How to Run a Bookshop Event

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1:57 PM, 21 September 2017

A launch is different from an event – launch involves wine & nibbles, mingling, speeches and a brief talk or reading from the author. An event involves the author speaking and reading, being introduced by an informed person, & maybe answering audience questions.

Before you set a date, make sure there will only be one event in a town / area at that time. If there is an event at every bookshop in Auckland then fewer people will come to each. (for NZ Bookshop Day this is clearly impossible – so market to your people).

Book signings don’t work (ie an author sitting in your shop signing books), no matter what day you do them.

Timing

  • For an evening event, 6pm for 6.30pm after work if held in the bookshop. We find Mondays or Tuesdays work best.
  • For NZ Bookshop Day, if you can, talk to the other bookshops in your area and make it possible to go from one shop to the other to catch events.
Some of the featured authors at The Women's Bookshop for NZ Bookshop Day 2016

Format

  • A person needs to introduce, briefly welcome & MC or chair. This can be the bookshop owner, a fellow author, a famous person or the publisher. Keep the introductions short. Mention book is available to buy & that the author will sign. It is astonishing how often people don’t realize this. Encourage the MC to say ‘I loved the book’, ‘you must buy this book’ etc. Get the MC or author to hold the book up so everyone can see it. Here’s a great article on how to introduce an author: http://themillions.com/2012/04/how-to-introduce-an-author.html
  • Provide the author with a small table for signing MC/Chair’s final words should be – Author Barbara will sign for you NOW!
  • Provide wine & nibbles. Check supermarkets for good wine at reduced prices. Make food yourself (no need to pay for caterers). It can be simple & not expensive – a couple of good cheeses (Blue Castello & a good brie) with crackers, grapes, dried apricots & roasted almonds (unsalted from supermarket bins)  Carole always makes her famous guacamole, accompanied by 3 or so loaves of Pandora 5-grain bread (divine!) sliced into chunky half-slices. You can theme to the book being celebrated: eg with an Indian travel bio we served samosas, with the Little & Friday launch the author Kim Evans baked yummy cakes.
  • Ask the publisher to contribute to the costs of the food & wine. Or if no publisher involved, ask the author to contribute, or make some food themselves.
  • If alcohol is being you must have a license – but its fine to have booze if it is free at a private event (this is as long as your local by-laws allow)
  • Mobile EFTPOS machines are essential if event is off-site. Try a roaming mobile EFTPOS if held at a large venue.
  • Arrange bookshop so guests can mingle easily. (Some of our centre stands are on castors) Provide a few chairs for those in need.
  • Arrange books where they can be seen & easily viewed.
  • If not at the bookshop make sure the venue is easy to find & there are signs.
  • Have a person welcome & direct guests, offer wine / food (if available) or point out where it is.
  • Have a person to welcome & look after the author when they arrive at the shop / venue. Especially if there is no publicist with them. Look for guests on their own, talk to them & make them feel welcome.
  • If it is a book by a small publisher or self-published author & they cannot offer financial support for wine & food, it’s OK to ask for koha in a basket held by someone at the door. We suggest $5 waged, gold coin unwaged.

Marketing & Promoting

  • Ask for RSVPs - this commits people to coming & gives you an idea of numbers. If possible, ask the publisher to take the RSVPs (less work for the shop).
  • Ask publisher to print posters for shop window & behind counter etc
  • Ask publishers to print flyers/invites – a bundle for you to give out to customers and  some to be posted by the publisher to the mailing list provided by the author (Invites to go out2-3  weeks ahead of event)
  • E-Newsletter to shop database
  • NB: If you are doing NZ Bookshop Day, print posters will arrive in shop on 6 October 2017. Contact Booksellers NZ if you want to use any elements of these in your own event poster.
  • Social media tips can be found at the end of this document.
authors at the literatea August 2017
Authors at the Womens Bookshop literatea August 2017

By Author - Author networks are vital (our biggest events are when the author brings a good crowd by…)

  • Invites to family, friends, colleagues, fellow-authors
  • Author’s own social media, website, Facebook, twitter (we had a very successful launch for Little & Friday when it was heavily promoted on the Little & Friday FB page & cake was promised.)
  • Mention the event every media moment they have – at any radio, magazine or newspaper interview
  • If they have a publicist they should have a plan.

By Bookshop

  • Facebook, social media, e-newsletter, paper newsletter, flyers, posters
  • Engage with & tell customers about the event, give customers a flyer.
  • Visit local libraries / community centres / shops / cafes tell them about event. Ask if they will put up posters or leave out flyers
  • Target relevant organizations eg Plunket if a baby book
A good example of a publisher-created promotional for a bookshop event

By Publisher

  • Ask them what publicity they are planning
  • You should not have to do their job but encourage & find out what they are doing & ask how you can help.
  • Remind them to ask that the event be mentioned on all publicity eg if book review in newspaper then the event could be mentioned at the end of the article.
  • The publisher should supply & print the posters, flyers & invites. (They may offer, you may have to ask.)
  • Check the event is up on the publisher’s website & that it has been promoted internally
  • NB if you are using this list to talk about NZ Bookshop Day, again the most involvement will be by you, however publishers will give giveaway books and theming products.

Carole Beu & Tanya Gribben
The Women’s Bookshop
Updated by Sarah Forster with Bookshop Day in mind 21 September 2017

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