My experience as a signing author at A Romantic Affair
A Romantic Affair 2025 was what dreams were made of, (literally). From the people to the decor to the inspirational atmosphere! Ahhh take me back!
Being a newbie indie author with my book baby only out a few months, I was extremely nervous.
One, because I wasn’t sure if people would be interested in coming to see me (imposter syndrome is real) and two, because I really just didn’t know what to expect. And let me say, there was absolutely no need for the nerves and I needed to restock my books by the time the event was over!!!
The event was run by The First Chapter Book Store in Adelaide and the communication from Jess was exceptional. She communicated the layout of the venue, where to park, what to do and what times to do it. She was perfection!!!
The readers that approached me were so fun-loving and kind and I did not stop smiling and laughing the whole day. I met some fellow authors who I absolutely adore and who to this day motivate me to shoot for the stars. We always knew the book community was the best, but honestly it’s so much more than that!
Some things I used on the day other authors might find helpful:
Author banner - which I got from vistaprint. I cannot recommend the quality of this enough!
Bookmark holders - which are literally makeup brush holders from Kmart.
Trolley - to cart things in and out of the venue
Sign Holders - I used these to have my blurb on display, my key book tropes, prices and an author not a table sign incase I needed to leave. I used A5 size.
Business Card Holder - convenient for people to take one and have your information like socials etc.
Table Signs that reflect your book or personality - I used Smut Street and I’m sure that’s self-explanatory. Double check the sizing of these that is what you want!
Author Sign - this can be where you have your socials listed. There’s so many gorgeous ones out there and I am actually looking for a replacement for mine to add my website.
A few important things I needed to know as an author attending a book signing event:
Some venues don’t have power outlets available for everyone so be mindful to have what you need charged, including how you are going to take payment.
On the subject of payment, I used the Stripe app on my iPhone which worked fine for me, but I did see a lot of others using square readers so decide what you think will work best for you.
If you’re nervous or overwhelmed leading up to the event, plan your day beforehand. For me, knowing exactly where I need to go and mapping out timeframes helped calm the chaos in my head helped me enjoy the moment knowing I had everything covered.
Do a practice set up of your table beforehand to navigate in your head how you want your table to be displayed on the day.
I saw other authors with chocolates and lollie bowls as a kind gesture sitting on their tables and I will be definitely adding this to my next event.
All in all the event was more than I could have ever imagined it to be and I’m so very thankful for everyone that made my experience one I’ll never forget. If you’ve been putting off a signing, I say absolutely go for it!
