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Sell More Books at Live Events: How to sell more books at conventions, shows, signings, events, and beyond!
Sell more paperbacks at your live events with expert advice geared to help you succeed in face-to-face sales encounters.
This book will show you how to confidently pitch your book, teach you how to narrow down the best places for you to sell at by finding your target market, and explain how to optimize your sales booth and author business for success. Additionally, you’ll to link a sales dashboard to an inventory tracker and your website so you know how many books you have on hand at all timesHow to easily take credit cards and add/manage sales taxManaging your live events so you earn profit instead of lossExpert sales tactics to make people excited to purchase your bookTips to immediately onboard new customers onto your newsletter and engage themStrategies to help you get hundreds of sales per live eventAnd so much more!
Do you lack the confidence or the knowledge necessary to sell books at events?
Do you wonder where to even start finding conventions, seminars, conferences, and expos to sell your books at?
Have you tried this before and did not get the results you hoped for?
Christopher Schmitz sells thousands of paperbacks each year directly to avid readers and regularly teaches other authors best practices on how to do exactly the same. This number is not inflated by selling courses to other authors or with any sort of giveaway. Selling thousands of novels or nonfiction books is absolutely possible—and Schmitz regularly invites indie authors to work alongside him and learn his methods.
This book will show you the methods I use to sell thousands of paperbacks every year directly to readers at live events (mostly at conventions) and teach you how to replicate that success!
This book will show you how to confidently pitch your book, teach you how to narrow down the best places for you to sell at by finding your target market, and explain how to optimize your sales booth and author business for success. Additionally, you’ll to link a sales dashboard to an inventory tracker and your website so you know how many books you have on hand at all timesHow to easily take credit cards and add/manage sales taxManaging your live events so you earn profit instead of lossExpert sales tactics to make people excited to purchase your bookTips to immediately onboard new customers onto your newsletter and engage themStrategies to help you get hundreds of sales per live eventAnd so much more!
Do you lack the confidence or the knowledge necessary to sell books at events?
Do you wonder where to even start finding conventions, seminars, conferences, and expos to sell your books at?
Have you tried this before and did not get the results you hoped for?
Christopher Schmitz sells thousands of paperbacks each year directly to avid readers and regularly teaches other authors best practices on how to do exactly the same. This number is not inflated by selling courses to other authors or with any sort of giveaway. Selling thousands of novels or nonfiction books is absolutely possible—and Schmitz regularly invites indie authors to work alongside him and learn his methods.
This book will show you the methods I use to sell thousands of paperbacks every year directly to readers at live events (mostly at conventions) and teach you how to replicate that success!
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2022
About the author
Christopher D. Schmitz
134 books254 followersChristopher D Schmitz is the author of fiction and nonfiction as well as a regular blogger.
Following completion of his first fantasy novel in the early 2000s he began working on lots of short fiction in order to refine his craft and went on to publish many pieces from 1,000-15,000 words in a variety of genres and outlets as writing exercises. Putting fiction away for a while, he pursued post-graduate work where he received a new appreciation for nonfiction, wrote Why Your Pastor Left, and then returned to his love for fiction, writing several new books.
Schmitz attained a Biblical Studies degree and a Youth Ministry minor from Trinity Bible College in 2003 and went on to gain a Masters of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014.
Other: he is generally known as a decent guitarist and played/sang in a rock band for several years. Schmitz is also an ungraded bagpipe player and has been known to pop up in random places and play them--sometimes while dressed as a pirate... because normal is boring.
Following completion of his first fantasy novel in the early 2000s he began working on lots of short fiction in order to refine his craft and went on to publish many pieces from 1,000-15,000 words in a variety of genres and outlets as writing exercises. Putting fiction away for a while, he pursued post-graduate work where he received a new appreciation for nonfiction, wrote Why Your Pastor Left, and then returned to his love for fiction, writing several new books.
Schmitz attained a Biblical Studies degree and a Youth Ministry minor from Trinity Bible College in 2003 and went on to gain a Masters of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014.
Other: he is generally known as a decent guitarist and played/sang in a rock band for several years. Schmitz is also an ungraded bagpipe player and has been known to pop up in random places and play them--sometimes while dressed as a pirate... because normal is boring.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 18, 2025
As an introverted indie author, this book told me everything I didn't want to hear.
Basically I need to get good at talking to people.
That said, there is actually tons of useful advice in here.
Advice on finding events. Also great breakdown on how to track expenses and determine your target reader.
He even has advice on how to talk to people. Get lots of sleep the night before. Another thing I'm bad at.
If you are considering selling your books by hand, I recommend not starting until you've read this book.
Basically I need to get good at talking to people.
That said, there is actually tons of useful advice in here.
Advice on finding events. Also great breakdown on how to track expenses and determine your target reader.
He even has advice on how to talk to people. Get lots of sleep the night before. Another thing I'm bad at.
If you are considering selling your books by hand, I recommend not starting until you've read this book.
July 20, 2025
In this book, Christopher says when he gives things out for free - like his advice - he doesn't get a worthwhile return. Trivial as it may be: challenge accepted.
