Another Marketing Tool

As introverted as I am, I’m a champ when it comes to talking about my books. Honestly, I think this is true for anyone who is passionate about their work. That’s why today I want to talk about selling at street fairs and festivals.

Meet the Author Day

When my first book went live, I knocked on many doors—local libraries and bookstores. To my surprise and disappointment, I wasn’t received with much enthusiasm. My local library at the time, in Chapel Hill, accepted my books as a donation for the collection, but they never allowed me to come in as an author to read to the children. I persisted for two years. Their answer was always, “We do not have the personnel to schedule activities.” A lame lie! On the other hand, bookstores generally do not like authors who publish through Amazon, which I think is fair; Amazon is massive competition for small indie shops.

Persevere and Succeed

As sad as I was to find out about these hurdles, I didn’t give up. I looked for support from local non-profits where I had volunteered. That’s how I got connected to an organizer who invited me to a street festival—not once, but three times!

People were genuinely glad to see me there. They loved meeting the author of The Adventures of Patti and Barci: The City of Cats. They asked questions about the story and the characters, and they asked for autographs. There is nothing more exciting for an author than talking about their work and meeting their readers face-to-face.

What You Need for a Street Fair

Usually, these events provide a table and chairs for a fee, but some might not. At my first street fair, I “paid” by donating a percentage of my sales, but I had to bring my own table, chairs, and canopy.

Looking around at experienced fair-goers, I realized there was so much I could have done to make my table more attractive: a white lycra tablecloth, flowers, candy, book holders, colorful flags, and book-related merchandise like stickers, bookmarks, and cards. It’s good to be prepared with your own collapsible gear, but if you can borrow it from a friend at the beginning of your career, even better. That’s what I did!

Cool Gear Updates

By the end of 2024, I bought a collapsible rolling cart at Costco—one of the best things I’ve ever purchased for my book business. Just think of all the things you have to carry! My list looks like this:

• A box of 30 books
• A cash box (if you do many events, get a card reader like Square, though people often pay with Venmo or Zelle)
• Table decorations
• Battery bank and a table fan
• Water and snacks
• My sketchbook and colors
• A designated bookkeeping notebook (it’s easy to lose track of sales in the excitement!)

As you can imagine, that cart comes in very handy.

Marketing Opportunities

These events are also great for building a mailing list. Have a sign-up sheet and pen ready. Tell people exactly what you intend to do with their info and how often you’ll send newsletters. Being open and honest helps readers feel safe sharing their email.

If the opportunity arises, tell readers why you are excited about your story. Also, give away as many business cards as you can. If you prefer digital, you can purchase a QR code from Bowker.com ($25) and link it to your info. The best part about a Bowker QR code is that you can reassign the link as many times as you want.

Au Revoir

We all want our businesses to succeed, but the most important part of this trade is passion. After all, you started writing because you love books. Pour that same love into talking to people!

Next week, I’ll tell you about book-related merchandise, the sites I used to create mine, and the trends children’s authors are following. Follow me on social media for more @anechypadronauthor, and leave a comment if there is a subject you’d like me to cover!

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