Since I self-published my first book, "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly," in 1998 and began doing book signings shortly afterward, many people have asked:

1. What do you get paid to do a book signing?

It depends on where the book signing occurs. Most bookstores\rdo not pay authors to do a book signing. Linda Ligon,\rInterweave Press, says that her authors are paid an\rhonorarium by craft stores. The "pay" is most often an\ropportunity to interact with readers, increase the sales of\ryour book, and enhance your status as an expert.

2. How much money do you make on a book signing tour?

It depends-and you may never know precisely. It depends to a\rlarge extent on how well your events are publicized because\rmore people attend when excitement is created about the\revent. It depends on your presentation and interaction with\rthe audiences. You may know how many books were sold during\rthe event, but that is not the end of the story. One\rbookseller says that more than 60% of the sales are made\rafter the author leaves the store.

3. Why would anyone go to a book signing?

To meet the AUTHOR! In many sections of the country, just\rbeing an author makes you a celebrity. You are the\rauthority. Having an autographed copy of your book sets the\rreader apart. In one city a lady purchased several copies of\r"101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly."\rWith each request, she told me something about the recipient\rso that I could tailor my comment for that individual.

4. What's in it for authors who do a seminar or talk on\rtheir book?

By presenting a mini-seminar or discussion at a book\rsigning, you demonstrate your knowledge on the topic. You\rcan elaborate on the contents and tell stories about things\rthat happened while you were in the writing process. You\ralso have an opportunity to develop a rapport with the\rreaders allowing them to experience you as a "real person."\rEvent sponsors will like you because you have provided a\rfree service for their clientele. They will be most likely\rto welcome you back with your next book.

5. What if nobody shows up? Even celebrity authors\roccasionally have a "no show," so don't give up! The most\rimportant thing is how you react when nobody shows up. Keep\rsmiling and draw on your positive mental attitude. Often\rpeople will be in the aisles between the shelves, not\rwanting to be the first to step forward. Walk over to the\rsection where your book would be, introduce yourself to\rpeople there, and invite them to the presentation. Offer\rthem a free flier or handout. After the event sponsor has\rread the introduction you provided, wait a few minutes, and\rthen begin your presentation at the appointed time with a\rwelcoming message. If a microphone has been provided, use\rit. If no one shows up after two or three minutes, bring\ryour talk to a close with an invitation to people milling\rabout to visit the table later. Usually, managers will ask\rauthors to sign some extra copies. Be gracious and\runcomplaining. Later, review your actions and see what might\rbe improved upon.

6. How do you find the time to set up a tour?

Conducting a book signing is like presenting a play. There\rare several roles-the author designs the tour (venues and\rdates), prepares a mini-seminar, discussion, or speech, and\rdoes the signing. The support staff makes the contacts and\rprovides publicity material, orchestrates the travel\rdetails, and does the follow-up to be certain that\reverything is synchronized. A separate person or company may\rbe involved in the publicity effort, depending on the\rexpertise of the support staff.

7. Assuming that you have had "no shows," what's the best\rbook signing event you have ever held?

It is seldom that a "no show" occurs. The best book signing\revent I have had was at a large Barnes and Noble bookstore\rin El Paso, TX, where I signed "Take Charge of Your Life."\rThe event was preceded by interviews on three television\rshows (affiliates of national networks) and a radio\rinterview. The El Paso Times newspaper published an article\rabout the book on the day of the signing. It was on the\rfront page of the "Living" section with a color photo of the\rbook cover. That evening, after the bookstore staff brought\rall the chairs in the store into the presentation section,\rpeople were standing along the sides. Most of the audience\rstood in line long after the presentation to talk with me\rand get their books autographed. You, too, can have such\revents. We can help you.

Jo Condrill has done book signings across the country and she can show you how to. She is an award-winning author, speaker, and consultant with over 25 years of experience in business, government and volunteer organizations. She is coauthor of\r"From Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider's Guide to Conducting a Successful Low-Cost Book Signing Tour." This book was named the 2002 Best Writer's Reference Guide by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. Listen to an interview with Jo at http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/rr.condrill.cfm \rfor more information, visit her website http://www.publishandprosper.com http://www.publishandprosper.com