One thing that many of us who love books have missed during this COVID-19 Pandemic is the book signing. Book signings are great for everyone.
- Readers can meet an author that they love and get a book personalized.
- Authors get to meet their readers and establish a connection.
- Authors can attract new readers who see the signage and the hubbub and want to learn more.
- Bookstores generate same day sales, gain new customers there for the book signing, and repeat sales later on if the author hooks new readers.
But book signings generate crowds and they haven’t been allowed until states open up to some degree. In Washington, bookstores are still at 30% capacity, so book signings in that setting are out right now. Hopefully things will improve soon and bookstores can host these events again.
But authors can still meet readers in the meantime if they can get creative. And Wendy Kendall, author of the cozy mystery, Kat Out of the Bag, is nothing if not creative.
She held her book signing this week at a coffee shop/cafe in Edmonds, called Cafe Louvre.
This was a brilliant setting first of all, because her cozy mystery is set in Bayside, Washington. When I arrived in downtown Edmonds, I landed in the real life equivalent of Bayside. That’s a testament to Wendy’s ability to depict the small town charm of Bayside for the reader.
Cafes are at 50% capacity right now. As as soon as I entered Cafe Louvre, I could see why this was the perfect space.
Cafe Louvre has spaced out their tables and tape-marked the floor to optimize social distancing and host their patrons safely. They have wonderful food and beverages that make coming here a treat all by itself. (Word to the wise, try the chocolate chip banana bread. That was a-mazing.) The proprietor and staff were so friendly too. They provided Wendy a great signing space that would accommodate social distancing with readers.
We were able to visit for the signing with masking (Wendy’s is on her ear – removed for the photo only) and six foot spacing.
I now have my own personal copy signed, and I also have a signed copy for my mother (also a writer) who is a devoted reader of cozy mysteries.
Wendy had a number of readers stop by and she made some sales. One special feature of this signing was that she included a display of vintage purses.
Her protagonist in this series is Katherine Watson, an international purse designer turned sleuth, who has recently opened a purse museum to tell women’s history through vintage purses. I loved seeing the purses Wendy had brought along that dated from the 1920’s through the 1950’s. I am a purse devotee myself, so this was especially interesting.
Despite the Pandemic, the book signing isn’t dead. If you’re an author, think about other venues that will work to hold a signing. A cafe, like Cafe Louvre, may be the perfect spot.
And if you’re a reader, and you hear about a socially distanced book signing, consider supporting the author. You may find a new book that you’ll absolutely love. And don’t we all need that right now, when we’re spending more time at home, and we need to escape to a fictional world?
