Book fairs and signings and cons, Oh My!
Fans love them, writers and artists need them. The problem with promotional events? No one wants to actually organize them.
Unlike musicians and artists, there aren't dedicated venues for people to go see living, breathing creators of books and comics. Instead, a small handful of people must take it upon themselves to create and promote free-standing events to draw in readers that would otherwise never know about the wealth of incredible stuff going on under the radar of the pop culture mainstream.
If you are one of the brave few that is willing to invest the time and money to get one of these events off the ground, here is my advice on how to successfully organize a small scale promotional event.
A little background on me: I have organized dozens of signings, two events with the Oklahoma Comic Creators and three book fairs. I have also worked with larger art happenings in various capacities, so have picked up several dos and don'ts.
Number One Rule: Know what you are trying to accomplish and be realistic with your goals! Do you want a massive convention or do you want a smaller live art event with a handful of invited guests? Knowing what you are shooting for and knowing how to accomplish it will save you money, time, and great deals of frustration. Sure, I may want to organize a book fair with hundreds of writers and thousands of attendees, but that would be unrealistic given my limited time and funds(not to mention finite interest in the reading community.) Trying to develop a large scale book fair in one year is a great way to break your heart and empty your bank account, so start small and know your limitations. A small event with a dozen creators and two hundred attendees is way more fun than an over-sized event with double the attendance, but half the sales.
Number Two Rule: Don't make money the wrong way! No one gets rich off book fairs and only the biggest convention have paid staffers. It would be nice if there were sponsors out there willing to back the costs of a worthwhile event, but it is incredibly hard to find anyone willing to donate money. It would also be nice if a small book fair could raise money through a door charge, but that would guarantee low attendance. It is tempting to hike up booth costs to cover your expenses, but if you are a writer who sells only five books at $10 a piece and you paid $60 on your booth for an event that only drew a couple hundred people, you will never go back to the event.
Instead, just know that you will lose money on the event and the goal is just to lose as little as possible. If the event grows and your reputation strengthens among fans and creators, then other revenue streams like sponsorship and ad sales will prevent themselves.
Number Three Rule: Don't underestimate the power of the internet and social networking! I started out hanging dozens of posters and handing out thousands of fliers for my book fairs. I shifted instead towards online marketing through Facebook and other networks and encouraged my participating creators to help spread the word. I still hang posters and print up some fliers, but instead lean on the digital realm to stoke interest. If you develop a reputation as a fair, honest, and hard-working promoter, then word of mouth will create more foot traffic than thousands of dollars worth of advertising and handbills.
Number Four Rule………….Timing! Check the dates of conventions all around your region and especially in your state. Look for festivals, large-scale art and music events. If you are in a college town, check the football schedule. Holidays might work in your favor, but could also doom you. There is something happening every weekend of the year in any decent-sized city, but some weekends are better than others. Summers are especially tough since conventions pack the months from May to September, so maybe look at late fall through mid-spring instead.
Number Five Rule: Know your audience. This was my problem with my first few book fairs. I wanted it to be general interest, but this made it hard for me to penetrate specific markets. I shifted to sci-fi/horror fiction and comics, which meant I had to exclude a lot of writers I respected, but made it easier for me to market the event to specific audiences.
Number Six Rule: Attract talent. Instead of booth rentals, I have shifted to an invite-only method. This means I lose money on every event and lack the funds to grow much larger than a small indie fair, but I'm okay with that. When you are charging for booths, you are stuck with whoever pays. No matter how much time you've spent on decoration, despite your wonderfully clever event title, or how slick your poster image came out, if the vendors are amateurish and their merch is cheap, then your event will look cheap.
Number Seven Rule: Location! Always look for existing foot traffic. Book stores are great for small signings, but few can accommodate anything much bigger. There are tons of empty buildings or galleries where you can get space for the right price, but that doesn't mean you will ever get people to make the drive. My most successful events have always been in locations where I know where there will be guaranteed crowds, like art walks or galleries during existing art exhibitions. You will have to settle for smaller spaces with higher fees, but you will actually save money because you won't have to worry as much about promotion. Plus, a well-synergized event will boost your reputation and draw in attendees that you would otherwise never have access to.
Number Eight Rule: Treat Your Volunteers Right! Good volunteers are your most valuable commodity. Don't complain, take advantage of them and make sure they know they are appreciated.
Number Nine Rule: Schmooze! Creative talent can be insufferable divas, but if they feel like you are listening and respecting their gripes, they'll be valuable for word of mouth advertising down the road. Also, good schmoozing helps create a positive atmosphere among the attendees and the talent, which loosens wallets. Loose wallets make for happy talent and happy talent makes for sustainable events.If you only have twenty artists, but they all bring in twenty fans each, that's 420 people at your event which means success.
Number Ten Rule: Self-Sufficiency! This is the most important rule of all. Do not pay for anything you can do yourself(aside from printing fliers/posters.) Whatever venue you book, load in your own stuff and clean up after yourself. Do not make yourself a pain to the venue owner or you will not be invited back. If you ask someone to do you a favor, acknowledge that there is a good chance they will forget or screw it up. If it's important enough that you would be pissed if they drop the ball, then do it your damn self.
Finally, have fun! You can't control the weather, you can't control how many people actually show. Promote to the best of your ability, stamp down fires as they arise, but know that so much is outside of your influence that you might as well not worry and just enjoy whatever may come. Creators are so hungry for places to promote that they will, for the most part, be understanding when the unforeseen happens, when the crowds don't flock like you thought they would, or a few details are overlooked here and there. The fans will also appreciate having another free event to check out their favorite local and regional talent. As long as you gave it your best shot and treat everyone honestly, they will come back next year…hopefully with all their friends!
