Some schools include a book signing as part of my visit.  I’m more than happy to sign old books as well as new – indeed it’s very satisfying to sign a dog-eared well-loved copy.

If you are planning to sell books through the school there are two approaches:- 

Sell on the Day

At least a month before the visit, contact your local bookshop or regular supplier. Find out which books I will be featuring on the day and order more copies of those.  Many bookshops will let schools have books on a sale or return basis, some may let the school have a share of the takings.

Let parents know that books will be available for sale. Send out a list of titles and prices (check current prices with your bookseller) so the child can bring in the right money.

Please ensure that at least one member of staff or a parent helper is there to take the money and ensure that the children have paid for their books before I sign them.

A disadvantage of selling on the day is the difficulty in gauging demand.  I did one signing where the school ordered hundreds of books but only sold about a dozen.  Although the books were on sale or return, the bookshop would have had to order them in specially and this is the kind of occurrence that makes some bookshops reluctant to supply books for signings.  On the other hand, if the school only orders a few books, it’s not unusual for a particular book to sell out, leaving some children disappointed.  With this in mind, you might like to consider the following alternative approach.

Sell in Advance

This approach requires a bit more preparation but has the advantage of familiarising the children with the books in advance of my visit. 

At least five weeks before the visit, arrange to borrow a selection of my books from the library service.  If that isn’t practical, then the children can see excerpts from all my books by looking at the “see inside this book” pages on this web site.  Check which books are available with your local bookshop or supplier and then send out an order form with titles, prices and the address of this web site.  Another advantage of this approach is that it is a guaranteed order, so the bookseller is more likely to offer the school a discount or a share of the cover price.  If the bookseller is not able to offer a discount, you may be able to get one by ordering through an online seller such as Amazon or Play. Either way, you should order the books well in advance, to ensure that they arrive in time for the visit.

If you do intend to have a book signing, the best time is probably at the end of the day. If this isn’t practical then make sure you build time for signings into your timetable.  Another advantage of selling in advance, is that it gives you an idea of how much time will be needed for signings.

Autographs

Children often ask me to sign autograph books and even scraps of paper.  I’m happy to do this, but once I’ve signed one scrap of paper, the number tends to escalate rapidly.  So, if time is limited I would be grateful if teachers can ensure that children with books to sign are given priority.