No Show? No Problem

Guest blog by Janet Costa Bates and Nancy Tupper Ling 
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 You head to the bookstore to do a storytime event. You’re all set to read to the little ones and enthrall them with your story.

 But what do you do when no one shows up?

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No one.
Not one kid.
Not one adult.
Not even some drenched stranger
​looking to get out of the rain.

You hope.
You pray.
But, still, not one single soul.
What do you do now?

​​First, be grateful that you had your book buddy with you instead of going it alone. (This may not always be the case, but it’s a good idea when you can make it happen.)
 
Decide that since your book buddy is with you, you might as well enjoy each other's company. Walk, or better yet, skip around the store together. 

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​You can act a fool and have fun. You can even take pictures or videos of yourselves acting a fool because - why not?   

​And since you weren’t able to entertain anyone while you were at the store, you can post the pictures and entertain people online. You might as well get some mileage out of the experience.
 
Make sure to thank the bookstore staff. After all, they likely tried their best and, like you, were hoping for a good turnout.
 
Lastly, assess. More social media promotion might help attract a crowd, but it might not. What else can you do to assure a better turnout next time?

• Try reaching out directly to family and friends who might be interested.
• Are there any nearby kid-related organizations that might bring in some families or at least post about your event?
• Do you know anyone close to the bookstore who would be willing to share the event with their friends, neighbors, and/or local organizations?
• Maybe you could arrange a giveaway for those who show up for your storytime. (MUST be present to win!)
• Be sure to talk to the bookstore manager or events person to see what they’re willing/able to do.

 
There are many things you can and should do to better your chances of having people show up for your event, but there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will. So, just in case, team up with a book buddy, have fun, and enjoy hanging out together. You’re in a bookstore, after all.

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Janet Costa Bates is the author of Time For Bed, Old House (Candlewick, 2021) which received four starred reviews and was an NAACP Image Award Nominee. She is also the author of the Rica Baptista chapter book series featuring a Cape Verdean American girl navigating family and friend relationships. Two books in this series are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections. 

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Nancy Tupper Ling is an award-winning children’s author, poet, book seller, and librarian. Her picture books have received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. She is the author of For Every Little Thing (Eerdmans Publishing, 2021), and One Perfect Plan: The Bible's Big Stories in Tiny Poems (WaterBrook, 2023) and  the editor of the poetry anthology Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent, 2024).  

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To learn more about Janet visit www.janetcostabates.com/ and purchase her books here and here. 
To learn more about Nancy visit  www.nancytupperling.com/ and purchase her books here and here.