close enough, this is a must. For a start, you need to know the availability of parking. What is the age range of the venue’s clientele? Will they be interested in your book/s? How can you make them more interested?
Eye-Catchers.
Readers are wary. Natural curiosity is balanced against the chance of feeling pressured into an unwanted purchase, even if the novelist doesn’t intend it. Eye-catchers offer a bridge.
Bookmarks are great if you’re writing a series – covers on one side and a line or two of info on the other. I write in disparate genres so find a postcard works better. In the past I’ve created a 3-fold leaflet in Word and run off 20 or so copies. In a café environment, whose gaze isn’t drawn to colourful reading propped by the condiments? Ask permission first, and collect the discarded afterwards.
The header image to this post was created in Word, printed on A4 photo paper, and slipped into a plastic sleeve with cardboard for stiffening. It stood on my table flanked by two of my paperbacks, to be seen from a distance while prospective buyers decided whether to approach.
Lastly...
Take spare books; these can always be carried home. As it
happened, the organiser wanted to replenish stocks. I had pre-printed two
copies of a Delivery Note and merely completed it in ink. Job done, no hassle, and no additional carriage costs.
Enjoy your couple of hours. Chat about the venue, the coffee, the weather. Occasionally you’ll be asked to chat about your books. Make it relatable: Oh, I wrote The Forever House after scraping wallpaper and finding a message on the plaster! People are there to relax, so have a laugh.
Karen Wolfe – with her humorous dog-whisperer cum detective novels – will be at Rhapsody Coffee, 85 High Street, Bridlington, on Saturday 5th April, 2-4pm. Laughs definitely included.
Linda Acaster writes Mythic Fantasy to Historical Romance to chilling Horror and a Psychological Thriller. And a Western. But I didn't go into that at the venue. It would have needed too much explanation.
Catch my books at Amazon
