So, I've started again.
After about seven months off (aside from a few isolated instances) I've once again climbed into the RustyMobile to drop in bookstores and sign stock/schmooze booksellers.
There are those who question the cost effectiveness of doing drop-ins, both in terms of time and money.
Those people are wrong.
I went to seven bookstores yesterday, all of which I'd visited last year, and had the same basic experience at all of them.
1. No store had less than 15 of my books. Some had more than 30. Even though none of them expected me to show up, or knew I was coming.
2. The booksellers knew who I was, even if they hadn't met me. I always wondered about this. When I visit a store, I only meet a small portion of the people working there. But booksellers tell other booksellers that an author dropped in, so I shook hands with folks who I'd never met before who knew I visited last year, and knew about my books.
3. The free books my publisher sent them were received and appreciated. As far as promotions go, nothing beats a free books.
4. Many stores ordered more books before I left. In a few cases, they were out of one of my early titles, but my visit prompted them to order more. I also found out that I was on the "automatic re-order" list for several of the stores.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be visiting stores in most of Northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, southern Michigan, and parts of Indiana. I've got about 150 lined up.
In the meantime, if you're looking for signed JA Konrath books and you can't make my Chuck E. Cheese Book Luanch Party on July 26, visit one of these fine establishements:
Poisoned Pen, Phoenix AZ
Borders, Schaumburg IL
Barnes & Noble, Schaumburg IL
Waldenbooks, Bloomingdale IL
Brain Snacks, Downer's Grove IL
Barnes & Noble, Bloomingdale IL
Borders, Wheaton IL
Barnes & Noble, Wheaton IL
Borders, St. Charles IL
Barnes & Noble, Geneva IL
Borders, Geneva IL
Now, back to the road...