Why the Elevator Pitch is Necessary When Selling at Book Events

I remember when I first learned about the “elevator pitch” at a writers’ group meeting. Over the years in speech class and on the job, I’ve learned how to speak in front of a crowd. However, an elevator pitch is a different beast on its own.

First, this conversation tends to be one-on-one verses to a crowd of people. This means I must win over the individual within thirty seconds, or I may never see them again, much less encourage them to buy a copy or two of my books. I have to say just enough to hook them, but not too much where I’m giving the entire story away for free. This takes practice and lots of it.

I currently have thirteen paperbacks in my collection plus four anthologies in which I have one story each. It takes me about a minute and a half to give a short spiel about all of them. Friends who accompany me behind the table are often amazed at how I remember to say the same thing over and over again to each customer who walks up to my table. I laugh and tell them that’s why I have water handy.

So, how did I do it? One book at a time.

When I started out as a book vendor at events, I only had one book. I made up a blurb, but over time that blurb morphed into a statement that mostly seems to result in a raised eyebrow or a dropped jaw. As I added more books, I had time to add and update each blurb accordingly. After repeating them for years, I now have them memorized. The only ones I’d need to work on are the most recent releases.

How do I avoid getting bored?

I rearrange the order in which I present the books. I may also first ask the reader what kind of genre they like most, so it helps that I have a few different genres on display.

Without the elevator pitches, many people would merely look, nod, and walk away, never having even picked up a copy to read the book. I’m constantly people watching. If any of the covers make a person do a double-take, I say something to get their attention. Of course, it helps that I spend the better part of the day handing out bookmarks containing the covers of my books, a short blurb (not the same one I say), and information on how to connect with me or buy a copy online. Many people may walk away and buy later, some have returned to my table after reading the blurb on the back. That’s when I go all out with my elevator pitches.

This is not trivial to do, especially for the introvert, but if you practice, this art will soon be second nature. I’m not a natural salesperson, but my enthusiasm for my stories definitely makes up the difference.

Good luck out there!

Book Events and Why I Do Them

I try to attend a few book events each year. Most of them tend to be closer to the holidays when many people are looking for gifts. Although many people buy digital copies of my book, I encounter a great number of people who still enjoy the feel of a book in their hands. I also get to personalize my message when I sign the books for them.

There are times when someone stops by just to see what I have then later goes online to purchase the digital copy. If I hadn’t attended those events, these individuals would probably not have heard about my stories. Seeing digital sales go up after a book event makes me smile.

Being in person also helps me build my email list. I always put out a pen and paper with lines where the reader can leave their email address. This way, I’m only sending information to those who are interested in learning about future releases or events.

However, I think my favorite part of in-person events is being able to talk to readers about my stories. It’s one thing for them to read the blurb on the back of the book, but it’s a cool experience being able to express what it is that inspired me to write each story. They are able to ask questions, and I can find out what they want in a book which helps me point them toward the best match.

Having return customers is pretty neat too. They tend to tell me how much they enjoyed my story and ask me which they should purchase next. A few readers have already purchased copies of each book in my inventory, so this drives me to release the next book before the next year’s events. However, due to life’s hiccups, that doesn’t always happen. Nevertheless, my faithful readers understand and wait eagerly for the next book.

So, why do I continue to do book events? I’ve built relationships over the years.

The Business Side of Writing

Many writers who turn into authors love the creativity of releasing the work but dread the behind the scenes work that’s needed to make a book a success.

First, there’s the marketing. One must learn social media, target audiences, and build content to post or record to remain in the forefront of their fans’ minds.

Second, there’s searching for events where the books can be sold. Local events are where I meet the greater part of my fan base. They return yearly to see what new story or poem I’ve written. Having a signup sheet for emails also helps me keep in touch with them.

Third, pursuing radio, podcast, or television interviews is critical to building up the reading base. There are many small stations out there that are willing to help new authors introduce themselves to the world.

Fourth, keeping track of sales taxes, earnings, and inventory is important for understanding the health of this venture. Whether it’s a side hustle or main source of income, understanding these details is important to help keep things running smoothly. This is true even if you hire an accountant to do the grunt paperwork.

So, do your best to learn as much as you can about the business side of writing. I am fortunate that both sides of my brain enjoy the entirety of the writing process. I enjoy making graphs and seeing how many copies have sold over time almost as much as I love writing stories and poems. It helps me plan for the future better.

I keep track of the best-selling venues and which of my books sold the most copies at each one. This helps me organize how many copies of each to take. The data also influences whether I take extra to a certain event or return to a certain venue.

The other thing I did was to make additional merchandise available for purchase. So far, I had mugs made with the covers of my books on them. Some buyers like the idea of buying a mug to match the book they just purchased. Others got one because they loved the design or colors of the cover. You basically have to study your audience to know what they’d like.

