Books, badges and chocolates were set up - and no, I didn't eat all of the chocolates, there are still some left - and I waited.
There was an initial flurry of customers (friends) who'd promised they'd come...
... and then it settled down. The bookshop owner had asked her journalist friend to pop in and interview me - it was my first ever face-to-face interview, but I didn't have time to get nervous because he jumped straight in. I think it would have been a different matter if I'd been warned - far too much time to worry and panic!
Outside, we had a couple of musicians playing...A few more friends came in and bought the book, and even a couple of strangers. I got quite good at making random conversation with people sitting at tables and trying to enjoy their coffee and cake in peace. I tried to tweet but I was in a Twitter black spot so it didn't work - I had to randomly walk outside and wave my phone around.
The owner introduced me to a customer. The customer said: "We've got an author in our village, [insert random name here]."
"Oh," said I, having never heard of the author, and having no idea which village this woman was talking about!
The only problem I have now is that all these people who know me as their jolly, upbeat gym instructor will have a whole different opinion of me...
And finally, I saw this as I was leaving... (the shelf is labelled such, not just my book).
Well done and congratulations author Annalisa! A time to treasure!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pauline. It was a great induction :-)
DeleteSounds like you sold quite a few books though. Being nice to people while they are trying to ignore you - now that's funny! Exactly what it feels like.
ReplyDeleteI sold more than I expected, so that was lovely. It's amazing how just looking someone in the eye and smiling can unnerve them so much!!
DeleteGlad the book signing went well. Considering the quality of your book, there should have been thousands of people waiting in line, though ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Vanessa, you've made me blush :-)
DeleteYAY for quirkiness! :D
ReplyDeleteWell done - glad your signing went well! I would be so sickly nervous at my own book signing, I just know it. :P
I thought I'd be nervous, but the bookshop is very small and my townspeople are very friendly so there wasn't an issue. Apart from the poor lady who could barely read what I'd written because my hand got nervous and started shaking!!
DeleteCongratulations Annalisa!! And how dare you not know that author in the customer's village lol
ReplyDeleteLol, I know!! The speed she turned away from me was so funny. Gotta take the rough with the smooth though :-)
DeleteCongratulations Annalisa. So sorry I couldn't come to the grand signing - Library counter duty had to be done :( Good luck with the book though, I've read it and it's great. Here's to many more!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Thank you Sylvia! I expected a lot of people not to be able to make it through working. You'll have to borrow it from the library - both sites - because I want to see lots of date stamps when I come to visit her :-)
Deletegood for you for having the courage to get out there and present yourself. i think about it and then i decide not to. i know it would be tiring. i don't know if it would be worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be - a reading would have been a different matter entirely though!
DeleteGreat job on putting yourself out there! I love the shelf title! Quirky can't be all bad. I'm pretty quirky myself! lol
ReplyDeleteMy book is next to some very strange books on that shelf - I'm almost normal :-)
DeleteThis is so wonderful. Hooray!! Congratulations and major kudos to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. Unfortunately, indie bookshops are few and far between, so I'm not sure when I'll be doing another one.
DeleteCongratulations Annalisa, sounds like you had a great time at the book signing.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun, thanks Rachna :-)
DeleteI love the sign on the shelf - and quirky is so right for That Sadie Thing! I bought a copy for my Goddaughter for Christmas - she's 18 and I think she'll appreciate your style!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you Linda, I hope your Goddaughter enjoys it. I'm being given as a 5 presents that I know of - hopefully no one will sit down and read immediately because it might deflate the Christmas spirit :-)
DeleteYou went out there and got some sales and face time, congrats Annalisa.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun experience, although a couple of people thought I worked there and tried to pay me for their coffee!
DeleteI saw a couple of your tweets and wondered how it was all going. It seems to have been a success, well done. It must be so exciting to talk to people about your book. Here's to many more such occasions :)
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to tweet more, but it was too cold to keep going outside! I'm on the look out for more local indie bookshops to stock my book now - that'll be a job for January! I might even get down your way :-)
DeleteI'm glad that the signing went well. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Misha :-)
DeleteCongrats! Sounds like you had a good time. :)
ReplyDeleteI could get used to talking about myself, just don't ask me to read for you:-)
DeleteCongratulations! This had to be an amazing feeling, getting to show off your hard work. I hope you have many more signings to come.
