I have been doing book events for decades. Here are 4 Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way About Book Events

Book events, and other niche places where an author can sell books, come in a plethora of types and sizes.

There are book festivals—large and small, ComiCons and fan festivals of all ilk, pop-up book ships, book crawls, writing conferences, specific genre conferences (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Mystery, etc., etc.), bookstore signing events –indie and chain, workshops and library events where the presenter can offer their books for sale, and all kinds of niche markets where your book might find an audience, like the local school fair, art show,  or farmer’s market.

What do I mean by niche markets? If you write about exotic animals, maybe the local zoo will consider letting you hold a book signing or at least carry your book. Do you write about nature? Maybe try engaging with the gift shop at your local arboretum. Got a series of books about a cat that solves mysteries? Consider the local cat show.

Tchotchkes and giveaways work best when they resonate with your target audience.

I used to give away free bookmarks to anyone who stopped by the booth, but that ended up costing me a lot of money for printing and did not win me the readers I was hoping for. Entire families would walk up and each take bookmarks with no intention of buying anything because they just liked getting free bookmarks. Now, I include a bookmark with every purchase, and I only offer a free bookmark only after a reader has expressed interest in my books, or at the very least, taken the time to listen to my book pitch.

I also see a lot of authors placing candy on their table. It’s not a bad strategy, per se, who doesn’t like a little sweetness? People will stop by for a piece of candy, but they’re people who like candy, not necessarily people who read what you write. So, it may not be the best use of funds and table space.

The authors I see having the greatest success using giveaways are those that offer items that their specific readers will want and then including them as a bonus with purchase. For example, my author buddy, Sara Fujimura, who writes sweet romance that often includes bi-racial characters, offers her books for sale by themselves, or in a bonus package that includes some fun Japanese themed toys and stickers. She even has a small game set-up on her table where people can try using chopsticks to pick up a prize. That’s some good target-reader engagement.

Some audiences are tougher than others.

There are some amazing events where I have managed to build relationships with some fabulous readers. But there are also some really tough audiences out there. I have been at events where just getting people to stop and talk felt nearly impossible, where passersby refuse to look over, as if afraid to engage. Ever see someone standing out on the street trying to hand flyers to people who are rushing from point A to point B? How the people zipping by try not to make eye contact? I have vended at events where it felt just like that. It can be really frustrating. Especially when you have paid for the vending space and travel expenses, not to mention the time you are spending. Sometimes you just have to find the win, despite feeling like you’re losing.

So, how do I make that into a win? I smile and cheerfully say hello to every person going by. If I can get them to at least look over, or better yet, respond while looking over, even if they keep walking and refuse to further engage, I think in my head, “Made you look! You saw me and my books. I win!” Consciously, they may have barely registered my book covers, but that momentary glance can still leave an impression on their brain. Hopefully, in the future, with a few more impressions, those who are readers will consider picking up and reading one of my books. And at the worst, I gave away a smile and some positive energy and maybe got some in return. That’s a win.

ROI isn’t everything, but it is something.

Because there are so many options for selling books, we can’t do them all, so we have to pick and choose based on our specific circumstances. I started out doing a lot of small, free and low-cost events and worked my way out of those to somewhat larger events that cost me more in resources but pay off better in sales and marketing.

As authors, in addition to money, our time is a valuable resource. We each have to make our own decisions about where we spend our resources. There are small events that I loved doing, but that I just cannot justify anymore for the time I spend on them. A free vending opportunity sounds great until you spend all day loading up, packing in, setting up, vending, breaking down, loading out, and unpacking, after only talking to a couple dozen people and selling eight or ten books.

When deciding which events to invest in, you will first want to assess whether or not the attendees will be a good fit for your books. A romance book event may boast a lot of attendees but will probably not be the place to sell your graphic horror or spy thriller, unless there is a solid underlying romance in it.

Once you have identified a potential book event that you feel is a fit, the best way to figure out if that event is going to be good for you is to try it. Often, you won’t know till you go.

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If you’re interested in reading what I write, you can check out some of my books, like The Healer’s Legacy Trilogy, or my MG novel, Lostuns Found.

Or, if you like something a little darker, check out my collection of dark fantasy and light horror with a bit of humor. Blood From a Rose.

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Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!