Monday, August 11, 2008


I'm happy to report that I've received an advance copy of my new book "Postcard History Series: Springfield" from Arcadia Publishing and I'm quite pleased.

I'm also pleased to announce my first signing will be Sept. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble in Enfield, CT. I think I will be giving a quick talk and then, hopefully, sell some books.

I'm eager to set up a signing in the city, but the question is where and how – we have no independent bookstore. The only new bookstore we've got now is the Walden's at Eastfield Mall and they are not in the habit of hosting authors.

Any ideas?

6 comments:

  1. Haven't you learned anything from your previous publishers? Signings do not sell books!

    (winky emoticon here)

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  2. Why not try a book signing at someone's home working with a group like the Springfield Preservation Trust or a few neighborhood councils?

    Congrats and good luck.

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  3. Congrats!

    Also, I think you should have a signing at Forbes.com HQ

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Being a fellow arcadia postcard
    book author I would contact the
    local historical society as well
    as the springfield public library in regards to a signing. In my
    professional life I am a librarian
    and we are always on the lookout for local authors to make appearances.

    Another source could be a local
    postcard club for a signing.

    Our local Barnes and Noble doesn't
    have local author signings too. We
    went to a local Waterbury independent bookstore for a signing. We were treated like
    royalty.

    John W.
    Waterbury, CT

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  6. Congrats, Mike!

    Mark, as I can report from experience at First Run Video -- where we did a number of filmmaker signings -- though turnout may be low, the ripple effect would carry into two and three weeks (of steady rentals/sales of the videos by, or featuring, the guests). The single most immediately successful signing, with a touring pack of wrestlers, brought in tons of folks but sparked almost no rental/sales.

    Bookstores and videoshops are light years apart, but judging by the conversations with local bookshop owners hereabouts and in southern VT, the same holds true for bookshops: 'success' was never measured by immediate turnout, but longterm ripples in sales/interest. People hear and read about the event, and that's enough to spark sales for a few weeks thereafter.

    Stick with it, Mike, and good luck with the new book!

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