Another My Fighting Family book signing — your invitation still stands

One more in-person event, also for people who either live in the east end of the GTA or love grappling with traffic on the 401.

February 21, noon to 4pm, I’ll be at the Indigo in Ajax doing an in-person appearance in support of your next favourite book. If you’re into addresses, it’s at 90 Kingston Rd. East. And if you navigate by landmarks, it’s in the middle of the giant plaza that occupies the north side of Kingston Rd, between Harwood and Salem.

Why a second signing?

Because I haven’t (yet) booked a third, and because I meant what I said in my last post about how I planned to market my book in 2025.

Intentionally.

Aggressively.

Consistently.

And because every time I visit a book store these days I’m doing some combination of buying other people’s books, selling mine, and decoding how this industry operates.

When I visited Call & Response Books in Chicago a couple months back, I learned that if your book isn’t listed with the Ingram Content Group, U.S. retailers might never figure out it exists. At Indigo in Oshawa I found out how simple it is to set up a book signing. Just find the manager and make your pitch.

And the folks at Indigo Ajax clued me in about visibility.

While there last week I gave the manager, Yasmine, the same ice-breaker I had used in Oshawa, asking why My Fighting Family was shelved in General Biography. I suggested a move to the Black Voices shelf, or to the brand new Black History Month display table.

Yasmine explained that your book’s location in store is a product of conversations between your publisher and Indigo’s corporate office. Moving me out of General Biography would require a call or email to the right person at Indigo.

And the Black History Month display?

Too late. Publishers hash that out with the head office well in advance of February. Some books wind up with prime Black History Month real estate, and others don’t. Indivual authors don’t influence those decisions.

Yasmine, to her credit, was beyond helpful. She volunteered to call corporate about moving My Fighting Family to Black Voices.

As for Black History month… she asked if I’d be interested in setting up at the store and signing books sometime in February, and of course I said yes. This book won’t sell itself, as I’m learning.

We exchanged emails and compared calendars and settled on Feb 21, so look for me there. I’ll have a stack of books and a sharpie and a big smile.

As always, you’re invited. And by you, I mean you.

If you own the book already, bring it by so I can sign it. If you’re in the market, you can buy it on the spot from the author himself. And if you have questions feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer.

For now, just put it in your calendar and I’ll make plans to see you there.

And by you, I mean you.

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