Neither will anyone else.

The only way you'll move your wares is through determination, personality, and fearlessness.

Put on your smile, stick out your hand, and get ready to greet EVERY PERSON that comes into the bookstore.

Does that terrify you? It shouldn’t. People are excited to meet authors. You’re a minor celebrity. Everyone likes to meet celebrities.

Don’t worry about being rebuffed or ignored. You’ve dealt with rejection before. You’re a writer, and rejection is part of the business.

The Approach. People will be preoccupied when they walk into a bookstore. Some are on a mission to buy the new Harry Potter, or latest issue of Guns and Ammo. Some are there to browse genres other than the one you’re writing in.

But all people, no matter their reason for being there, will respond when you introduce yourself and offer to shake hands.

I use one of two lines:

"Are you a mystery fan? I’m a mystery writer." or "Hi, I’m an author. Do you like thrillers?"

It’s extremely rare that a person will ignore an outstretched hand---it’s only happened to me three times, and I’ve shaken thousands of hands.

The Pitch. If I get a yes to one of the above questions, I launch into my pitch.

"My name is JA Konrath. I write a mystery series about a Chicago cop named Jack Daniels. Jack is short for Jacqueline, and she's in her forties, divorced, has a train wreck for a personal life, but she’s great at her job. She chases serial killers."

If they still seem interested at this point (about 1 out of 5) I continue:

"The book is actually very funny, similar to Janet Evanovich or Dave Barry. But it also has a darker side, kind of like James Patterson or Hannibal Lecter/Silence of the Lambs. So it goes from laugh out loud funny, to pretty scary--you'll want to turn on the lights and make sure the doors and windows are locked when you're reading."

It's important to maintain eye contact and keep smiling. Then finish your pitch.

"Whiskey Sour is the first book in a new series. The second is Bloody Mary. They’ve won several wards and appeared on some bestseller lists. I'd love to sign a copy or two for you-- and if you like, I can make it out to EBay."

Relax and Be Casual. No one likes high pressure sales. Selling isn’t about forcing people to buy something they don’t want. It’s about finding the people who are looking for your product.

And yes, books are products. Publishing is a business. Take off the artist hat, and put on the salesperson hat. If you’re shy, or have low self esteem, take a public speaking class. The better you can talk to people, the further you’ll go in this career.

The Hand Off. While doing the spiel I’ll hand them the book itself. That connection is important. Holding something implies ownership, and you want them to look at the cover, read the jacket, and begin to think of this book as theirs.

Adjustments. I tailor the pitch depending on the person's interest. Often I ask questions. Sometimes I answer questions. I adjust the pitch to the individual (if a customer likes romances, I play up the romantic end. If they like thrillers, I downplay the comedy, etc.)

The Rejection. Most people won’t be interested, even after hearing your wonderful pitch. That doesn’t mean you should move along yet.

Hand them a flyer to look at, or autograph a business card or bookmark, and ask them to pass it along to anyone they know who is a fan of your kind of books.

Thank them for their time, and mention it was great meeting them. Also let them know that you’ll be around for a while, if they decide they want something signed.

Often people come back. Sometimes while you’re there. Sometimes days later.

The Acceptance. If they buy a copy, be genuinely grateful. I once did a signing with an author who grumbled, “I hate signing books” in front of the person he was autographing it for. The fan’s jaw hit the floor. I don’t recommend that approach.

Thank the customer for giving you a try, and ask them who they’d like the book personalized to. ALWAYS ask for them to spell the name, even if it’s “Kim,” (I had a Kymm once.)

Then thank them again, shake hands again, and give them the biggest smile you can give.

Enlisting the Staff. Large chain stores will often make announcements. Ask if they can announce you every half hour, or if you can make the announcements yourself.

“Today we have local author J.A. Konrath---that’s me---signing books from the Jack Daniels series. I encourage everyone of come over to front of the store and say hello. Autographed books make a great gift, for family, friends, or yourself.”

If the staff really likes you (and if you brought them pizza, they will) ask if they can pass out flyers, or walk around holding copies of your book and directing patrons to your table.

Does it Work? Typically, 1 out of 5 people I pitch to will buy the book. And I pitch to several dozen an hour--depending on how busy the store is.

I did an event last Saturday, and sold 40 hardcover books in 6 hours. The week before I did 40 books in 8 hours (store wasn't as crowded). Week before, 60 books in 8 hours. My record is 120 in ten hours.

It isn't easy getting a stranger to part with $22. Sometimes there are stretches when I approach 30 people and can't sell a single book. It's disheartening, depressing, and just plain awful.

Other times, I'll sell five books in three minutes--one person buys it and others will wander over to check out what's going on.

To date, using this method I’ve handsold over 2000 books.