Impact of Book Signings?

[calvin]

I don't know the answer to this, but perhaps Peter or someone else on here has insight.  What is the real financial benefit to book signing tours?  Obviously Brandon (or any other author) will sell extra books at each signing, but a lot of those would have been purchased anyway.  Considering travel and hotel costs, as well as the bookstore's staff and the author's "handler" at each location, it seems that most of those profits would be eaten away pretty quickly.  The fans that go love it, of course, but how does a book company quantify the value of a book signing tour?

Do the follow up conversations on blogs, word of mouth, etc. sell more books?  Is it mainly to keep the author in touch with his audience?  While he's out signing, he's probably not writing (much), and he's away from his family, so it's got to have some degree of negative impact on the production side.  (Maybe less if he's actually recharging his batteries by doing so).  I'm really curious about the ultimate value of a book signing.  Anyone got any data?

(Don't get me wrong...I ENJOYED the book signing and I'll be back to more of them).

[Munin]

I would assume it's about publicity.

[Eerongal]

also, i would presume that, depending on how close it is to release, the sales could be fairly substantial.

For example, at the book signing in STL i went to easily half of the people present had purchased books at the signing (i know because they were handing out some additional goodies to those who bought it. A simple little backpack thing, and some bumper stickers)

Granted, most of those people are probably people who would have bought it at some point anyways, but this probably shoe-horned several into counting into the first week's sales.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

It's very hard to quantify. Tours taken by themselves are probably not profitable. What they do is foster the dedicated fans, who get even more pumped to recommend the books to their friends. And that's not something you can really track the results of.

The release day signings that move hundreds of books do affect the New York Times ranking. But you're right that the further into the tour you get, the more likely it is that the readers have already bought their book.

[rjl]

If they were assessed on a cost to do it vs immediate profit they'd surely be scrapped, but there's more to selling books than profit, and also, they probably help profit in the long run anyway.

[Vanstorm]

I can see that it would have a decent impact on sales.  If there were a signing in my area, I certainly would attend and purchase my book at the store.  As is, I picked up the book from my library on release day and read through it.  I'll definitely purchase at some point, but have not done so yet... I should have pre-ordered from Sam Weller's to get a signed copy but I put it off too long and they were sold out.

[AndrewMM]

I would say the real benefit is an intangible one. It does foster loyalty and dedication. That means those fans will be likely to talk to others about Brandon..I know I do. What other best selling author you know answers emails personally? Sends advanced chapters to his fans? Actually speaks to his fans on forums and facebook? You get the picture. The book signings just fosters more of that type of thing.

[guessingo]

It's very hard to quantify. Tours taken by themselves are probably not profitable. What they do is foster the dedicated fans, who get even more pumped to recommend the books to their friends. And that's not something you can really track the results of.

The release day signings that move hundreds of books do affect the New York Times ranking. But you're right that the further into the tour you get, the more likely it is that the readers have already bought their book.

I am willing to bet it has more of an affect on future sales. I think it is part of the marketing strategy. Authors are basically a brand name and this enhances the brand.