Book Festivals - Love 'em or Leave 'em?

I've been a vendor at various festivals, bazaars, fund-raisers, and more for over ten years. My friend Patti, wrote a blog article about being a book vendor at one, so I won't go into too much detail about all the ins and outs of doing one. You can read that here. https://www.chesapeakebaywriters.org/post/book-fairs-why

The answer to my title question is simple. I love doing them. I love how preparing makes me do things. If I didn't participate in festivals, or do presentations, I'd sit on the couch watching TV until my varicose veins become spiderwebs and I'm stuck to the couch. Perhaps not that drastic, but doing events gives me a sense of purpose that this, almost, 63-year old, needs. When I'm not making my grandsons smile or visiting my son and daughter, I need something to keep me busy.

My writing hasn't slowed down, but my publishing has. I've learned to let my work sit. Let my brain rest from the constant worry over sentences and plot. It's interesting how you find things when you read a manuscript 3 or 4 months later. But because I'm not all abuzz with a new book, I've got time to fill. Preparing for events helps fill it.

While the preparation fills my time at home, attending an event as a vendor brings me joy. Seeing the kids get excited over a book. Talking to parents about how my books can help their child learn to read. Talking to other vendors and hearing their stories. It's like going to a summer camp where you meet new people, do similar activities (selling), and make lasting connections.

Tip: When you make connections, sales increase. Perhaps not during the event but I've always seen an uptick in online sales on my Amazon account after I participate in one.

There are some vendors, that whine. They'll whine all day long about the lack of people, the lack of sales, and how the food is limited. I've been fortunate not to be near them too often, but the few times I have, it was hard not to respond with, "Why do you bother then?" So if you are going to do an event, go to it with the knowledge that it's not about sales, it's about connections. And don't worry if you don't make enough sales, the fees are all business expenses.

What you gain is community and that will support you long after your measly $5.00 profit will.

I have been accepted as a vendor into the Foothills Book Festival. They had so many authors wanting to be there, they had to jury the entrants. So if you want to pick up your next best read, put October 10th in Jasper, AL on your calendar. https://www.foothillsbookfest.com/

This is me in the early days when I had only 8 books.