Host: Elayna Trucker, Napa Bookmine
Participants: Angela, Pursel, Mary Williams, Amy Stephenson, Rebeka Shoaf, Derek Stordahl, Sarah Pishko, Harry from Kepler’s, Eileen Speers, Rachel from Avid Bookshop, Andrew Unger, Kim Patch, Johanna Vondeling, Michael Reinken, Wyatt (unknown association), Wendy Thomas Russell, Cynthia St. John
Notes:
- Definitely need better communication of expectations
- Placing authors at the right venue takes a lot of time for publishers, too
- Publicists: look at the geography! Understand where each bookstore is and don’t schedule the same author for the same area too close to each other.
- Authors need to do way more of their own publicity
- Publisher- hosted virtual events are great but make sure not to double dip; either they’re publisher-hosted or bookstore-hosted, not both
- Publisher should recommend in conversation partner! They’d know best, if it’s not a local author.
- Ask the publisher to make a flyer or social media post with your logo
- Ask for event co-op money
- Event grids ughhhhhhhh – why are they not the same thing as catalogs for buying? Takes way too much time, easy to lie about what you’re actually going to do
- Scheduling events ideally 3-6 months out
- Ideally not too close to the on sale date
Reimagining Bookstores 