Tips For Exhibiting
For the second year in a row, I participated in the Collingswood Book Festival. Picture, if you will, six blocks of books. Six blocks of writers, publishers, book sellers and book collectors, in addition to special guests, speakers and lots of food. For anyone who likes to read, it’s heaven. And for authors, well, it’s a chance to meet lots of potential readers, enjoy the fresh air and even sell a few books.
[image error]Having done this event two years in a row, I’ve learned a few things from watching fellow authors and listening to my husband (as much as it kills me to admit that). I thought I’d share them:
1) Good signage is important. Six blocks of books means there are a ton of authors around and tents tend to look the same. Passersby need a quick and easy way of finding you and of figuring out what kinds of books you are selling. Blown up cover shots and back cover blurbs are a great way for people to find out a bit about your book from afar.
2) Display frames are a great way to showcase that cover art.
3) Wire racks are a great way to display your books—the guy 2 tents down from me did this and it was a really creative way of showcasing his work.
4) Dog bones might be better than chocolate. Bet you never thought you’d hear me say that! It was a beautiful day and anytime you have a beautiful day, you have people walking their dogs. I think I saw about 100 of them and all but two of them were well-behaved (Those 2 didn’t stop barking for the 15 minutes their owners were taking a break on the bench across from me.). Next year, I’m going to offer everyone who passes me a bone for their dog—it will give people an excuse to stop by my tent, and me a chance to talk to even more people.
5) The coolest thing I saw was a retractable banner. It looked like a retractable movie screen, only it had the book cover on it. It stood inside the author’s tent and was a colorful way of showcasing books.
6) Sitting in a tent for six hours makes you hungry. At least, it did me. And while there’s lots of food for festival attendees, I can’t go get it and talk to people at the same time. While my husband was great at being my errand guy and making sure I was fed and hydrated, next year, I’m bringing a cooler with fruit and cold water—festival food is a bit heavy.
7) This one is courtesy of my husband—next year, I’m making a big sign offering author signings. A lot of the exhibitors were publishers. People who stopped by my tent, and others’, were pleasantly surprised that we were the actual authors and were eager to talk to us and get us to sign the copies of the books they bought. It’s another draw.
8) Offer a “festival-day” discount. Attendees like to feel like they’re getting a bargain, and it’s a great way to convince them to buy your book right then, rather than later, when they may or may not remember to do so.
9) I need a money box. This might sound silly, but I was working out of my wallet and purse, which was a bit unwieldy. Next year, I’m bringing a box with plenty of change (in the correct denominations for the cost of my books).
10) Weights. It was sunny with a bit of a breeze. While that’s great weather for walking, it’s not so great for exhibiting and there were at least two times that my tent threatened to fly away. Again, this is probably a no-brainer, but it was my first time with my own tent (last year, I borrowed one).
Anyone have any other pointers?
