Lately, it seems we are getting more and more independent book stores in the Las Vegas area. As authors, we are thrilled by the prospect of having a variety of venues for signings and sales of our books. As you know fellow authors, getting the word out about your life’s joy, is often difficult.

Social media has given us a wonderful platform to share our latest book news, and gain exposure into our little world. However, there are so many authors today and the numbers keep rising. We must walk a fine line when engaging in promo. We don’t want to flood our reader’s into boredom by constantly barraging them with everything books. This will succeed in nothing more than the hum of crickets in your sales. So on a daily basis, you share a bit of your personal adventures and try to sprinkle in a plug or two about your newest creation.

The Tour

Which brings me to the idea I wanted to share with you. About two years ago, a friend and fellow author, Linda Stile Fox and myself, decided to think outside the box. We had done a couple of signings with other local authors at various independent coffee shops around town. After we had few months of doing this, we came up with the plan of a permanent tour. We had all been partaking in the usual Barnes and Noble signings, as well as other smaller book stores. The coffee shops seem to be a nice compliment to further introduce our presence in the community.

And what goes better than a cup of Joe, and a great book?

We started with four authors, and now have about twenty. The community has greeted us with both surprise and jubilation. They usually don’t expect to hear that we are local, and this excites them. After coming up with the name, The Coffee House Tours, we put our plan into action. Researching the many coffee shops around town, Linda and I go out and introduce ourselves to the managers or owners of the shops. We usually bring a poster with us from a previous event so that they may get a visual. For each event I design a poster and have 2 (sometimes more, depending on the size of the cafe) 17×11 copies made for them to display in their shop. The authors who will be signing share the poster on all aspects of their social media. This gains exposure for both us and the coffee shop.

The Events

Like anything else, some shops explode with sales and others, not so much. But often times, an author will see online sales increase after an event as well. We provide our own cash and card readers for sales, promo and table cloths. We only ask for tables and chairs from the establishment, and this seems to be a hook. They virtually have free advertising and don’t have to do anything special.

We book seasonally and since our creation started two years, I can proudly say that each time we schedule the next season, it fills up quickly. We have been asked back with open arms and this also helps with new shops that are opening up all over town.

I’m not saying there isn’t work involved. You have to be sure to follow through with your commitments, advertise, and coordinate the authors. But for us, it’s definitely been worth it. All it takes to get started is to walk in and ask for the manager. The rest is all you. And who better to show the excitement about your books and their potential, than the person who gave them life.