Debating taking this book show on the road...

unregistered358895 · #1 08/19/13, 05:42 AM

So, I had my first novel published last year and just had my self-published novelette come out in paperback. I have an opportunity to have an author table at a local book festival, which could be great.

... but I have cold feet. There is a lot of time and some expense involved, and I'm terrified. It's strange to be so petrified - we are vendors at big events for our other business, and it's worked out great. But the book writing is more personal, I suppose.

I know that I'll never know if it will be a success or not until I do it. I don't know that I'm particularly asking for any advice. Just venting my anxiety, I suppose. Any other authors out there? How do you get face time with new readers?

hmsteader71 · #2 08/19/13, 07:23 AM

That is awesome that you're a published author.

From what I've seen of the authors I'm friends with on facebook, they have a great time doing book signings. Give it a shot. You never know, you might really enjoy it.

Bret · #3 08/19/13, 07:34 AM

Congratulations. You are on the trail.

unregistered358895 · #4 08/19/13, 04:43 PM

Thank you both. It is the culmination of a life of closeted writing. The floodgates have opened - my second full length novel is is editing, and my third is in the process of being written. Getting out there and "selling" the books to readers is daunting and sometimes I wish I were back in the closet. lol.

HCK · #5 08/20/13, 07:04 PM

Writing a book is hard work. Selling it is even harder.

Years ago, I wrote two books for The Taunton Press. They were about kitchen remodeling. They sent me to the national K&B show in Chicago for a couple days to see the show and gather information for another book. While there, I sat at a table for a couple hours to sign books. I signed one.

Two hours and I signed one book.

That was a disappointment, but the good part was that they paid for my trip and it was a great experience overall.

Everyone is different. I'm reclusive by nature, so I'm not inclined to ever do a book signing again. Marketing through the internet works for me.

That said, I would recommend that you do the author table at a book festival at least once. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good luck.

unregistered358895 · #6 08/21/13, 04:35 AM

Thank you, HCK. I suppose that is my biggest anxiety with the venture - having no one show up at my table. Authoring can be a very lonely profession.

I'm going to go, I suppose. We'll just see how it goes.

**clovis** · #7 08/21/13, 09:03 AM

I can't offer a single bit of advice, but I am impressed that you have published books!!!

Okay, since I can't offer any advice, I will share this, which may not apply to you.

Several years ago, I stumbled across a deal on remainder books about antique tools. I bought all that I could. I was very hesitant to take the books to an antique tool swap meet, even to the point of almost turning the car around when I got 1/2 way there. I couldn't imagine that there would be many buyers for these books or for the junk tools that I had.

I drove on, set up, and people crowded around my table and bought those books as if they were the last copies on earth. I set up at three more swap meets, and did well, so I ventured to a tool swap meet 6 hours away, thinking I would tap an untapped market. No one there seemed to care about what I had to sell, and I barely sold enough to pay for the trip.

I learned a valuable lesson that day: You can never guess what will sell at any given time or venue, and you can never second guess your buyer.

joebill · #8 08/24/13, 01:59 PM

Take some fun person with you that you like to BS with and have a great time, no matter what happens! I write and sell some technical books, mostly selling them online, and I threw a few on a table at a trade show when I was there selling some of the tools we make. Folks bought a few of them, and the first time somebody asked me to sign one, I looked at him like he was nuts! We all had a good laugh over it.

I'm an insensitive clod, so I don't write for the approval, only for the money. It's a lot easier if you are there to have fun....good luck........Joe

unregistered358895 · #9 08/26/13, 09:03 AM

Thank you Clovis and Joe.

I only want the approval so that I can make money.

I'm not an insensitive clod, but I am very business minded and I have a hard time doing anything for the "fun of it". Ultimately, I would like to draw a full time income from these writing shenanigans. At the moment I sell enough books to buy a few cheeseburgers or pay late fees at the library. I'm hoping that if I can balls up and get out there that I'll sell enough books to help us move out of this modular cardboard box some day.

joebill · #10 08/26/13, 01:56 PM

My only point is that you'll make a lot more money in the long run when you can relax and have fun at it. People who buy from folks who are relaxed, joking around, not seeming to care and having a blast will always cherish what they have bought and be looking to buy more from you, simply because of the happy experience.

Too serious, it gives them the willies. It took me most of a lifetime to figure that out, but it's true. Now, you'd think I was out there as some sort of joke I was playing on myself.

When my wife and I walk in to a shop for a cold call, we both walk in chuckling at whatever was said as we got out of the truck. It makes the shop owner smile with us, and a smile on her lips affects her brain in a positive way. Also lets her know, after she figures out that we are peddlers, that we are not desperate and won't be hard to get rid of if she don't want our stuff.

I usually start a cold sales call with a brilliant question like "are y'all talking to peddlers today?" with a big grin on my face. Takes away their fear and gives them something to smile at, which is valuable to us, most times.

If you can manage to make it all a lark, you'll make more money and making money is fun, so you'll make even more money.......Joe

John_Canada · #11 08/28/13, 10:38 AM

I have wrote and had published 7 books and countless non-fiction articles and my publishers never requested I do what you are doing...but I wish they had! I am a natural sales person IN person but what scares the crap out of me is phone sales. However, even with face to face, it scares the crap out of me for about 5 minutes, then I relax and feed on that energy of people being interested in what I have to sell. My advice is certainly do it but make the book the center of attention. Sitting at a table to me like in a movie where an author is signing books is just very hard to approach at a fair or whatever but if you were standing to the side and let people "discover" your book then come up and tell them you wrote it and watch all the questions that come. To me the hard part would be to remember to "ask for the sale". Interest is great but sales are better.

Congrats on your books by the way. Just writing it and getting it published you have conquered a lot of fears.

The one quote I always remember is from a guy that used to race bikes....he said "It never get's easier, you just get faster". For me it means, you are always going to have the most fear to start but once you are there, it gets easier...then the next time same thing. In other words, the fear is always going to be there but its a matter of how long it takes to get used to it.

Good luck.

unregistered358895 · #12 08/28/13, 06:09 PM

My publisher also hasn't requested I do it. But I got an invite from the book festival coordinators, and so I figure it can't hurt. The unfortunate thing is that because it isn't at the request of my publishers, I have to foot the bill for the table.

Thank you - the book writing aspect is certainly faster. The first one took me 7 years... now I'm writing them in about 8 months. I know there are plenty of authors who can churn them out faster than that, but a girl has to sleep sometime.