Calling all Bitchery members: I’m looking to put together the bargain book tour, wherein I drive like madness and show up in a host of places. Trouble is, I’m not sure the best way to approach the planning. On one hand, I can start looking for bookstores in major areas and commence flirting, but the peculiar and awesome thing about the Smart Bitch Book is that I’m just as interested in meeting the readers of this here website as I am curious who will be interested in the book, the site, and romance as a genre. It’s like a big sociology experiment and book tour in one!
So rather than aim for the stores and plan around them, I figured I’d ask you: where do you think I should go? Got a splendid romance-friendly bookstore to recommend? A Borders or Barnes and Noble outpost with an exceptional romance selection? Or a library that has very romance-friendly librarians? I want to know about it, where it is, and who to contact. If you don’t want to leave that info in the comments, please email me and put “Smart Bitch Book Tour” in the subject line. (My inbox is the scariest place in the universe, even more freakish than the sink trap after I wash toddler dishes.)
I’m flexible and curious, so I’ll go anywhere. My goal is to meet as many people who read the site as possible, spread the word about man-titty and the marvelousness of romance, talk about our site, and the book, and see some of the outstanding book collections for sale or rent that focus on the Lurrrrrve™. If you’re a romance author and you’d like to team up, please feel free to contact me as well.
I’m located in northern New Jersey, if you didn’t know, and I work in Manhattan, so anywhere in the New York Metro area is totally open. I’m definitely going to be in Doylestown, PA, and in Manhattan somewhere (look for the thigh highs! NOT!), plus there’s a likelihood that Iowa will be graced with my loud and boisterous countenance, but if there’s buses, trains, flights or even car rides in store, I will try to draft an itinerary within my budget and my ability to squeeze pennies out of online flight vendors.
So let me know, and help me plan the Bitch Book Tour. Bring it on!
An indie bookstore, owned by a woman- how much better can life get?
http://www.tatteredcover.com
Well, if you want warm, I’m here in south Florida, and I’m sure there are some places in Ft. Lauderdale that would welcome you!
Since I really doubt that you’d come to Kentucky itself, I’ll toss in another vote for the Cincinatti area. It’s within an hour drive for me and, as others have said, there are quite a few romance authors around here (and a good number of romance readers, too.) If not Cincy, then the Knoxville suggestion works for me, too. It’s 3 hours away instead of just one, but it’s doable.
Not voting again, just noting that I would love to see the marquee/sign/whatever that says ‘Welcome Smart Bitches’….
take pictures please…
Sam
But, but, what about us languishing left coasters? Isn’t Candy supposed to take up the torch? I mean, the Pacific NW is a seething hotbed of romance readers/writers. Come on Candy, give it up! Start at Powell’s and work your way to Vancouver BC. I’ll help organize, even, and that’s saying a LOT with my current schedule. (toothy grin)
I second that – I am sure the publishers can write-off a trip down under. Sydney’s warm, and at the moment slightly wet… perfect!
TTP wants SB Sarah!
Yes. Yes! Yes!! Australia, Sydney would be good. Think about a guest spot at the 2nd ARR convention. More bang for the buck! but wait, that won’t be until next year. Hmm, problem there. Bugger! Hey, think of it as an extended globe trotting book tour. That’d work, right? Of course it would. Add a library tour to the whole thing, a few uni visits and hey, presto, a whole junket trip is borne!
Hey, Melbourne Fla. would welcome you too! I volunteer to be chauffeur, tour guide or whatever.
Actually, anywhere in Fla would make me a happy bitch! And believe me- we’ll be much warmer down here then!
cap, I thought of Webster’s, which is a wonderful, marvelous bookstore, but I don’t think it’s all that romance friendly. They keep all the romances on two shelves in a backroom between the self-help books and the women’s restroom. They used to be out front, but not any more. It kind of bugs me, to be honest. As much as I adore Webster’s…on the other hand, they’re really great about hosting events. So it would definitely be a possibility.
(Oh, please come here, Sarah. It would be awesome.)
Again chiming in about Cincinnati—-the city has a reputation as one of the best-read towns in the US.
I grew up going to the Lane Public Library in Hamilton, and aside from it being a good venue, it’s also one of the prettiest libraries anywhere.
I second (third fourth?) Cincy. Plus it’s only an hour and a half drive from me 🙂 I might think about the Newport area right across the river from Cincy. I’m not sure about their book stores but I’m pretty sure there’d be a good one that can be recommended.
Knoxville would be good too (woo my hometown!). Alas, poor Kentucky probably doesn’t have enough draw… but I could be wrong. I’ll put out some feelers this week and see if anything pops.
SB’s at TTP? R O A D T R I P!
OK, this post has nothing to do with locations…it has more to do with the list of other things you’ll want/need for a book tour.
First, in addition to posting a mighty list on this blog of all your stops (once you figure that out), don’t be shy about posting it to the RWA newsletter editor loop (via your local chapter’s newsletter editor because you’re in RWA). You can also have your loyal readers her post it to all the writer’s loops we belong to. Booksellers tend to be more accomodating when you are going to give some kind of talk rather than just sit behind a table and weild your pen.
Second, sending out a mailing to reader’s groups across the country that are romance friendly would be a must. I suggest contacting Pat Rouse and getting her list nationwide. You should mail to these folks even if you aren’t signing in their town because they’d be interested anyway.
