Sell More Books with These 5 Simple Book Table Elements

by Lori Hatcher

As speaker/writers, we have a fabulous opportunity to supplement our writing income by selling books at speaking engagements. With a few strategic elements, you can create a book table that’s both beautiful and lucrative.

5 Elements of an Effective (and lucrative) Book Table

1. A Tabletop Retractable Banner

These little gems measure about 18 inches tall and retract into a 12-inch stand. I ordered mine from Vistaprint, but you can order them from most office supply stores. When you’re ready to set up your table, pull the vinyl banner out of the stand, attach the support bar, and voila! You have a colorful, eye-catching advertisement for your book or ministry. When you’re done, the banner rolls back up into its little base for easy storage.

I confess, I was so excited when my first book released that I ordered a floor-sized banner that stood more than six feet tall. I still use it for book fairs and vendors halls, where there’s lots of space and lots of people competing for attention, but it’s a bit of an overkill for a back-of the-room event. Not to mention expensive. Tabletop banners cost about $30. The big guys? About four times that amount.

What should you put on your banner? If this is your first, book, simply upload a high-resolution picture of your book cover. If you have multiple books, consider a collage of the covers or a collage of a book series. Or you could put your headshot and your name or the name of your ministry/business. For my latest book, my publisher put a large picture of Think on These Things and included small cover shots of my other books at the bottom. Consider including a QR code that leads to your publisher’s book page or your Amazon author page. 

2. Easel Book stands

The lowly book stand is perhaps the least-expensive yet most-important element of a successful book table. It allows you to display the pretty face of your book for all to see and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. My favorite is a simple acrylic book stand I bought at Walmart. Online they sell a set of six for less than seven dollars. They’re lightweight, and because they fold, they’re easy to store and transport. 

3. Height

Think about the display tables in your favorite book store. Seldom will you see books laid out flat on the table. Instead, you see an eye-catching, visually appealing display. One of my writer friends stands a small wooden crate on its side and slides the books in, spine out to display the titles. She decorates the top of the crate with items that fit the theme of the book and tucks some artificial flowers around the edges. 

Another friend staggers a few empty boxes of various heights, throws a tablecloth over them, and arranges her books on stands on top. A friend who worked for a major bookstore chain taught me to stack four or five books, then place a copy of the same book on a stand on top of the stack.

4. A Tablecloth

While some venues prefer you use the tablecloth they provide that matches their décor, others expect you to bring your own. I recommend investing in a no-wrinkle tablecloth that fits a 6-foot rectangular table. You can choose a color that fits your theme or use a black or white cloth with a table runner in a pop color. 

I think black showcases the colorful titles of most books well, so I invested in a 6-foot stretch black spandex variety. The ends tuck under the table legs and the fabric goes all the way to the floor, creating a storage space under the table to hide the boxes and other paraphernalia I bring with me. I found a set of two tablecloths on Amazon for less than fifteen dollars.

Fairy Lights

Okay, these aren’t a necessity, and maybe they don’t entice readers to buy more books, but they sure are fun. I found a 10-foot string of crackle ball fairy lights on Amazon and wove them in and out among the books on my table. They’re battery operated and have eight modes to choose from. I think it’s best to avoid the strobe setting (you don’t want to give someone a migraine), but I really like the soft blinking mode or the chasing mode. The lights are eye-catching and add just the right pop. 

The pictures in the post above are those someone took of my table at a recent women’s ministry event to give you an idea of some of the elements I’ve shared here. (Yes, the event had a theme, so I used the tablecloth they supplied.) You’ll notice decorative items that support the themes of my books, a business card holder to share my contact information, and a stand-up price list for easy shopping. 

The possibilities for an effective book table are endless, but a few simple elements can take your book table from meh to marvelous (and lucrative). I’d love to hear what you place on your book table. Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

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Lori Hatcher is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and author of six devotionals with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Her latest book, Think on These Things: 60 Thoughtful Devotions for Renewed Peace, released this month. Lori writes for Revive Our Hearts, Focus on the Family, The Upper Room, and Crosswalk.com. A frequent instructor at writers conferences around the country, Lori loves nothing better than helping other writers polish and perfect their craft. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com.