Listening to my buyers has led to me broadening my genre base. At first, I hesitated because most authors are encouraged to stick with one genre. However, since I enjoy many kinds of stories, my mind comes up with plots from many genres as well. Readers are constantly amazed that I have multiple genres and sometimes return to buy copies of all my inventory. Some have even made requests regarding genres I already enjoy. One thing to remember, though, is to remain true to yourself. If a request doesn’t fit your writing, refer the reader to someone else. For example, I am not into mystery, so I don’t have the desire to release one, but I know author friends who write mystery. I find happiness in helping another author increase sales, and they do the same for me. Helping others grow too is good for business.

But most of all, have fun with what you do. The buyers can tell.

How Learning Multiple Languages Aids My Writing

The second novel I released included dialog in Spanish and Japanese. I had taken Spanish throughout middle school, high school, and college, so I felt somewhat comfortable creating conversation in that language. However, I’d never studied Japanese before. I did some internet searches to find the words I needed and plopped them into the story. Fortunately, my best friend’s first language is Spanish, and my editor had lived in Japan for a while, so they corrected any foreign language grammatical errors.

After that experience, I started learning French for a story whose main character is from France. As of today, that story is still only an idea, but by the time I get back to it, I’ll have a ton of French vocabulary in my head. Then, during NaNoWriMo 2020, I wrote the first part of A Cop and Vampire Story which includes a female vampire with origins in Germany. I expanded my language base to German so that I could create a more realistic back story for her.

The thing that I like the most is when someone who knows those languages reads the story and smiles because I captured not only the words, but the mood, intonations, and attitude of the character’s culture. I not only research the cultures, but I’ve also hung out with people from those cultures so that I can portray authentic characters. That’s the most fun part of writing: getting to know real people who influence fictional characters.

The added benefit? I can read more signage and pronounce more words from the languages I’m learning than I could yesterday. I’m having fun, and this new habit is broadening my writing base.

Building Multiple Anthologies

A few years ago, when one of my stories won a spot in an anthology, one of the avid readers of my stories refused to buy a copy. When I asked why, she said she’d only buy a book that contained short stories only from me. That’s when I came up with the idea of creating an anthology of short stories. As I started working on compiling that anthology, ideas for other anthologies emerged, including one or two for urban fantasy stories.

I am currently still creating stories and poems for these works in progress. My goal for each is fifty thousand words at a minimum to give my readers a lengthy and enjoyable reading experience. I need around two thousand words to complete the first anthology, and I hope I get the idea for that one soon. I’d like to release that anthology, if at all possible, by the end of 2026.

Stay tuned for more on this project.

The Benefits of a Writing Retreat

I’ve heard of writers’ retreats where people go to classes then meet up with publishers and agents at a shot of having their manuscript read and hopefully land a contract. I’ve never attended one because they never seemed to occur on a weekend where I had the time to spend at such an event.

However, in August 2023, I attended my first writing retreat. That appealed to me because I’d been in a writing slump for months and wanted the chance to break out of that to get back into a regular writing rhythm. And it worked. In one weekend, I went from writing zero words to over three thousand. I spent time in nature and wrote whatever came to mind. I wrote about a rainbow appearing in a water fountain and the cadence of songs of the various insects in the small sanctuary. The blue sky and cool breeze also enhanced my creative juices.

I left that weekend renewed and energized. But it wasn’t just about the writing. I taught the opening class and had the opportunity to spend quality time over meals with the other women joining me that weekend. We connected in a kind of sisterhood that is sure to last for many years to come.

We shared what we wrote with each other and offered critiques and encouragement where needed. When I read what I thought was a heart wrenching poem, they viewed it as a modern-day psalm. I’m glad I had the courage to share that one with them.

I look forward to being a part of this type of retreat in the future. I’m so glad the organizer is doing it again.

Pursuing Writing Goals

Every year, I make a point to write down my writing goals: which book can be released, which stories will be actively edited, and what ideas should be fleshed out. Things start out rosy, but then life happens and causes detours for many, if not all, of my scheduled plans. When that happens, I’ve learned to pivot. Last year when four of my books won the International Impact Book Awards, it meant I needed to update covers, redo bookmarks, and prepare for an unexpected trip. I still released two books, but the editing I’d planned on doing for a handful of stories fell off to just a couple. Making any kind of progress in my writing projects had to be enough encouragement to spur me on to continue in my craft. I took pleasure in making a page better on a given day versus focusing on whether I got through the manuscript in less than a month. After all, this is a marathon, not a sprint. I still want to record my stories and land more reviews. I just have to be patient with myself and the adventures life hands me. “Keep on going” is my current motto.