Before the pandemic, I was a vendor at from two to three live events per month, where I sold hundreds of books. At times I felt like a mall kiosk person, but the experiences have been invaluable in terms of generating word-of-mouth about my Sophie Washington children’s book series, making contacts with teachers and librarians, and getting my books in the hands of readers. Here are some of my best practice tips authors can use to be successful at in-person events.
Things you need – My basic set-up for events are a table, a tent and two chairs (for outside markets), and a tablecloth with my logo, and customized banners. If you’re planning on doing lots of events you may want to invest in a rolling cart to carry your supplies. I use a Square for payments. You’ll also need small bills to make change. Consider giving an event discount to encourage traffic and sales. I make special table signs for these. Since I have many books, I invested in a wire book rack to display them. I order my display materials (brochures, book marks, post cards, banner, tablecloth, etc.) from Vistaprint. I really like their quality, plus they have great customer service and run frequent sales on materials. I usually bring about 50 books to sell, just in case. It’s better to have too many than run out. If I’m at an event for holidays I may add some special décor, i.e. a mini tree at Christmas, paper hearts around the table for Valentines, etc. to make things festive. Don’t forget to bring snacks, water, and hand sanitizer.
Where to sell – Surprisingly, I’ve often sold more books at events that aren’t book related, like farmer’s and holiday markets. Since I’ve been the only book there, there was no competition. Think outside the box when selecting places to sell your books. Bakeries, coffee shops, Hallmark stores….Some grocery stores also let authors set up shop to sell books through special commission plans.
Make friends – Introduce yourself to other vendors at the event. Some of them may have kids or family who’d be interested in buying your books, or you might meet someone you can collaborate with in the future.
Get on your feet – In the words of Gloria Estefan, “get up and make it happen.” I’ve gotten many sales from people not intending to buy anything just because I was standing up and making eye contact. The worst thing you can do at a live event is be in your chair scrolling on your phone while potential customers walk by. You’ll be able to sit (and hopefully count your earnings) when you go home.
Have a bribe – Candy works for me. But anything you can use to attract readers to your table, such as a raffle or a small giveaway, should do the trick.
Grow your email list – Live events are perfect opportunities to grow your email list. Have a sign-up sheet handy for browsers in exchange for a free book mark or post card. Or even better, have them type in their email address to your list directly on an iPad to receive the gift. This saves you from having to input the information later and having to translate messy handwriting.
Take pictures – Get pictures and video shots of readers buying and holding your books that you can use later on in ads and on social media.
Make the most of it – Even a slow day can be a success if you are interactive with those around you. I can’t count how many times a vendor day that seemed like a dud ended up with a media feature, a school visit, or a positive online review later on. Be excited about your work and others will be too!
Want to learn more about selling your books at live events? Check out my Book Echoes Podcast interview on the topic: HERE
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the best selling, award winning Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Authors Guild.
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
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