A book signing tip from the authors of Launch Out Into the Deep

by

Aaron L. Slaton and Acacia Beumer

The first edition of Launch Out Into The Deep! was completed around 2006. My sister set up a lot of local book signings in the local metro Atlanta area, with hopes of getting the book noticed and selling a good amount of copies.

I remember the first book signing was at Barnes and Nobles. If I remember correctly, I think we almost sold all of our books that day. We were unknown authors with a self-published book, which makes the odds of any success with a traditional book signing very slim. It’s hard to get anyone to look your way as they walk into the bookstore, let alone sell any books. So what did we do that was so special on our first book signing?

We engaged the customers as they walked into Barnes and Nobles.

Most of the customers who walk into a bookstore already have an idea of what they are looking for, or at least the genre of the book they have in mind. So, as far as they are concerned, you are just another author out of the millions of unknown authors eager to have their book on the New York Times Best Selling List.

Ask yourselves: 

• What makes your book stand out from the millions of others books flooding the shelves of bookstores?
• Why should they stop and pay attention to a book they have never heard of or seen?

Even though it was uncomfortable at first, we made it a point to try and communicate with almost everyone that walked in the store that day.

We even pointed out key chapters in the book and let the customer walk around the store and continue reading the book as they browsed through it.

A word of caution about this tip: on some of our other book signings, some people left our books on the shelves and we had to go behind them and collect the books.

Staying motivated with book signings can be very tough, especially when you approach people and no one seems interested. Remember to stay upbeat and don’t get discouraged. Even if they are not interested at that time, let them know about your website, give them your business card or postcard, and let them know about any future events you have.

Without a successful platform, you can’t expect to sell hundreds of books at signings, but if you stay positive and learn to engage potential customers, you might just increase your book sales on your next signing.

Aaron L. Slaton, Co-author of Launch Out Into The Deep!  www.launchoutbook.com

Life is a journey that is encumbered with pitfalls, cruel turns of fate, and the inescapable reality of death. How we make our way throughout this journey is what really counts but sometimes it is easy to lose our way and our faith. Launch Out into the Deep! is a well written heart warming coming of age book. Launch Out Into The Deep! will work wonders for your soul and alleviate any feelings of loneliness, rebelliousness and even regret. 

It's important to realize that the bible is not an easy read, and that where books like these fit in - selecting certain Bible passages and references from the Testaments along with engagingly written notes, and true experiences from the writer and other people, to help us reflect on the Bible's meaning and how it is relevant to us today.

Launch Into The Deep!  has a very intelligent architecture: a short description of life's brutal lesson and the cool balm that Faith provides, followed by quotations from the Holy Scripture. Lastly a soothing poem in rhyming verse provides the apt closure to the episode. It's like celestial music lending its rhythm and cadence to the momentary turbulence of the cosmos.

Launch Into The Deep! is full of such tender moments of truth. This collection of life's practical and illuminating lessons about the grace of Jesus and power of Faith will definitely endear it to the multitudes, who find teachings of the Bible difficult to comprehend and relate to their own situations.

The topics discussed are contemporary and compelling; these are subjects that affect our world today and those for which people are seeking genuine guidance. Words reveal an understanding of the depth of emotions in our world, and explains situations through personal experiences. 

Yet, throughout the book, there is a solid and strong emphasis on the Word of God. The gap between the natural and the spiritual world has been bridged, and complete reliance on the power of God brings a taste of heaven to some of today's bitter situations: sexual promiscuity, peer pressure, disease and even crime are discussed with a bold and frank style. 

Readers will know there is nothing outside of God's reach that He cannot restore and make right again. An added layer of spiritual enlightenment comes from the poems that accompany many of these essays. Intense and extremely insightful, the words of Aaron L. Slaton provide a strong commentary to his sister's counsel. Encouraging, yet filled with many hard-hitting exhortations, this book speaks with a contemporary language and a timeless commitment to love and truth.

Website - www.launchoutbook.com