Whenever someone suggests you do a book signing and you do not want to, here are five reasons you can give them:

1) It's not worth the time; there's not enough money in it.

2) Speaking is where the money is.

3) You have more important things to do.

4) When you do a book-signing, maybe nobody will show up and\ryou'll feel foolish sitting there all alone.

5) There are other ways to sell books.

Then,again, there are five good reasons why all authors\rshould do a book signing and a book-signing tour.

By conducting a book-signing you will:

1. Gain recognition. When you do a book signing in a\rbookstore, you will be interacting with the people who sell\ryour books to the general public. It's an opportunity to\rdevelop a rapport with them, tell them about the book, and\rconvince them that you are an expert on the subject. Then\rwhen someone asks for a book on your topic, they are likely\rto recommend yours. Don't settle for bookstores. Look for\rplaces where readers of your book are likely to gather and\rschedule an event there. That place might be a store, craft\rshop, pro shop, spa, festival, or health care center. Do\rsome brainstorming with your staff and friends.

2. Gather input from readers. When you step into the\rbook-signing arena, you have an opportunity to interact with\rreaders. You are the center of attraction, since you are the\rauthor/expert. By providing a mini-seminar or discussion,\ryou give a sneak preview of your book and your expertise.\rAdd a question and answer segment and you will learn what\rinterests the readers most. It may be the beginning of a\rsequel.

3. Have an event that is newsworthy and gather clippings for your\rscrapbook and poster board. Book signings provide an event\rthat is newsworthy. This is especially valuable if you are\rnot yet a celebrity. Celebrities do book signings for\rprimarily the same reasons emerging authors do, an\ropportunity to be noticed and quoted and appear in the\rmedia. Gather comments of those who have already read\ryour book and can post them, with permission, until you\rget print media coverage to add to your display. People\rare very interested in knowing what other people think of\ryour work. Create a foam board for publicity. Place on it\rreviews, readers' comments, excerpts from your book, and\ryour photo. Stand the board on the autograph table on an\reasel so that passersby can see it prior to your signing.

4. Conduct media interviews. The most successful book\rsignings have the most publicity. Since your schedule is\rgenerally set up at least six weeks in advance, you have\rtime to approach radio talk show hosts and producers,\rtelevision stations, and newspapers to let them know that\ryou will be in their city. A well-thought out Media Release\ris a must. It should contain information about the book, the\rauthor, and the event.

5. Expand your contact list. Book signings are a great way\rto expand your mailing list. Use a sheet of paper on the\rautograph table with column headings like: Name, Email\raddress, Phone number. Usually, the less information you\rrequest, the more names you will collect. You can get more\rinformation as you develop a relationship with these\rindividuals. It is a good idea to provide something free,\rsuch as a bookmark, with a quote from the book and your\rcontact information on it.

Add the adventure of book signing and book-signing tours to your marketing list to create memorable moments that far exceed routine marketing methods.

Jo Condrill has conducted book signings acrodd the US, including one in the Barnes and Noble store in Rockefeller Center, New York. Her longest book signing tour covered twelve cities. She is the coauthor of two books: "From Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider's Guide to Conducting a Successful Low-Cost Book Signing Tour" and "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly." She also wrote "Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams." You can listen to a book signing interview with Jo at http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/rr.condrill.cfm For more information visit her website at http://www.publishandprosper.com http://www.publishandprosper.com