Welcome to Day Two of Recap Week.
Over the last six weeks, I was blessed to participate three different wonderful events: “Fragments of Time," an original WriteOn Joliet radio theater production, held April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet, the Local Author Fair on April 27 at the Joliet Public Library, and Ye Olde May Fest, May 18 and 19, also at Bicentennial Park.
Several authors from WriteOn Joliet participated in the Local Author Fair, and I included a few photos at the end.
Rebekah is pictured with BryonySeries books and WriteOn anthologies.
Nancy Calkins is in the next photo, along with books by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara; Colleen Robbins, and Tom Hernandez.
Holly Coop and Cean Magosky are in the last photo.
Now, for my thoughts.
I've attended enough author fairs to say quite confidently that authors and readers misunderstand the purpose of local author fairs.
Local author fairs are not primarily selling events. They are marketing events. Local author fairs (as well as author appearances and other vendor events) are free or low-cost ways for local authors to introduce to the community the fact they and their books exist.
Yes, authors might sell some books at these events (we sold six on this particular day). But selling zero does not equate failure or rejection, although authors may feel that way, especially during their first few fairs.
Unfortunately, there's a perception out there (not shared by all; I'm speaking generalities) that "local" and "indie" and "small press" and "self-published" equal "vanity" and "amateur" and "low quality."
That's not at all true, although it may be true in some cases. But it also may be true among books published more traditionally.
Many independent authors I know work doubly and triply hard on overall quality (from draft to final production), perhaps because they unconsciously realize their odds of success are a little stacked against them. And also, perhaps, because they take tremendous healthy pride in producing the very best reading experience they can since they have undertook all aspects of the process of turning an idea into a published book.
Secondly, many people gravitate toward the familiar and known. Books and authors that become popular tend to become more popular. That's just how it is. Popular is safe. Popular brings a certain reassurance that parting with money will bring value. That's why authors seek out endorsements. Because if so and so says the book is good, it MUST be good.
So the author's job is is to become familiar. Authors talk to people. Authors let people look at your books. Authors provide business cards or bookmarks so attendees take something of their product away with them.
At these events, I try to find out what the other authors write. I talk to attendees to find out what they like to read. That way, if a reader reads a genre that isn't mine (such as crime fiction) I can suggest they visit the crime fiction author three tables down.
There's no point in authors talking someone into their books when they really want some other books. And pointing them in the right direction builds good authorly community. Many indie authors realize other authors are not their competition; they are allies. I firmly believe that, by working together, individual authors can achieve more individually.
For instance, Alan Hines (whom I met at Calkins Day 2023), often comes out to my events simply to buy one or more of my books to distribute in Chicago.
Anyway, by attending plenty of community events, people will start to recognize the dedicated authors, the authors who believe they are selling something worth owning. When authors repeatedly provide a pleasant experience at their tables, people may be curious enough, and eventually comfortable enough, to buy one day.
Does all this sound like work? Well, it IS work. No one finds a product if the product can't be found. Instead of paying a public relations firm and paying for print and online advertising, authors step away from their keyboards, get out into the world, and talk to people.
So at this particular local author fair, I saw disappointment on some of the authors' faces, and I understand. They come with high hopes as they set up their tables, hoping the world will fall in love with their books and joyously rush home to read them.
But if authors remember the fair is just an opportunity to make that first introduction, they won't feel letdown if attendees simply browse the tables and keep walking. They won't feel disappointed if attendees pick up books, flip through the pages, and then set them back down. It might mean they are not interested. And it also might mean they are not buying today.
A successful author fair is one where authors showed up, set up their wares as attractively as possible, and gave a good experience to whomever attended, be it one or one hundred. And this is true, I believe, for all artists and entrepreneurs, not just authors.
For anyone who's made it this far, for anyone who's engaged in any type of activity at any time (so all of you, right?), remember success is never guaranteed but failure always is.
If you show up, you may not succeed. That's the risk in showing up. But if quit, failure is certain.
If you leave puzzle pieces on the table, you won't finish the puzzle.
If you abandon that cake batter, you won't eat cake.
If you abandon the dirty laundry, you will eventually run out of clean clothes.
If you stop eating healthy foods and exercising, you won't reach your weight loss goals.
If you stop sharing your art, you will prevent the right consumers from ever, ever discovering it.
So whatever you're supposed to tackle today, please show up, do your best, and enjoy the journey, wherever it may lead.
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