Saturday, June 7, 2008

My First Book Signing


My first children's novel, Fouling Out (Orca Book Publishers, 2008), has been on the market for two months. I had a successful book launch in Sechelt, British Columbia on May 1. That was a relatively controlled event with a list of invited guests. Nothing like a familiar audience to give you a false sense of importance.

A book signing is an entirely different beast. It's basically a table in a bookstore. If you're lucky, the manager puts you near the entrance. If you're really lucky, the manager will even remember that you're coming and will have the table set up. The awkward part is sitting and looking happy as people take sweeping detours to avoid anything close to eye contact. Perhaps having a book to sell (and autograph) is a greater annoyance than offering a trial newspaper subscription or having people fill out an instant credit application for a store credit card. At any rate, two hours can pass quickly. It's only one hundred twenty minutes of smiling and staring at random objects.

My book signing turned out to be better than anticipated. (Sometimes there are benefits to being a fatalist.) The site was the large Chapters store in Richmond, B.C. Since the setting of my novel is in Richmond, it only took two requests to get a manager to okay the event. I'm not sure what I'd have to do to have an event in Victoria or Seattle or Half Moon Bay, California.

Yes, I was lucky. Really lucky. A table was set up with several copies of Fouling Out nicely displayed. And they had me at the entrance--right beside the table with two guys offering newspaper subscriptions. No kidding! The guys even tried to get me to sign up, but I already receive the Vancouver Sun, thank you very much.

Thank goodness for friends! Three former colleagues were waiting for my arrival. Before the official beginning of the book signing. My fans, my groupies! Okay, just some friends will lots of other things to do on a Saturday afternoon.

For over two hours, people stopped by. Former students whose names I, thankfully, remembered. Teachers and staff members from three schools where I'd worked in Richmond. Yes, I remembered all their names, too. Friends who came by as they waited for a load to finish in the dryer cycle so they could change into something more fashionable and go somewhere else. I autographed books, exchanged hugs and handshakes and got caught up.

It was completely painless. Pleasant even. As I packed up, I realized I'd only sold one book to a complete stranger. It was a mother who stopped by with her fifth grade son. We talked about the boy's school, his reading interests and his teacher. When Mom asked if the boy wanted a copy of my book, he said no without the slightest bit of hesitation. He was here to get the second book in a fantasy series. Grrr to all those fantasy writers who can't shake off their popular characters to leave a little shelf room for the rest of us! The mother awkwardly picked up a copy of my book and asked me to sign it for the boy's teacher. At the end of the year, he'd give her the real present: chocolate. Mom would unload a copy of Fouling Out.

Hey, it's a sale.

And as part my first book signing, I'll take it.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr.Walters your book was amazing, I really enjoyed your book and the suspens it gave me. If I was the editor I would make the book how you originally intended it to be it would be very cool to see how you made Tom's life living in the old shack with the fishing gear. Avery

Anonymous said...

I really like what you said about everyone having their own style, and how people should only write while motivated. I agree. I certainly have my own style, and I can't force myself to write when unmotivated.
Alaya

Anonymous said...

I never knew you spent so much time with your dogs! It must be really annoying when your trying to work... I know how you feel. Just when I open a good book or am trying to do my homework, my bird and my dog seem to have a sudden interest in making as much noise as they can to get my attention.

Trying to write a book and being a full time principal must be hard. Us kids can get pretty annoying! I could never deal with two very important things at once!!

Anyway, your first book signing must have been really exciting!

I wont see you next year but I know you will be greatly missed!! ANYONE WHO IS LOOKING FOR A BOOK TO READ... READ FOULING OUT!!!!

Zoe

Anonymous said...

Mr .Walters I love your book. I like all of the action. I also like how you got pictures or went to the place when you were writing that settings. I can really relate to the girl characters, Good Job. I know it was probably really hard to do that. I know for me it is hard to write from a guys point of view, except for Craig or Tom because this is my second time reading this

From Emma

Anonymous said...

I think your book is one of the best books in the world. i love the dramatic climax of tom running away and re apering.

Anonymous said...

I think your book is one of the best books in the world. i love the dramatic climax of tom running away and re apering.

K Dunk said...

This is a cool blog. It is encouraging and helpful to people who want to read books or even write a book. You are a school princible as well as a writer and you mention it. it is helpful for people who want to maybe write as well as another occupation.
I also very much enjoy your book! It is perfect for people my age(13). It is perfect for me because at this age kids can relate to this. It is mainly a stroy about boys, but the girls you do have are very much like girls in real life. The drama, excluding, and friendship loss are all part of the life of grade 7 girls, and I am happy you got that in.

J.R. said...

i love your book.
i love how you show detail
how does it feel like to sign books
does it feel like your FAMOUS!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

It's amazing that you were able to write a book with such accuracy and emotion. You easily were able to connect to both girls and boys with their friendships like Taryn's or Craig's. I enjoyed how you weren't thinking of the perfect kid and how we do these things and make mistakes. You also weren't treating Tom like a stupid kid, but more of a not caring about school kind of person. I've enjoyed the book a lot and the character are fabulous because you can hate then, love them, want them to change so its easy to really connect with the book and put emotions into reading. You can also easily see the characters without looking at the cover because the characters are so defined in what they do and say. Even Tom's mom is easy to relate to because of the little said about her says a lot. I enjoy every character even if they're mean, nice or doing the wrong things. I've really enjoyed this book.

Anonymous said...

Was it very exciting to do a signing, or was it scary?! How rich are you now? Sorry I had to ask that I saw it on your blog. How did your dogs help with the book. Did they give you ideas or just help you have fun.

From Emma

Anonymous said...

Mr Gregory Walters, is it hard being an author at the same time as being a school principal? I think that your book is very good. I think that you should write more books because fouling out is amazing.I like that Tom runs away. signed Zack

GREGORY WALTERS said...

Wow! Thanks for all the recent comments. I love hearing back from readers!

GREGORY WALTERS said...

To Zoe,
I can't imagine how a bird in the home would complicate my ability to focus on a task. At this moment, Lincoln is growling at some noises that I cannot detect. Perhaps a dog's hearing is superior to ours or maybe I listened to music too loudly for too long!

GREGORY WALTERS said...

To J.R. and Emma,
Okay, I'll admit it feels special when someone wants a copy of Fouling Out autographed. Still, it's infrequent enough to keep my ego in check!

How rich am I? How rich?! Well, I'm richer for the experience of getting a book published. In financial terms, not much has changed. Occasionally, I've been known to supersize my morning coffee order at Starbucks. Still no trip to Paris, no chance to become a space tourist. (I think Lincoln and Hoover are quite pleased that not much has changed!)