Booksellers Who Rock Our World, Part 2: Book Carnival – Orange, California

Welcome to Part 2 of a series that recognizes booksellers who have been especially helpful to my author clients as they seek to promote their books. In this series, I focus on those booksellers who are always ready to help both independent and traditionally published authors by offering signing events and meet-and-greets, promoting authors to their local communities, carrying the authors' books in their stores, and operating as advocates, advisors, and cheerleaders as authors seek to find reading audiences for their work.

The booksellers that appear in here are the best of the best, my go-to resources for events, promotion, guidance, and support for my author clients.

The bookstore featured in Part 2 of this series is Orange County’s Book Carnival, which is a genre store specializing in mystery, romantic suspense, and related fiction.  I chose this store to be part of the series because it has been a long-time favorite of my Southern California clients for author appearances.

What makes this store special are the paired book signings that the store owner, Anne Saller, creates for authors. To help ensure that signings are well-attended, Anne uses her extensive knowledge of the market, and her connections with both traditionally published and indie authors, to create combined signing events. Anne tries to match up authors who are compatible in genre, or who have some element in their platforms/backgrounds that complement each other. Oftentimes, she will combine a lesser-known author with a best-selling author, to help bring an audience to the event. At her signings, both authors benefit from the joint marketing and the camaraderie they share, and events are usually packed with patrons excited to see both authors.

Anne Saller, Book Carnival

Anne works hard to promote events at her store and to ensure that authors and attendees are comfortable and have a good time while they’re there. She is fierce about promoting the store events. both in the local community and to her customer base, and is always willing to order books, create displays, and handle event logistics for her authors. She is one of the best resources for Southern California authors today, and her store is a true treasure.

As part of the series, each bookseller has agreed to answer three questions about the store. Here's what Anne has to say about Book Carnival:

How did your store come into being?
I purchased Book Carnival in August 2010; it has been in existence since 1981, and I shopped there for a good 20+ years. My dream during my 'corporate' years was to retire and own a bookstore. The day that came true was a very happy day, indeed!

What is special about your store?

Book Carnival is a niche store - we specialize in mysteries, romantic suspense, and author events. We are delighted to have many well-known authors who return year after year, but we’re also thrilled when we find a new author and series that makes us sit up and take notice. Established authors are so generous; they are always willing to do joint events with one or two less well-known authors, who we know are going to go on to do great things. It's a special, giving community, and I'm thrilled to be a small part of it.

What words of advice do you have for authors who would like to have their books featured in your store (or bookstores in general)?

Well, generally, the book needs to be a mystery, thriller or romantic suspense novel. The author should send us an email message with a synopsis, or drop a copy of the book in the mail. Authors should also plan to speak with their fellow authors who have been here before, so they can learn more about what to expect. We receive a number of books sent to us by authors interested in events, so we often face a deluge of mail. I try to read them all but, happily, our authors are patient with us - there are just so many hours in the day!

Book Carnival           

348 S. Tustin Street   

Orange, CA 92866

714-538-3210

annesbookends@gmail.com

http://www.annesbookcarnival.com

Many thanks to Anne for participating in this series and for always being there for authors – Book Carnival is definitely one of the best bookstores for author signing events in Southern California!

Booksellers Who Rock Our World, Part 1: Mysterious Galaxy San Diego

Welcome to Part 1 of a series that recognizes booksellers who have been especially helpful to my author clients as they seek to promote their books. In this series, I focus on those booksellers who are always ready to help both independent and traditionally published authors by offering signing events and meet-and-greets, promoting authors to their local communities, carrying the authors' books in their stores, and operating as advocates, advisors, and cheerleaders as authors seek to find reading audiences for their work.

The booksellers that appear here are the best of the best, my go-to resources for events, promotion, guidance, and support for my author clients.

The first bookseller featured in this series is San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy, which is a genre store specializing in science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and horror.  I chose this store to kick-off the series because it has been a long-time favorite of my San Diego and Southern California clients. Tucked away behind a See's Candy shop in Clairemont Mesa, Mysterious Galaxy has been a welcome fixture to book buyers and book writers alike.

What makes this store special is its undying support for indie authors and its spring, fall and winter local author events. At these events, Mysterious Galaxy assembles a large (20+) group of authors, who appear for an entire afternoon to promote their work to readers. Each author is allowed 10 to 15 minutes to talk about his/her book, and then the authors can stay to mingle, sell, and sign copies of their books for customers afterward.

Mysterious Galaxy supplies food, along with beer and wine, at these events, so the atmosphere feels more like a festive party and less like a standard bookselling talk. The store allows the authors to drop off copies of the books two weeks prior to each event and keeps them for up to a month afterward; in many cases, the books are sold before the events even begin. The best part? The authors have a chance to meet online prior to the events, so that by the time the day arrives, everyone seems to know everyone else, and the atmosphere is warm and supportive. These local author events provide a great forum for authors to meet other writers and pitch their books to a reading audience, and they're one of the many reasons Mysterious Galaxy is a beloved fixture on the bookstore scene in San Diego.

Maryelizabeth Yturralde

As part of the series, each bookseller has agreed to answer three questions about the store. Here's what the store's co-owner, Maryelizabeth Yturralde, has to say about Mysterious Galaxy:

How did your store come into being?
The short version: Mysterious Galaxy's "big book bang" came in the early 1990's, when my partners and I felt there was a strong Southern California readership for the kinds of books we are passionate about: books about "Martians, murder, magic, and mayhem," to quote our tag line. We opened our doors in May 1993, and even after approximately 1104 "New Book Tuesdays," we are still thrilled each week when we unbox new arrivals and put them on our shelves (metaphorically, in the case of our ebooks, but still...).

