Since I'm having a book signing for Twist of Fate today, I thought I'd pass along a great lesson I learned from Terry Brooks in his Sometimes The Magic Works.

He wrote about his first book signing.
The point of a book signing, he said, is not about you, your success or selling lots of books.

It is about...and I quote..."making a connection between readers and books." He went on to say, "It is about making readers feel so enthusiastic about books that they cannot wait to come back and buy more. It is about generating a feeling of goodwill toward the bookstore and the staff."

I found learning this lesson put a whole new prospective on book signing events for me.

Your attitude determines the success or failure of a book signing. How to make this event a success? Here are a couple tips he shared.

Be cheerful and welcoming toward everyone, from the staff to the customer who walks by you.

Speak to everyone; make them feel welcome.

When you sign a book, look up at the person; speak to them; thank them for coming.

Remember, you owe everyone in that store a good experience, both customers and staff.

Don't base the success or failure of a signing entirely on whether or not a sale was made.

Instead, think of it as an opportunity to create excited readers and to make connection with new readers.