Well...
I spent Friday driving up early to visit the olde stomping grounds of the University of Florida campus, coping with some traffic issues once I got to Archer Rd. - that never changes - and then spending time at the Library West building to get some online writing done.
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| At the College of Journalism (Weimer Hall) I don't think they're repainted the place since 1992... |
I mostly waited out until my hotel allowed for check-ins (3:00pm) at which point I checked in, tried to get refreshed, and found out I had forgot to pack my dopp kit (!) so I needed to rush out to the store for a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and a comb. /sigh I always forget something...
That evening was an authors' mixer party at the resort conference hall, so I attended to see where the place was - making sure I won't get lost on Saturday - and where the room will be.
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| Hey! They spelled my name right! There IS a god... |
Even then, it was a bit of an adventure getting there Saturday morning anyway - making sure I had packed everything from the hotel room - and dealing with the table setup.
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| There. More presentable. I got a desktop bookshelf so to not block the table. The taller bookrack I own is too wide for the space they provided. |
My short story collection Funny Locations was the main draw, but I also displayed the other anthologies - the Strangely Funny set - in order to provide some purchasing options for any curious readers. We were hoping for a good turnout.
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| Might as well show off one of the awards I have from RPLA! |
So the day was set, the books on display, the author prepped for audiences...
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| I wear a Batman shirt, often with a blue button shirt over it. Hey, some authors showed up as pirates and gypsies and Abe Lincoln... |
...and got no buyers.
Oh, I handed out bookmarks and rack cards promoting my works, but... nobody wanted to buy one of my books.
The guy to my right sold seven copies of his book (he did confess four of them were friends who drove up from Orlando). The guy to my left sold four. (the woman right next to me didn't do much engagement and she left halfway through due to not feeling well)
I thought I talked about this often to my friends and colleagues, asking directly or dropping hints to see if they or their friends in the area could stop by to the event. I know I didn't have the most eye-catching table display - and I couldn't use my standing banner as there wasn't room - but still I hoped at least one person would be in the mood for humorous works.
/sigh
It's times like that where I question if I should even do any of these authors events. I've maybe sold one copy of a book at each event most times, with only one visit to the Clermont comic-con a few years ago where I exceeded expectations with eight sales.
Marketing is a big step in being a self-published author, and I admit I am not good at it. At all.
What should I do? Seriously.
Hi, Paul. I was a couple seats away at the book festival in slot 106. I think you were right behind me. I certainly remember the Batman tee shirt. I just checked out your website and this blog because of the cards you passed out -- and they were artfully done and effective (that's why I'm here). The woman next to you who got sick. I think she breathed in my direction. Been down with the flu since I got back to Naples. I see we both served time at USF, me much earlier than you. About to order one of your books online so, see, you DID sell a book. You got me with FUNNY in the titles. To respond to the question you asked, your table setup looked very good to my eye. I noticed you had an FWA plaque sitting out, which was a nice touch. My guess is that low sales were the norm for this event. It was too crowded and my guess is parking must have been atrocious. They would be better off curating the genres a little more carefully and cutting back on the number of sellers. Personally, I'm now debating whether to attend Books by the Bay in March. Did pretty well last year, but it's a long haul (10 hours to Pensacola for me) to sell 10 books. I do think there is value in getting business cards and brochures distributed and getting newsletter sign-ups. But when you look at the cost of travel, it's easy to argue the money would be better spent on online advertising. Then again, I never would have discovered you and a few others had I not gone, and I'm glad I did. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteJ.C. Bruce
www.jcbruce.com
JC, thanks for the reply. Sorry you got sick from the book event. And thank you for the book purchase, I hope you find it enjoyable. Ouch, Pensacola is a bit of a drive, have you looked at the book fair the Tampa Bay Times hosts at USF?
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