The Book Fayre experience ...
The Brighton Book Fayre (Sat 24th November) was a cheery if cold event at which I shared a stall with fellow LGBTQ authors Jane Traies, author of Now You See Me: Lesbian Life Stories and Val Brown (toupie lowther her life). As well as grabbing the opportunity to make a few Christmas sales it was a great opportunity to make contact with other local authors. It started slowly as these things do, with all of us cradling coffees, rubbing gloved hands together (I speak of the Northern Hemisphere here, apologies to all you sun-kissed Antipodeans!) and beaming encouragingly at passers-by whilst covertly checking out the competition; but the camaraderie soon built up as the day wore on and a steady stream of bemused shoppers drifted into the Open Market seeking shelter from the rain, surveyed the huddle of stalls occupying the central space with some bemusement and then turned their attention to the regular emporia: cafes interspersed with purveyors of hobby crafts, hand-carved stools & walking sticks, hippy-boutique-style clothing, local farm produce, herbal remedies, fresh vegetables and food (Greek, Middle Eastern, Italian, Vegetarian, Vegan, you name it ...)
Our stall displayed laminated blurbs for each of the seven books on offer so that potential buyers could browse without having to handle the goods, but the temptation to leap to one's feet and weigh in with some hard sell whenever someone paused to cast an eye over them was hard to resist, as was the lure of cafes offering sustenance to keep out the cold – our presence boosted their regular income nicely, and I myself disposed of three Cappucinos and an artisan toasted cheese sandwich before noon … but I digress. As I was saying, as the day wore on we authors detached ourselves from our stalls to stretch cramped limbs, stamp some circulation back into frozen feet and make regular trips to the loo (and straight back again if we'd forgotten the entrance code to said convenience) - and of course we took the opportunity to browse one another's offerings en route, striking up conversations and exchanging business cards.
Our stall, 'Wyrd Sisters Ink', made a modest number of sales; but equally importantly we made several new contacts (including fellow Goodreads authors Richard Gough-Buijs, who helped organise the event, and Diny van Kleeff) and were able to swap plans for/information about local events and venues. I even came away with a couple of interesting literary purchases … (Here's a thing though: if an author you've never met or read before suggests doing an exchange, one of their books for one of yours, how do you know if you've got a good bargain? I mean, you know your own stuff is bloody brilliant, and what if you end up swapping your masterpiece for a load of old self-indulgent, badly written dollytwaddle? It's an act of trust, I have to say …)
Anyway, it was an enjoyable learning curve! Wouldn't have missed it for the world. (Note to self: if attending next year, remember to (a) bring fewer books, (b) wear more layers (c) drink less coffee). Merry Christmas, everyone!
Our stall displayed laminated blurbs for each of the seven books on offer so that potential buyers could browse without having to handle the goods, but the temptation to leap to one's feet and weigh in with some hard sell whenever someone paused to cast an eye over them was hard to resist, as was the lure of cafes offering sustenance to keep out the cold – our presence boosted their regular income nicely, and I myself disposed of three Cappucinos and an artisan toasted cheese sandwich before noon … but I digress. As I was saying, as the day wore on we authors detached ourselves from our stalls to stretch cramped limbs, stamp some circulation back into frozen feet and make regular trips to the loo (and straight back again if we'd forgotten the entrance code to said convenience) - and of course we took the opportunity to browse one another's offerings en route, striking up conversations and exchanging business cards.
Our stall, 'Wyrd Sisters Ink', made a modest number of sales; but equally importantly we made several new contacts (including fellow Goodreads authors Richard Gough-Buijs, who helped organise the event, and Diny van Kleeff) and were able to swap plans for/information about local events and venues. I even came away with a couple of interesting literary purchases … (Here's a thing though: if an author you've never met or read before suggests doing an exchange, one of their books for one of yours, how do you know if you've got a good bargain? I mean, you know your own stuff is bloody brilliant, and what if you end up swapping your masterpiece for a load of old self-indulgent, badly written dollytwaddle? It's an act of trust, I have to say …)
Anyway, it was an enjoyable learning curve! Wouldn't have missed it for the world. (Note to self: if attending next year, remember to (a) bring fewer books, (b) wear more layers (c) drink less coffee). Merry Christmas, everyone!
No comments have been added yet.