What is special about your store?
While Mysterious Galaxy is a specialty store with a focus on genre fiction, I think what's really special about us is our staff. Our booksellers are passionate and enthused about the curated selection we carry and about helping connect books and readers in both Southern California and the Galaxy's greater genre community.

What words of advice do you have for authors who would like to have their books featured in your store (or bookstores in general)?
Be aware of two things:
1) Booksellers are enthusiastic about community and sharing the magic of books -- but they are also in the business of bookselling, and they need to ensure that inventory is available to them at standard trade terms that make sense for their customer base/readers.
and
2) Visible inclusivity is critical. If an author's internet presence only directs readers to Amazon for purchase options for the author's books, it can have a dampening effect on other booksellers' enthusiasm for promoting the authors' works. In addition to Amazon, authors should be sure to link to an independent bookstore for sales, so that they offer customers a choice for not only what they buy, but where they buy.

Mysterious Galaxy
5943 Balboa Avenue #100
San Diego, CA 92111
858-268-4747
mgbooks@mystgalaxy.com
http://www.mystgalaxy.com

Many thanks to Maryelizabeth and the rest of the crew at Mysterious Galaxy for participating in this series and for always being there for authors - this store is definitely a favorite here in San Diego!

Reaching Out to Booksellers: A Publicist's Advice

I was heartened today to see that Success Magazine has named Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle as one of its American Comeback success stories, especially since a number of my clients have appeared there over the years. One of the reasons for the Elliott Bay Book Company's success is that the managers there, like many other booksellers who are struggling to stay alive in the current economic climate, have realized that hosting author appearances is a great way to get people into their stores (and to sell books).

Although in recent years many booksellers (and even some of the larger libraries) would not consider shelving books by self-published authors, the changes in the industry have forced them to reconsider. This is good news for authors and their publicists: it's now much easier to place both traditionally published and self-published authors in stores for signings, especially if they have written books that appeal to niche audiences or have compelling and/or newsworthy platforms.

Because of the enthusiasm booksellers are beginning to showing for author events, and because there's a good chance that more brick-and-mortar stores will go by the wayside in the future, authors should seriously consider doing a book tour now. Bookstore appearances provide authors with a vital opportunity to network and connect with readers. They also give booksellers a chance to meet authors directly and learn about their books first-hand, so they can promote those books to store customers when the signing is over.

There are some changes in the way bookstores handle author signings that are worth noting. Many independent booksellers are beginning to charge admission fees for author events. Generally, these fees are nominal (usually in the $10 range) and can be applied toward the purchase of a book. And others require that publishers and/or authors pay co-op fees (typically between $100-$200), to help offset the store’s promotion costs, including designing and sending eblasts, printing posters, drafting releases for local media, staffing, and clean up. While some consider these requests controversial, the decision to agree with admission and coop fees is entirely up to the publisher or author and is something to be aware of when booking events.

For those authors considering appearing at bookstores (and, again, I encourage all authors to do so before more brick and mortar stores close), here are a few tips on how to best reach out to booksellers:

Start with a good publisher
Avoid known vanity presses and be sure that your publisher is able to provide your book through the distribution channels that booksellers use to buy books (these include distributors/wholesalers like Baker & Taylor or Ingram).

Be professional in your approach
Show that you respect a bookseller’s time by being professional and courteous when you call. When phoning a bookseller, try not to waste time with small talk (avoid empty phrases such as, “Hi, how're you doing?”). Instead, tell whoever answers that you are an author interested in appearing at the store and ask to speak with the person who handles events. When that person is available, introduce yourself, state the name of your book and the ISBN number, and tell him or her what you’re looking for (a reading, a formal talk, a general book signing, a meet and greet, etc.). If there are specific dates when you’ll be available, have those in front of you so you can provide the information quickly. Be ready to describe your niche/audience and how many people you think you can bring to your event. If you’re offered a date, follow-up with a confirmation email message, so that the manager has all of the relevant info about your event in writing.

Be flexible
Many booksellers can’t afford to pay for shipping on books that they know might be returned. Be willing to bring books if a bookseller doesn’t want to order from the distributor or publisher. Negotiate for a percentage of sales (I’m seeing many booksellers be very generous with their terms, with some even allowing the author to keep all proceeds and decide themselves what percentage to offer the store).

Also, be flexible about dates and times for appearances. The bookseller will know the best times for traffic in the store, so go with his/her recommendation for your signing.

Target cities where you know people
The idea is to bring a crowd to the store, so unless you’re a celebrity or a known author with a following, try to book in places where you have friends or family who can help build an audience for your event.

Help drive traffic to your event
Offer to provide promotional material (standing posters, bookmarks, giveaways, etc.) to those booksellers who are willing to set up a display in their stores. Also, be sure to offer to contact local media, including print, radio, and television, a few weeks prior to your event.

Be courteous and memorable
Show up on time and do your best to provide a well-thought out and rehearsed presentation. Be courteous to those who take the time to attend your event; even if only one or two show up, give them your best presentation –- you never know what connections those individuals might have that can help spread the word about you and your book. And always bring extra copies of your book in case you have a higher turnout than expected.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Use the event as a marketing tool
Advertise your event on all your social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter,Goodreads,etc., and be sure to write about it afterwards. Take photos and post them on your web and blogsite.

Express gratitude
Be sure to take the time to thank the bookstore managers and staff for hosting your event. Collect business cards and/or take note of the names of all the staff members who help out at your signing, and be sure to mention them in your thank you note.