I found this text to be insightful and thorough. I haven't been selling at live events for very long, and through observation or luck or a mixture of the two, I'd already adapted several of the points he stakes his success upon: stand up, look people in the eye, be engaging, pinpoint your hook and adapt it, consider the technology you bring with you, etc.
That said, it was valuable to see someone else in the industry stress the importance of all those things. Christopher talks a lot about community in this book: the writing community, the reading community, the community of people attending events and conventions, even we as a global entity/community. Those ideas made me think.
For every point where I was already taking some of his advice, I found two other notes to be helpful and worth consideration. If I could post pictures, I would leave one of all the tabs I left in this book. After leaving this review, I intend to flip back to those notes and start implementing some of this advice--particularly when it comes to taxes and dealing with barnacles.
Thank you, Christopher for gifting me this work. That did not, in any way, sway my review. I only wish I'd read it sooner.
If you're considering selling at live events, check this book out.
I found this text to be insightful and thorough. I haven't been selling at live events for very long, and through observation or luck or a mixture of the two, I'd already adapted several of the points he stakes his success upon: stand up, look people in the eye, be engaging, pinpoint your hook and adapt it, consider the technology you bring with you, etc.
That said, it was valuable to see someone else in the industry stress the importance of all those things. Christopher talks a lot about community in this book: the writing community, the reading community, the community of people attending events and conventions, even we as a global entity/community. Those ideas made me think.
For every point where I was already taking some of his advice, I found two other notes to be helpful and worth consideration. If I could post pictures, I would leave one of all the tabs I left in this book. After leaving this review, I intend to flip back to those notes and start implementing some of this advice--particularly when it comes to taxes and dealing with barnacles.
Thank you, Christopher for gifting me this work. That did not, in any way, sway my review. I only wish I'd read it sooner.
If you're considering selling at live events, check this book out.
January 16, 2023
A useful and entertaining how-to guide.
I like the way this book contains lots of examples of the author's personal experience. His tips and ideas come from practice and trial and error. He is very candid about his journey to this point.
I read this book just as I started to co-host stalls at local markets to sell my books. The environment is different from the more specialised setting Christopher discusses but that's a USA vs Australia thing. I found this practical guide focused on how to connect with potential readers, and ways to make the most of live events. This applies no matter if hosting a stall, giving an author talk, or conducting a book signing.
The USA slant especially on taxes (boy, am I glad we don't have that complicated tax setup) meant parts didn't apply and Christopher's examples of conferences and shows were often much more specialised than we can access here. However, the principles he presents apply equally well in any setting, and they are useful for me.
Well-written, and full of useful ideas, tips, and examples, and I enjoyed his personal style of writing. Recommended for any author planning to sell books at live events.
I like the way this book contains lots of examples of the author's personal experience. His tips and ideas come from practice and trial and error. He is very candid about his journey to this point.
I read this book just as I started to co-host stalls at local markets to sell my books. The environment is different from the more specialised setting Christopher discusses but that's a USA vs Australia thing. I found this practical guide focused on how to connect with potential readers, and ways to make the most of live events. This applies no matter if hosting a stall, giving an author talk, or conducting a book signing.
The USA slant especially on taxes (boy, am I glad we don't have that complicated tax setup) meant parts didn't apply and Christopher's examples of conferences and shows were often much more specialised than we can access here. However, the principles he presents apply equally well in any setting, and they are useful for me.
Well-written, and full of useful ideas, tips, and examples, and I enjoyed his personal style of writing. Recommended for any author planning to sell books at live events.
November 21, 2024
The advice in this book is really good and I appreciate all the obscure references as well. I finally found a relatable book that wasn’t trying to scoop me into an mlm, but had amazing advice and was entertaining as well.
Also I feel very called out. I know I have a bit a resting B face problem but dang. I will now try NOT to glare all my customers away.
Also I feel very called out. I know I have a bit a resting B face problem but dang. I will now try NOT to glare all my customers away.
January 22, 2026
"Sell More Books at Live Events" by Christopher D. Schmitz is an extremely helpful and honest resource for indie authors that I highly recommend for those hoping to sell direct. I was lucky to read it before my first book fair and followed all of his advice possible (including setting realistic personal expectations), as well as emulating his practice of thorough documentation of how the event went. It was a success! In fact, I had a fellow vendor with lots of experience tell me my booth looked like an established vendor's; she was shocked that I was brand new.
This book is founded in Schmitz's personal experience and is conveyed in a very personable, casual way, like asking a friend for advice over coffee. It's well organized with several lists, and above all it is honest. Few people will share numbers that truly help you gauge or predict your performance, set expectations, and plan your inventory well, but Schmitz does. His own approach to planning and measuring success is one you can copy, rather than going in blind. I so appreciate Schmitz sharing his experience and advice so openly and willingly with a generous spirit! Plus, it has additional linked resources you will want!
This book is founded in Schmitz's personal experience and is conveyed in a very personable, casual way, like asking a friend for advice over coffee. It's well organized with several lists, and above all it is honest. Few people will share numbers that truly help you gauge or predict your performance, set expectations, and plan your inventory well, but Schmitz does. His own approach to planning and measuring success is one you can copy, rather than going in blind. I so appreciate Schmitz sharing his experience and advice so openly and willingly with a generous spirit! Plus, it has additional linked resources you will want!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews