How to... survive the Big Day
How to... survive the Big Day
This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time.
Blog Posts:
Today I am going to be sharing my insight into what to expect from attending an event as an author.
1. ARRIVAL
Getting There
You need to read the emails that the organisers have sent to you.
It will give you details on how to get there and, as a trader, where you have to bring your vehicle; as this can sometimes be different to the main entrance attendees will be using.
They will often give you advice on where to park your car - even if you've been to this event before, it's good to check that nothing has changed.
They will give you times for unpacking all your gear.
If you are going to a comic con, the organisers may mention unloading gear the day before the event - you can ignore this bit, as I imagine you're only going to be rocking up with a few boxes, which shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to take out of your car. This can easily be done the morning of the event.
The organiser may give you deadlines. If the event starts at 10am, they may want you there by 9:30am at the very latest.
DO WHAT I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO!
Do not follow my example, where despite all my best plans to arrive early, I always get lost, and get there just before the deadline. I've been so late before, I've been setting up my table when customers are already coming in!
Yes, so - learn from my mistakes.
Plan your journey and get there with plenty of time to get set up.
Unpacking
Some traders have their wares in very smart and waterproof boxes/trays. This is quite a neat idea, as you can see what books are where, and makes it easy to keep your table stocked throughout the day.
I am planning on getting some of these myself.
I am currently making do with the boxes Amazon sent them in. I've marked them all up, so I know what books are in which, and which are the oldest stock, that needs selling first. It's not pretty, but it is hidden beneath my table, and it does the job.
One thing that I invested in very early on, and cannot live without is my trolley.
I have a bit of a dodgy back (too much falling off horses in my twenties), so my trolley is an absolute life saver. It also makes it so much quicker to take several boxes in one go.
I bought a cheap and cheerful folding trolley from B&Q, and it's done a great job for years.
2. THE SELLING BIT
The Money
You have to be prepared for exchanging money, as the lovely people come and buy your books.
A lot of people still use cash (although this has dropped since Covid).
It would be silly not to accept cash.
I would recommend having a cash tin to keep money in.
I would also recommend that you get plenty of change because it makes you look professional. You also don't want to turn away a sale, because you can't break a £20 note. Even if the customer says they'll come back later - that's a gamble, and chances are they'll forget, or get distracted by something else.
Since Covid, I've found the amount of card sales I take has increased.
There are a lot of card readers about now, and it's worth researching which one suits you best.
I personally have a Zettle card reader, which costs £29 to buy. There are no monthly fees etc, but they deduct 1.75% of all my sales.
This means when I sell my copy of The Shadow Rises for £8.99, Zettle takes about 16p.
Not a massive amount, and if I'm honest, I'd pay that just to avoid having to take cash to the bank (which is having increasingly awkward opening hours).
Talking to Customers
Whether you have experience in selling or not, talking to people about your books can be daunting.
Here are a few tips to make things run smoother.
1) Know your audience. In my experience, (in the UK) people don't want the hard sell. They get put off if you're too aggressive. If they want to buy, they'll buy.
Don't just grab everyone passing, wait until they approach your table.
Make your table more approachable by making it interesting, and having an ice-breaker. I personally have a set of dog-tags with my Witch-Hunter books.
I also know one author who did gold-standard-ice-breaking of having a dragon puppet! That was constantly getting people engaged, I thought it was amazing!
2) Sell your books in twenty words or less.
Just like writers are encouraged to make their opening page grab their readers' attention, when you're describing the book, be brief and make it sound awesome. Then you can expand a little, once the potential reader is invested.
If you're not sure where to start - use your adverts or tweets for inspiration.
For example, describing Lost Soul: "Two teens are dragged to another world, where there are good monsters and evil unicorns."
3) Practise. Practise talking about your books until it doesn't feel weird.
Get someone to ask you questions, and practise answering them.
You are guaranteed to be asked:
"Are you the author?"
"What inspired you to write these books?"
"How did you get into writing?"
Depending on what type of event you go to, it is very likely that you will meet some aspiring authors. Be ready to chat to them about the writing and publishing business.
Think of your own tips that you'd like to share with new writers; perhaps things that you wish you'd known sooner.
3. WHAT ELSE TO DO
Talks
Depending on the type of event you are going to, you may be invited to give a public talk or interview.
Don't feel pressured to say yes, if you don't feel comfortable, no one will be offended.
It took me a couple of years to get used to public speaking, but I find it quite fun now, and it gives you a different way to connect with the people attending.
Book fairs may invite you to give a talk on a topic of your choice, and normally give you plenty of time to plan ahead.
Pick a topic that you are interested in, and have experience with. Then run it past the organisers, to make sure it will appeal to attendees - there's no use giving in-depth marketing advice when there will only be readers!
You may also get invited to do a Q&A session, either on your own or on a panel with other authors.
These are a lot of fun to do. They are spontaneous, and you can't plan what questions the host or audience is going to ask; but there's nothing that will be tricky to answer. Most people just want a little more insight into your characters, or your writing process.
Downtime
It is inevitable that you will have some downtime.
There will always be lulls, where you have no one to speak to and no sales to be made. These tend to be when the popular talks are on; or when you're at a Comic-Con, when the Cosplay competition is on.
It's a good opportunity to browse the other trader's tables, and treat yourself to some goodies. I usually walk away from every event with at least one new book!
But, seriously, take something to occupy your time. A book to read, puzzles to do, or even get writing your next book!
Food & Drink
The important stuff.
Take a bottle of water with you (I also take a bottle of pop). Doing lots of talking with people will leave you needing a drink.
Depending on where the event is being held, and how long it is, you may want to take your own food.
Some venues don't provide catering, and some have very expensive catering, so it's best to just take your own.
The good news in the UK is, that it's an unwritten law that the venues have to have tea and coffee available to buy! So you're guaranteed a hot drink if you want one.
(You can take your own thermos, but I prefer to treat myself to a fresh hot drink!)
Covid
It doesn't seem to be leaving very quickly.
Many of the Comic-Cons I've been to have been quite crowded, so please be aware of that when booking.
There is a slightly detached feeling, as the crowds move through the rows, and the traders are separated by tables, so it feels less crowded on our side of things.
Some attendees will still wear masks (at my first Comic-Con post-covid, I thought it was quite clever how they involved masks in their Cosplay!), and some venues may ask you to wear masks.
Please respect any mask rules.
I have a bottle of hand santiser on my table. I use it after every book sold and any money/card handled.
It might be overkill, but I'm used to using it now, and I'd feel uncomfortable not having it there for me to use.
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