book markets – Almost An Author

Seven Tips for Your First Author Event

I’m getting ready for my first-ever author event. I’ve been talking with other authors and poking around online to try to prepare.

Author of YA historical fiction, Stephanie Daniels made a few suggestions.

1) Decorate your table, if allowed. Make it eye-catching.

I’m going pretty plain and low-key, since I write in multiple genres. Authors who stick in one lane may wish to use items and colors to coordinate with their branding and genre.

A tablecloth will help make my area attractive, and a set of clear acrylic book stands for my titles will get my product off the table and in line of sight for the people browsing. Authors can use many types of displays for their books, and may wish to use something that reflects genre such as fantasy, romance, historical, and so on. The main thing is to make it pleasing and attractive.

I’ve heard tell you can never go wrong with a dish of candy. I plan to use either a plain dish or a Christmas-themed bowl, since it is a holiday Author Fair.

Other suggestions I gleaned from the Internet was to have different types of displays and signage, perhaps have a small poster with a tagline or blurb, your cover, some art, a QR code, and/or your website.

I wanted to purchase author pens to give away, but needed to keep an eye on my budget so concentrated on bookmarks instead.

2) Bring author bookmarks to give away.

As a collector of bookmarks, this seemed like a fabulous idea to me and a great way to advertise.

I had two options for this. In the past, I made mini-bookmarks from my business cards, but my cards only have my name and website address on the front.

I decided to go with new bookmarks, using elements from my website to make an attractive bookmark readers might hang on to for a while.

On the back, I put my tagline, web address, author photo, two of my book covers, an endorsement, and QR codes to my Amazon author page and another to my Goodreads page so people could read reviews.

I’m not sure if it was a mistake to put more than one QR code, but certainly more than two seems like overkill to me. Some authors put a QR code directing people to their newsletter sign-up. You could also have a QR code that goes directly to a specific book or book series.

Because I wanted a broader usage that would be relevant for a long time, I chose to have people go to my Amazon author page. Of course, if you are not exclusively published on Amazon you would want them to go to your website or universal link page.

I ordered bookmarks made of the highest available card stock, coated, with rounded corners. Choose the type of bookmarks you want to buy based on your budget and current needs. Shop around for the best price, making sure to consider shipping costs and delivery times.

Many authors use bookmarks to promote one book or one series. After the cover reveals for my young adult series, I will design another bookmark to promote those books.

3) Instead of sitting behind the table, stand in front or off to the side.

As people come by, offer them bookmarks and engage them in conversation. Ask them what type of books they like to read and tell them about what you write.

Depending on the event, this may not always be allowed, but if it is, I will try to engage people. When I’m feeling well it’s easy for me to interact with people. If I’m having a hard day it’s a bit more challenging.

4) Have a sign-up sheet for your newsletter.

Another great idea. Hopefully, many people will sign up for the newsletter which will give an author a second chance to make contact with future readers.

5) Don’t forget to bring bags for customers’ purchases.

6) And provide QR codes for your PayPal and your Venmo for payments.

It’s also a good idea to bring change for those paying with cash.

7) Last but not least, order your author copies well in advance.

Delivery times for author copies is notoriously slow compared to the quick shipping we have come to expect as shoppers.

As a parting bit of advice, Stephanie reminded me that while fulfilling the role of salesman may be uncomfortable for many of us, the people attending the event are there to buy books and to connect with authors.

Have you participated in an author event? Do you have any tips to add? Leave a comment!

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning multi-genre author. She writes contemporary young adult, historical fiction, and southern fiction. Many of her novels are about tough issues, but she always ends her stories on a note of hope. Finding the faith to carry on through hard battles in a common theme in Donna Jo’s books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, including her contemporary young adult novel, Promise Me Tomorrow, scheduled for release in 2025, sign up for Donna Jo’s newsletter at donnajostone.com.

The Key Differences Between the USA And UK Book Markets

The book publishing industry is one of the largest in the world. In 2020 alone, printed book sales increased by 8.2 percent. Due to the pandemic, a lot of people rediscovered their love for reading and books. For example, in the UK, the time people spent reading books doubled. The US and UK rank 2nd and 3rd in book publishing worldwide. Therefore, it will be interesting to know the major differences in their respective book markets.

Just like culture and environment have an effect on what people eat, movies they watch, clothes they wear and so on. It also impacts what people read and how they perceive book design. The best writing companies understand this difference and use it to their advantage. Below, we will discuss some major differences.

Book Cover Design

Publishers understand that book cover design is essential. They appeal to cultures in different ways. Therefore, they pay attention to the design when introducing a book to a new country.

What this means, for example, is that the book “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara has one cover design for the US book market and another for the UK market. Usually, the book titles don’t change, even with the difference in market tastes. British books are associated with darker colors, while American books have more bright covers.

Additionally, American publishers are often comfortable with portraying the characters on the book cover, contrary to what most British publishing firms would do. They usually leave the readers to imagine what the character looks like.

A book series that explains this difference is Harry Potter. You notice the variance in the different editions. Even more, the publishers changed the title of one of the novels to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (US edition) from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Appreciation of Story Tone

You will always find authors whose books become bestsellers in both the UK and US. Most of these books also go on to become best sellers in other countries. Some of these authors include Stephen Kings, Ruth Ware, and Paula Hawkins.

But popular authors are not the only bestsellers. There are other authors who are able to become best sellers in only the US or UK, respectively. The tone of the book greatly impacts how the different audiences receive it.

British humor is quite different from American humor. In the same light, there are differences in the use of words and phrases between these two cultures. These affect how readers relate to a book, and ultimately, how the book sells in each county.

Author Gail Honeyman, for instance, is a successful UK author. Her books contain some dark tone and humor that most British readers appreciate. However, US lovers of women’s fiction would rather have family drama and romance without the dark side.

Standard Book Sizes

Pocket Book (4.25 in x 6.87 in) vs. A-Format (178 mm x 111 mm):

The pocketbook is the US easy-to-carry version used to print cheap paperback fiction, while the A-format book is the UK easy-to-carry version. Many classics, humor, or self-help books are written in this version.

Digest (5.5 in x 8.5 in) vs. B-Format (198 mm x 129 mm)

The US trade size comes in different categories. Digest is the smallest and often used to print fiction and non-fiction books. The B-format is UK’s most popular publishing standard. Most paperback fiction is printed in this format.

US Trade (6 in x 9 in) vs. Demy (216 mm x 135 mm)

US Trade 6×9 in is the most common trade standard size. Most publishers demand this size for paperback fiction. The Demy standard is the UK’s large-format paperback used widely for airport fiction, in place of A-format books.

Hardcover (6 in x 9 in to 8.5 in x 11 in) vs. Royal (234 mm x 156 mm)

US Hardcover sizes vary widely. They are used for premium fiction and non-fiction, and mostly by publishing firms. Royals are UK hardcover standards used for novels and nonfiction. They are larger than other UK standard sizes.

Conclusion

Most writers want to serve readers across the globe. But it’s important to understand the inclinations of the readers in various cultures and pay attention to reviews. Paying attention to little differences like words and phrases, book cover, and book size will impact how much your work will be appreciated in the US and UK book market. Talk to your editor about how to balance your writing to reach your desired audience.

Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.