2. If you are appearing on interviews that will air before your bookstore event, remember to mention the signing's date, place, and time. Alternately, before you start your interview, ask the host to mention the event.

3. Engage people who walk by your signing table by talking about your book or just being friendly.

4. Most bookstores will post signage about your appearance, but often these signs are placed around the store and not at the signing table. A simple blow up of your book jacket mounted on an easel board will help create a point of interest at your table. If your publisher doesn't make one of these for you, make one yourself. A color photocopy enlarged roughly to the size of a legal sheet of paper works just fine and, when you go on the road, it is easily portable in your suitcase.

45 Make lasting contacts of the bookstore staff by being memorable and polite. Make them into effective hand-sellers of your book by talking to them about the book and by taking an interest in them.

6. Practice your reading or talk ahead of time. Keep it short. Remember your job is to entertain and interest people in your book: A long speech will tire them and squelch any yearning to read the book, let alone spend money on it.

7. Cue your audience twice during your presentation that you will be happy to answer their questions at the end. Prearrange for a shill to ask a question if no one steps forward to ask the first question. Or break the ice by telling the audience that "people often ask me..." and asking the first question yourself. Another way of engaging with the audience is to plant your talk with some tantalizing points of interest that you don't explain in detail. Inevitably someone in the audience will ask you to elaborate. For example, you might say that it was essential that you publish this book before you turned forty, and then leave the somewhat mysterious comment hanging unexplained. You will most certainly be asked about why you had to publish with such urgency. You've led your audience into dialogue with you.

8. Be gracious to all customers who approach you, even if they only want directions to the bathroom.

9. Collect names and addresses of members of the audience, or better yet collect e-mail addresses for your database. If you have a seated audience, circulate a sign-up sheet, or place a collection bowl at your table for business cards to build your mailing list.

10. Thank the staff and the audience. Send thank-you notes to the staff. Or take pictures of yourself with the bookstore clerks and send the photos along with your thank-you notes.

11. With a smile on your face and a relaxed attitude, you will make the audience feel comfortable. If you show your anxiety, you will make the audience anxious.

12. Play to your audience's mood. If you sense restlessness, keep your talk engaging, lively, and short.

13. As people approach you to sign your book, engage them. Ask how they'd like the book personalized, or what else they like to read, or how they heard about the event (to learn what publicity is working). Creating a memorable event is one way to keep people talking about you. Keep the conversations brief if you happen to have a long line of people waiting for signed copies.

14. Ask the staff if you can sign any unsold copies, which will be stickered and displayed up front.