I decided this year would be my year to try my hand at table-top shows. This summer I did three with mixed results.
The July 25th show was the NW Book Festival at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon. I did months of prep for this, my first ever show. Even wrote an article of how I prepared. It was a disaster. We had weeks of long hot days only to have July the 25th pour rain. Not just sprinkle or drizzle, but POUR and wind. There was literally a stream running through the tent. I sold eight books, two more than they lady who organized the event, but still a total failure as far as I was concerned.
August 1st, I did an appearance at “Another Read Through” on N. Mississippi in Portland. It is the bookstore that is carrying my books in-stock locally. It was an even more dismal failure. The sun was back with a vengeance and it was 102 at my table. No tent was allowed in the space. I had an umbrella for me, but no one was willing to stop and chat in the oppressive heat. I sold three books.
The following Saturday on August 8th, I was invited and actually paid $25 to attend the Gresham Sister Cities Annual Japanese Garden Festival. A mild day weather-wise, but not the proper venue for a western dragon like Farloft. I sold five books.
By the end of that show, I wondered if I ever wanted to do another table-top event. It was a lot of work and expense (outdoor tent, chairs, bookmarks, advertising, flyers, give-aways, table banner, table tent signage, bookstands, risers etc) for very little return for the effort.
However, I did see a bump in sales the next three months and wondered if it had anything to do with the show. Also, a thirteen year old bought a Farloft book at the bookstore event and had her mother bring her to the Japanese Festival so she could buy the next one. So she was a hooked reader.
Then in October I was asked by the college to participate in the holiday fair. I figured I would give it one more try. It was inside and two full days of the correct age audience as attendees. I had attended myself each year in the past and always bought at least one item.
So I packed up my kit and I was off. I did make some adjustments to my approach.
I have twenty books in print. Six Scifi (The Star Traveler series), Nine Fantasy (The Farloft Chronicles), Three Paranormal (The Shifting books in the Twin Cities Series), One stand-alone Scifi (In2Minds), and One Memoir (We3). When spread out on a table, it is quite daunting. I decided the table banner could tell the tale of the series’ and I would only take the first book in each of them plus two sets of the series in case someone wanted to take the plunge and buy all at once. I only put the 1st editions on the table and kept the sets below. The table looked less crowded and more folks asked about the series. It led to conversation.
I offered the same give-away items as the past three shows if they bought the full set, but this time it worked.
If they bought the Farloft books they got a free coloring book. The coloring books cost me $1.30 and include a .70 kid friendly tattoo. So I give away $2.00 of the $8.00 I make, but if they read one Farloft book they cannot resist buying the rest, so I have them hooked for at least six more books. I sold twenty-six Farloft books.
If they bought the full set of three Shifting books, they received a set of 8 wolf prints. (The main character is a shape-shifter who tells the story from his point of view as a wolf.) The prints cost me .80 for a set and I make $6 a book, so I clear $5.20. The series will have two more books and I am in hopes of having these readers pick up the other two in the future. I sold both sets I took with me plus two more of the 1st book.
I also sold one of each In2Minds, We3 and The Helavite War (1st in the Star Traveler Series).
I didn’t really think anyone would bite on the full set of the Star Travelers even if I was offering the six space-scapes depicted on the covers in poster form. The students just don’t have that kind of money. It would have cost them $72 for six books they wouldn’t even be sure they liked. However, a vendor was very interested and I felt if he had made more money at his table, he would have bought them. So I gifted him a set of the posters when we were breaking down our tables and packing up. They cost me $1.20 for the set, and who knows, maybe it will prompt the guy to purchase the books if he comes into some Christmas money.
So the morale to my story is…Don’t give up. Maybe you pick the wrong venue…Maybe you have crappy weather descend…But, maybe all the stars align and you hit it just right. I will plan on doing more Christmas Fairs indoors next year and less outdoor fairs in the future.
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