Third, get a hell of a press release out to local media in each city you’re going to be visiting at least two weeks before the event for newspapers, one week before television and include clips from other interviews. For television emphasize the heaving man-titty and riots you cause in your wake, and the insidious death threats that have been issued at various speaking engagements.
In addition to this, make sure you have packets made up of awesome materials for your booksellers to include in their newsletters – sample interviews with you they can copy and paste, 100 word blurb, 250 word blurb, copies of the cover and your pictures on disk etc., along with the confirmation letter on dates and times you’ll be there.
Fourth, get somethign to hand out to people so that even if they don’t by the book right then and there, they might later. Doesn’t have to be bookmarks, but make it something that they won’t take off the wrapper and throw away the info. Buttons that say Yeah, I read romance. Afraid to talk about lurvve? would be cute.
Fifth, plan to have something you can give as a small token gift to every bookseller you’re doing a signing with. I’d suggest the SmartBitch mug with chocolates.
Sixth, plan on something to draw attention. Man-titty handing out chocolate would be fantastic, in lieu of that a large cardboard cutout of man-titty would be cool. Research shows food at an event draws about 25% more participation (especially if you say there are refreshments when you are advertising the event). Balloons scream look the hell over here! Yeah, You!
There’s a lot more…but must go prepare the little people for school…
Come to Brooklyn! I live in Park Slope and I can vouch for the awesome of the B&N as well as the adorable (but small) community book store (http://www.cbjupiterbooks.com) near my apartment. The Central Library is also a great place: big, right next to the park, and an ok selection of romance.
ny metro area you say ? 😉
*grins*
what about grand central terminal ? 😉
stacey
(who’s tickled that her special sign in thingy says ‘meeting62)
Let me put in another bid for Cincinnati. Joseph-Beth Booksellers is a great place for authors and I can provide a cheering section of smart bitches I have turned on to your site. I can also let you sleep on my pull out and buy you a beer if that helps with the budget.
Cincinnati Ohio and Columbus Ohio have some fab bookstores. If you decide to come here I have an extra bedroom and a full stocked wine cellar. 🙂
The Tattered Cover is a great bookstore, except for romance, their smallest section. And if you ask them to special order a romance, they get very, very snooty. I shop there for hubby’s Sci Fi all the time. My local BN is very snotty about romance too. The Borders may be going under, but they’re good about having romance books out on the shelves on the outdate.
But if you do come to Denver, I’ll try to the stand-in-line thing.
(Oops, my sign-in thingy is try 69 and I already have.)
~For television emphasize the heaving man-titty~
Oh, please don’t! How are we ever going to be taken seriously by the media and those outside our readership if we play to the lowest common demoninator?
Fun is fun, but Sarah’s just emphasized several Romance-positive articles recently. Man-titty is not the way to get more. It’s a sure-fire way to get snickered at and dismissed, again.
You may get attention, but it won’t be positive or respectful.
Demoniator? Sheesh. Fingers have dyslexia today apparently.
Bu I like the word. Demoniator.
Nancy’s Trade A Book in Columbia, MO is an awesome used bookstore with a HUGE romance section. The owner is very knowledgable and has steered me toward several new authors that are now on my auto-buy list.
While I agree in theory that we should be above such things to boost the image of romance – I also happen to know from hard won experience that the media isn’t interested in truth especially when deciding which stories they are going to cover on the filiming dockett.
They may snicker at the thought of man-titty in an event notice faxed to the newsroom, but they are far more likely to show up to an event cameras in hand (even if you don’t have man titty there) if they believe that it will cater to the lowest denominator—their audience. It’s sad, but true. Unless you have a draw (controversey, big name, huge news, the promise of some cool visuals or film footage) they aren’t as likely to come to a book event.
spaminator – effects87 as in stupidity effects 87% of decisions on what we see on the evening news…
You could look into coming to the Queens College Campus (Go Knights!). We have guest lectures all the time! You can try calling the Student Life Office (718) 997-3970, Student.Life @ qc.cuny.edu. I am a senior and an Orientation Leader, and I worked with John Andrejack. I believe he is the one who books these types of things, but if anything you can ask them who would be the best person to talk to about something like this.
Theresa, I see what you mean. But Nora Roberts has already said she’d be interested in offering TTP and I suspect her BIG name.
Hey, that’s something. And I hate the mantitty theme, too. We really need to move on from that. Ugh…
Here is yet another vote for Ohio. I live in northern Ohio, but it seems like most authors (at least the ones I like) do their booktours in the Cincinnati/Dayton area. I have been to a couple of signings at Books and Co outside Dayton that have been v. nice.
no matter where you go in NYC, try to get it advertised on NY1. That will definitely get you some publicity (if only with Time Warner Cable).
I’ll second the vote for London (UK).
…hey, it’s worth a try…
It seems that (a) I should plan to stop in Cincinnati and much of Ohio – which is not a big deal since I’m from Pittsburgh and was planning to go there anyway and (b) I need to send out press releases announcing the arrival of the Demoniator. That will totally rock those fuzzy foam socks right off their microphones.
RAH!
If you do come to the Cincinnati area, the Newport on the Levee Barnes & Noble is a good venue, directly across the river from the Bengals and Reds stadiums (stadia?) in Cincinnati. It’s a hopping place, always busy, and with the bonus of a great view of the city.
And I’ll offer my place as a way station, as well. We are empty nesters with two guest rooms.