Category Archives: selling books

Isses related to selling books at venues

7 Ways to Make Indie Booksellers Love You

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by Catherine Linka

Title&CandyHearts

As the children’s and YA book buyer for Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse in La Ca?ada, California, Catherine Linka as had countless experiences with authors and school visits. But many authors are clueless about etiquette. Take a look at the tips she shares and ee how you might improve your approach.

1. Be absolutely clear from the first conversation with a bookseller if you need to charge for a school visit. It is fine with us if this is how you make your living, but do not expect us to get the business for you. We will, however, be happy to supply books after you have made the deal. If you can afford to do free school visits, it will be a treat for us to call our customers and set those up.

2. Tell us what size of group you prefer to work with well in advance. It’s OK if you like to meet with 20-40 kids. You don’t need to see a huge group to please the bookseller.

3. Help us sell you into the school. Send us jpegs of you and your book. Forward us a short bio, and ask your publicist to send us a couple ARCs to give to teachers. Give us a summary of what you will do during your visit or suggest pre-visit activities for the teachers. Booksellers are busy, and we appreciate authors who make our lives easier. 

4. If you need audio-visual equipment–give us 3-4 days notice to contact the school and get those arrangements in place. And tell us what type of hardware or software you’re bringing.

5. Be professional. Avoid off color language or controversial statements that can embarrass the school and endanger the relationship that the bookseller has with it. Booksellers work very hard to build relationships with schools and libraries, and we need authors to understand that if we take them to a school–  their behavior reflects on us.

6. Give us a cell phone number so if you are late, we can reach you.

7. Do a good deed. There are some small schools in my area that are dear to my heart, because they serve kids who have emotional or learning differences or who are in the foster care system. Visiting these schools won’t sell a lot of books, but I will be a Heather Brewer fan until the day I die after watching her speak about growing up as an outcast to a group of kids who I know struggle with social relationships.

CatherineLinkaCatherine Linka is the children’s and YA book buyer for the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse in La Ca?ada, California. An MFA grad of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Catherine’s debut novel, A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS will be published by St. Martin’s  in spring 2014.

 

2 Economical Bookplate Solutions

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 The other day, my friend Barbara Elizabeth Walsh wrote to me for advice: 

This is a classic bookplate design, originally developed for Antioch Bookplates, but now owned by Bookplate Ink

This is a classic bookplate design, originally developed for Antioch Bookplates, but now owned by Bookplate Ink

“I’m on the road looking for author bookplates. One school didn’t get their book delivery and I promised I would send inscribed bookplates to them as soon as I retuned home. Do you have any suggestions?”

 

It’s disappointing – to you and to readers — when schools or bookstores run out of your books during your appearance. Being able to autograph and personalize a book can mean the difference between a sale and no sale. So here’s a solution. Tell the host that for any book sold after your visit, you will mail autographed, personalized bookplates. After the event, have the host email the names she / he wants written on the bookplates.

 Also known as ex libris (“from the library of”), bookplates are decorative stickers that are placed in the inside cover of books to identify ownership. But classic commercial bookplates are expensive (about $.50 and up per plate) and usually don’t have enough room for an author to sign, let alone inscribe a student’s name.

I tried to find commercial designs like these with enough room for me to write a message. They were sold in packages of 10 – 12, and the costs added up quickly.

I tried to find commercial designs like these with enough room for me to write a message. They were sold in packages of 10 – 12, and the costs added up quickly.


There are other products that you can use for bookplates —

Commercial name tags: School supply stores usually have decorative name tags with enough surface area for writing. You can choose a design that complements the theme of your book.

In a school supply store, I found name badges with fun colors. The writing space was a bit cramped – 2.5” x 2.25”, but they worked – and were economical at 100 for $5.00.

In a school supply store, I found name badges with fun colors. The writing space was a bit cramped – 2.5” x 2.25”, but they worked – and were economical at 100 for $5.00.

 

Shipping labels: Office supply stores have an abundance of blank white shipping labels to choose from. Select a size (from 2” x 4” to 4 up to 3 1/3” x 4” is best) and make your own design. These can be printed up at home at your convenience. They have room enough for an inscription, autograph and date. 

Bookplate - My designs

I made my own “themed” template for Loud Emily (top) and The Recess Queen (4” x 3.25”). I use a smaller label (2” x 4”) when I donate a book to a school.

I made my own “themed” template for Loud Emily (top) and The Recess Queen (4” x 3.25”). I use a smaller label (2” x 4”) when I donate a book to a school.

Barbara Walsh decided to buy white labels and personalize them.

Bookplate - BWalsh1 Here’s what Barbara Elizabeth Walsh’s bookplate design for The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans (Calkins Creek)

 Here are two of Barbara Elizabeth Walsh’s bookplate designs for The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans (Calkins Creek). I think the results look great.

Happy bookplate designing – and autographing!

