I'm headed out to my last outdoor show of the year this weekend, a first year renaissance festival. This means October camping outside in Michigan. I figure it can't be more challenging than April camping (always my first outdoor show of the year), so we'll see if I just jinxed myself. LOL
Beyond that, just two more shows and then it's quiet time for this very tired author. I've already set up my schedule for next year and so far, it's down from 31 events to 24 so hey, I'm attempting to make it a more "relaxed year". We'll see if I stick to that. I wouldn't be opposed to adding one or two, but definitely not looking to top this year. I mostly dropped underperforming events, and really, not dropped, because I wouldn't be opposed to doing them again, but more of a giving them a year off kind of thing.
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| My chicken sales ladies did a great job at the Newaygo Logging Festival, winning us the Crowd Magnet Award. |
With the event season winding down, I've already started prepping for next year by purchasing new totes for my books. My old ones had been dropped several times and were being held together by duct tape. Nice, new, waterproof totes are now stocked and ready for these last few events. I also ordered a new stand up banner to replace my original one that I've been "making work" for most of this year. It was my original show banner stand and while I've replaced the banner a few times, the stand itself had seen better days about two years ago. I definitely got my $ out of that one. I've also designed a new cloth table banner and will be getting that ordered this week. My current one is four years old and faded. The new one features cover art from some of my more recent books and also mentions children's books and has my current tag line. If I can get another four years out of the new one, I'll be very happy. Beyond that, I've updated my promo materials and headers on various socials with this year's new books, along with my wholesale price list for direct sales to bookstores. Yes, I do that. And, I'm generally better priced than Ingram.
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| This is why waterproof totes are very important. This year's Muddy Maumee Book Festival wasn't so much muddy as very wet. Even with my old totes no books were harmed, but that was sheer luck. |
October until March is my quiet time. I'm hoping to get some sleeping, writing, and reading done in the months where there's no place I'd rather be than under a warm blanket in my comfy chair.
What's on the agenda for this year's writing months?
Finish Nugget #4 - I'm currently on chapter 10 of 14.
Revise and finish Interface. This project is on the list every year and really really needs to get done. I've been working on this one since 2015. *grimaces*
Finish Godmother. This is another one that keeps lingering on my list, though only on year four. I'm only two chapters in and I really like it. We just need to hope that some shiny new project doesn't bump it yet again.
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| Funky Ferndale continues to be my top selling event. 132 books went to new homes that weekend. |
Our inaugural Holland Lit Fest was a big hit. We estimate around 1,000 people shopped 75 authors throughout the day. There were a few small hiccups, but that was to be expected, given it was our first year. We've already met about what we can do better next year and picked a date. Authors are eager to sign up for tables, but we want to revamp our website first so they'll have to hold on until early 2027.
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| Our fearless lit fest committee. |
Also on the agenda for the quiet months is getting the author alley for the Mid-Michigan Women's Expo and the Lakeshore Art Festival filled. At least I can manage author wrangling from my comfy chair.
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Yes, they should. If someone else is doing the work, they should get credit. I think it's important for readers who know who is writing the book they are reading. Someone paying someone else to write the book for them without publicly acknowledging it is not any different than paying the smart kid to do your homework for you.
Jamie (jannghi.blogspot.com): The Northern California Ren Faire is also happening right now. It began last month (runs for around six weeks). I've only bene once, about 10 years ago. It's been hot lately, so I haven't felt the urge to want to go.
ReplyDeleteIt's comfy fall weather there so the perfect time for a ren faire. :) I've done them in the 90+ weather though and yeah, it's brutal, especially if you're in full garb.
DeleteI like your analogy for the ghostwriting.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your last event and all the new stuff you have for it. Couldn't do outdoor events here from May through September. The books would melt from the heat and humidity, as would I.
I don't know how you do it -- all that travel, set up, take down... But I think it would be super fun at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI like that comment about the smart kid doing the homework, only in this case, the smart kid is getting paid better! I'd prefer to know who wrote the book I'm reading, but a ghostwriter agrees to be paid for their work and the conditions surrounding it. I guess it's their choice to agree to the terms or not.
ReplyDeleteYou deserve the best tools for all the traveling and selling at events that you do. In other members' posts today, I recommended that they contact you with questions about selling their books at events like those you attend. I wish I could remember their names. You're so experienced in implementing this marketing technique that I think you should write a few how-to articles and see if you can get them published in Writers Digest, other magazines for writers, SCBWI newsletters, blogs, SubStack blogs with larger readership.
ReplyDelete