I’m actually not sure if its my sixth market, I’d have to really look at the list and count but I know its more than 3 and less than 10 for sure, so rough guess, in the middle right,]- my 6th market. Or close enough, again, don’t wanna do the math. Used to love math. Now I love my creative brain. Doing math hurts.
I digress.
Things I’ve learnt from my sixth book market and that’s saying six without including book signings at Books & Company, Coles, Chapters, etc. Also I don’t tell ya’ll these things to brag, honest! I tell them cuz I’m not good at querying agents and I hope by sending out these random blog ramblings (suppose it gives me content too…) about book signings and other random things, that maybe, just maybe- the right agent will stumble upon me! I should also mention that in the case of this market in particular, when I say- ‘things I’ve learnt’ is kinda more experiences this time.
It’s a nice pipe dream anyway, aien’t it?
I digress!
My goodness, this post is just requiring so many side notes. I should have formatted it differently to put two columns-one just for side notes. But really I’m here to tell the stuff I’ve learnt from my sixth book signing but it is getting difficult when my husband barges in and tries to give payback by being annoying (cuz I was doing that earlier to him when he was watching tv {the same movie he’s seen numerous times![and I really wanted to show him whatever it was that I wanted to show him]}) so I lost my train of thought for a while. And I think I got those brackets right, let me know in the comments
But back to the market.
It was especially decent!
And not because I sold a shit tonne of books, nope, the math says I sold twelve books, there might have been more as I don’t remember exactly how much money I spent while at the market HAHAHA so I’m guessing, best guess.
I just realized I’m guessing a lot of things for this post.
I digress. <facepalm>
But this market was especially good because;
1 – I had some amazing feedback from complete stranger- quote “it was a really good story” like straight- thank you from me. That was cool to hear.
2 – “I’ve heard your name before” That’s a facqing win in my books [no pun intended.] Also sorry for the curse but seriously, that’s decent!
3 – I had another lady say, “I already finished reading your book and gave it to my daughter-in-law.” That’s cool! A random referral! Not sure if the lady bought my book from the DC Art Gallery? Or possibly a previous book signing, or another market earlier in the year? How bout from one of my mini book read or even one of the artsy-fartsy stores that sell candles and crystals and all types of neateries including my books? Either way, any way, doesn’t matter where she picked it up from, she automatically handed it to someone else to read, that’s the best sale, the only sale that matters isn’t it. A sale of the content, itself, not the money in my hand for the new reader, the one that became two. Oh! She coulda also picked it up from the library but then that doesn’t make much sense either.
4 – I made new friends!
5 – at least sixty conversations that ended in giving out my business cards and/or book cards (cute little copies of the front cover cards specific for my novel Justyce Scales)
6- watched one lady attempt to secretly buy the book for her friend returning to the table and us trying to be nonchalant, but low-key quiet and awkward, when her friend proceeded to pick up the book, read it and say she’s gonna buy it, the first lady said, “no you’re not cuz I’m buying it for you!” they laughed, the friend said, “I was going to buy it for {insert random name}” super funny and cute situation, sold two books at once there!
7 – markets (farmers or artisan or craft, whatever) are all little communities and are much more fun than sitting in bookstores alone for six hours
8 – when I’m told a theme I kinda take it big. I really enjoyed the Lumberjack and Tree theme *insert super happy emoji* my husband made me beautiful book pillars (I just realized there’s probably so many pictures I would want to add as well, so check out my IG for all the pics!
9 – I was told I look 30 haha! Thanks *blush* I’ll take it 😉
*blog post unedited because I really wanna do some writing tonight (with all the digressing in this blog post I honeslty don’t think I’ll be writing at all tonight.)
Sorry not sorry
Norma Rrae