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For more about Barbara’s book, explore this blog post the David C. Barrow Elementary Media Center in Athens, Georgia.

 For more about Antioch Bookplate Company.

For more about Bookplate Ink.

Happy Birthday, Kite Book!

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Cover-KITEBook-FINAL_KHToday my new picture book for older readers launches — both literally and figuratively! We’re heading up to Ventura Harbor this afternoon with family and friends for a kite-fest birthday celebration. So Happy Birthday to The Kite That Bridged Two Nations: Homan Wlash and the First Niagara Suspension Bridge.

Later this month, I’ll be traveling to Niagara Falls USA and Canada for a formal launch in the territory where the subject of my book, Homan Walsh, lived in the 1800s and now rests at Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, New York.  The first is a VIP launch on 9/27 to thank experts who reviewed the book, local dignitaries, family and friends. The next two are Family Day events — one at Oakwood Cemetery, Niagara Falls, NY on 9/28 and the other across the bridge in Canada at the Niagara Falls History Museum on 9/29. A grant from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is helping to fund kite-making and other activities during the launch. Meg Albers, a kite expert and director of Aeolus Curricula is leading those activities.

In advance of this event, I’ll be doing presentations at the Niagara Falls Public Library, New York on 9/24, Fort Erie Public Library, Ontario on 9/25 and will be a guest of Judie Glaser’s program, Community Conversations, a TV program sponsored by the Niagara Falls City School District.

I am incredibly grateful to Terry Widener for his gorgeous illustrations, my editor Carolyn Yoder for her enthusiasm and thoroughness, and Kerry McManus and the whole team at Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press for their solid support in bringing this book into the world and getting the word out about it!

Now — here I go! I’m off to the harbor to fly kites!

10 Must-Haves in Your School Visit Contract

Whether you have a formal school visit contract, a letter of agreement or terms worked out through email, when booking an appearance, here are some main items you should address, in writing, with your host:

  1. Date(s) of event
  2. Honorarium: Specify how much you will be paid and when the payment is due.
  3. Expenses: When traveling afar, expenses that the host reimburses are typically travel (mile, airfare, train), food and lodging.
  4. Number of Sessions: This might include any combination of assemblies, workshops, classroom visits and autographing.  I highly recommend that you require approval of the schedule in advance of the visit.
  5. Grades and Size of Audiences
  6. Equipment & Physical Set-up: Specify what equipment the host needs to provide, what you will provide and how you need to have the room set-up for your program.
  7. Selling Books: If you require a book sale, identify who is responsible for ordering books, collecting money and returning unsold stock.
  8. Cancellation clause: This clause is for any cancellation of your visit by the school that is not due to that is not due to an act of God.
  9. Inability to perform: This is basically a “reschedule” clause in case something happens to you (illness, death in the family, etc.) where you cannot appear on the scheduled date.
  10. Recordings: You might want to require signed permission from you which also specifies that you retain all rights to any recording in any format made during your visit.

Other resources:

Get It In Writing 

Sample Lecture Contract

School Visit Tips for 2011: Part 3

This is our third group of tips for school visits to get you off to a good start this season.

Google - Snowflaes & Tree

When choosing dates for a visit that will occur during snow season, I always ask the school to choose two dates: our preferred date and a snow date. This way, I’m sure to have at least one “convenient” day (for them and me) reserved on my calendar in case we need to postpone the visit.  — Janet Wong

 I used to actually turn down school talks because I couldn’t handle the crowd control aspect.  I was a teacher early on in my career, but motivating students had been my strong suit, not discipline.  Then I realized that it wasn’t my job to control 200 students [as guest author], and I made that clear. I explained that I’d try the clapping routine (clap, clap–clap, clap, clap), but if that didn’t work, I was going to turn around and wait for the adults in the room to restore order.  It worked like a charm.  As soon as it was quiet again, I’d turn back to the students.  Sometimes, I’d spend that time straightening my props.  The students gave me very little trouble after the first time I turned away, and I could relax and have fun motivating the students, which was what I was best at.   — Betsy Franco 

A number of times I’d run into schools who felt it was too “commercial” to offer my books to the kids. However, teachers often bought them from the stack I had stashed away in my second roll-around case.  — Mary D. Wade

Would you ever go to someone’s house as a guest and not bring a hostess gift? No. You wouldn’t. So I ALWAYS bring hostess gifts – a signed book, or a piece of art. Organizing these things are HARD.   — Katie Davis

Whenever I’m fortunate enough to speak at a conference or event that goes well, I ask the organizer if I may suggest author friends for the next one.  — Marc Tyler Nobleman

Ask to stay at a hotel (so you can rest) instead of someone’s home, because you’ll always be ON STAGE in someone’s home.  — Wendie Old

After all these years I still stay in people’s homes. In fact, I have met some great dogs this way.  — Deborah Hopkinson

Google - Hound Dogs

If you have school visit tip, be sure to add it in our comment section!