Aug 19 2010
Why I Like Doing Live Events
This summer I’ve stepped out and started doing something I knew I should have been doing a long time ago: selling my books at live events. I already do this at Soli Deo Gloria Ballet productions, where we always have a product table afterward where we meet our audiences. And I did a homeschool conference in early 2009 that went well. But now I’m talking about going into live events purely for the cause of selling books.
There’s a writer’s group in a town about 45 minutes from me that sometimes teams up to do events, so this year I shared a booth with other local self-published writers at an arts fair and then again at a winery for a weekend-long community event. I’ve also done a local craft show. I’ve found the shows worth doing.
Here’s why:
- Finances. I manage to sell enough books at these events to pay me pretty well for a weekend’s attendance.
- Exposure. The more I’m out in the community with my books, the more I’m gaining face, title, and name recognition. These few live events have already led to my books being carried in a local bookstore, one of my books being reviewed in a local newspaper, and more and more people starting to say, “I’ve heard of you!”
- Interaction. It’s no secret that writing is a lonely job. Getting out means I get to interact with people — readers — all day long. Now, I’m not an especially social person, but I do enjoy reaching out. I also get to witness to my faith, because (cool thing!) people ask about what underlies my stories.
If you’re self-published (or published some other way) consider booking yourself into local events and see where it takes you. If nothing else, it’s excellent training in face-to-face marketing!