ReplyDeleteIt was, Murees, and thank you :-)
DeleteSounds nerve-wrackingly wonderful! Congrats, Annalisa! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy, just a little bit nerve-wracking, the chocolates helped to calm me down :-)
DeleteYou were very brave, Annalisa. What a wonderful day for you, and you deserved it after all that hard work. Congratulations. You look really lovely, and should show your face more.
ReplyDeleteI vetoed the photo very carefully, Fanny - I am not photogenic in the slightest. I pull very odd faces, because the gap between someone pressing the button and the picture being taken is so long I start to drift off and think about other things!
DeleteThat should have been 'vetted' not 'vetoed'!
DeleteHow wonderful! I used to love doing book signings and really miss them now. So few bookstores.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd enjoy doing a few more, but I'm not sure how many indie bookshops we have locally. I'll definitely be looking in January.
DeleteHi Annalisa,
ReplyDeleteYou are a celebrity. I know you challenged yourself and kudos to you for doing so. A signed book by you, what a great result. Well done, Annalisa!
Gary :)
Thanks Gary :-) It was a challenge, but so much fun.
DeleteCongratulations and well done! This must have been really exciting (even if you had to be nice to some people who were trying to ignore you!).
ReplyDeleteIt was very exciting, despite those odd people. Most of them were lovely though!
DeleteHow exciting! It sounds like you did great, and you should be very proud of yourself.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love how that shelf is labeled "quirky" - too funny! :)
Thanks Madeline, it was a nice way to ease myself into that kind of publicity - I've just got to follow up with another one!
DeleteI am proud of you and Quirky is awesome! Neat display and bookstore. Friends and strangers supported you. Local paper interview is tremendous. No matter what - you are an author with a great story collection. The folks who didn't buy missed out. Very very cool dat
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Joanne!
DeleteExciting! Sounds like a fun time. I'm glad it all went well. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Dana :-)
DeleteComgrats on the the book signing. Working at a convenience store we had to do suggestive selling, but we always made small talk and sometimes the customer would buy a donut to go with the coffee. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if selling a book and working in a convenience store is the same, but just making some small talk sure helped out! Enjoyed reading this post.
I did manage to get a sale by making small talk with a very charming elderly gentleman - in fact, he bought 2 copies, one to give to his sister!
DeleteWow, this is so cool! I'm happy for you! I hope to be in your shoes someday. Next, Barnes and Noble in NY! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, New York, Barnes and Noble, queues around the block waiting for me... Might be a little way off though :-)
DeleteThis sounds wonderful. I'm glad you had such a great time Annalisa.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebecca :-)
Delete"Please don't come over to me...please don't...keep walking...crap! She stopped." Those are my thoughts when I'm confronted with someone with a petition to sign, cookies to sell, or some other thing like that. But at a bookstore, where I'm going to buy a book, it's an honor (at least for me) to meet an author!
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa, I couldn't be happier for you. Loved "being with you" for your signing. The pics and your description made me feel like I was right there, and it was FUN! Many successes on Sadie.
If I don't see you before, may you and yours have a Happy Christmas and safe New Year.
M.L. Swift, Writer
Those are my thoughts in the street too! The trick is to walk purposefully and have a 'I'm very busy' look on your face!
DeleteGlad you liked the post - Hubby did a great job on the photos! And Happy Christmas to you too :-)
Congratulations, Annalisa!
ReplyDeleteThat's brave of you. I always hide from people.
I used to be so bad at meeting new people, but I have to in my day job, so it's becoming easier.
DeleteHi Annalisa .. that looks fun - and yes I can understand it's tiring - but glad you had that experience ...and I hope the journalist does something for you ...
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Christmas break .. and it's always good to have two personae - gym instructor and authoress .. cheers Hilary
Wow, that's amazing!! Good work :) So wish I could have come.
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(From Sarah, With Joy)