How Can You Prepare for a Book Conference?
A member of my street team asked me today if I had any advice for how she might prepare for her first conference. As a matter of fact, after attending over a dozen of these events, I do have a few tips to share.
Whether you are going as a reader, author, or industry professional, the first thing you should do is search for an event page on Facebook. Most conference administrators create a page where they can easily disseminate information. It’s also the perfect place to get to know other attendees. Interact with others on the page and make a few friends before you arrive. You can even plan a lunch date with a small group on the first day, so you can avoid sitting alone.
Next, you should have business cards, bookmarks, or some other paper product made and branded with your contact information so you can trade with everyone you meet. VistaPrint and Uprinting are two great places to have these made, or you can print them at home yourself. At the conference, you can make notes on the cards you receive from others to help you remember who gave them to you. After the conference, you can email or Facebook-message the people whose cards you receive and let them know it was nice to meet them.
Now you’re probably going to think I’m crazy, but I would also recommend that you brand what you wear. I’m not just talking about t-shirts with your logo–although that’s always a good idea. I mean the style and flare that can help set you apart from others and make you memorable. Maybe you wear outfits all in the same color. Maybe you wear the same skirt in different colors. Maybe you wear a special hat, headband, or jacket. Repetition and consistency will help your new friends recognize you at the con and recall you later.
This might also sound strange: make a special connection with one or two people. What I’m trying to say is that in addition to going around and exchanging cards with people and getting your whole networking mojo on, you should seek out one or two people and make them into friends. You can do this by offering to take notes for someone while they go to another panel, or by inviting someone to lunch or dinner with just you or a very small group, or by sitting in the lobby together during breaks to chat. This, of course, can’t be forced. It needs to happen organically. But don’t be afraid of missing out on mingling with the masses in favor of having an exclusive evening with one or two–because this one good friend (or two) will help you feel more connected to the con as a whole than a hundred acquaintances will.
One final thing: take a notebook along for taking longer notes. In addition to taking notes at the panels, you will want to make lists. If you’re a reader and/or blogger, this might be a list of new authors you want to read or new titles you want to purchase. If you’re an author, this might be a list of industry professionals whose services you seek. If you’re an industry professional, this might be a list of potential clients. In your notes, you can reference the business cards you receive, and then you can add more information to help you remember how you can develop a better relationship with each new contact. And then, of course, you will want to make lists of all the new ideas you come up with after being inspired at the con.
I have additional advice for authors, which I will summarize here: If you have a table, be sure to run a newsletter subscription drive by raffling off prizes in exchange for email addresses. Also, encourage readers to buy more books by offering a discount or prize if they buy three or more. Hand out something–whether a bookmark, postcard, or button. Brand your space with a banner, colors, and props. Lastly, instead of trying to sell a book, sell yourself by being friendly, approachable, fun, and memorable.
And, most of all, HAVE FUN!
So, are any of you planning to attend a book convention in the near future?
