Tag: author events

So, You Want to do Author Events? Tips to Get You Started

speaker prairie-dog-1470659_1280 pixabayMany authors make public appearances, or outings, in an effort to connect with more people. For those who have never done it and are interested, I thought I’d put together some pro tips for authors who would like to do a public event.

The first thing I want to say is that participating in an event, as a speaker or as an author vendor, normally won’t propel you to endless fame or thousands of book sales. Generally, the people whose appearances drive attendance and sales already have a large platform. People come to events involving relative unknowns generally because of the event itself or the information gained at the event.

Keeping this in mind, let’s talk about the kinds of events new authors can participate in, and how to do it. There are generally a few types of events authors appear at: festivals, conferences, and special programs. Continue reading “So, You Want to do Author Events? Tips to Get You Started”

Selling Books in Odd Places… Farmers Markets

farmers market books and eggsAdmittedly, I’ve sold books at some odd places: a military retirement, a winery (oh, that was a blast!), a flea market, work (to the surprise of friends who never knew I was an author), and the oddest yet: a farmers market.

Yup, you read that right, a farmers market. Because in my “real” job, I’m a farmer. After 20 years in the military, it was time for a change, so we ended up in the Middle of Nowhere, Kentucky on 100 acres. We have the standard farm animals: chickens, ducks, turkeys, horses, goats, a pig, and a pack of dogs. And there are times of the year our 70 laying hens are going gang-busters producing eggs. More eggs than we can handle. So what do you do with all of them? We try to sell as much as possible to local customers who stop by, but that’s not many. And there are only so many eggs you can donate to the local summer camp. So a friend invited me to come to her county to the farmers market. Continue reading “Selling Books in Odd Places… Farmers Markets”

Conventions on an Author’s Budget – Tips and Tricks of a Battle-Hardened Con Man

not really a gangsta rapper-1717972_960_720There are a lot of articles out there on doing conventions. How-tos, tips, tricks, puppy tails, and horse whips. Well, guess what? Here comes another article on the subject. Except, I’m here to tell you can do it on the cheap, because there’s no reason to do it any other way.

We’re writers, titans of the ink and lead, masters of the backspace button and the dead stare at the bright screen of emptiness. We can turn the voices in our heads into stories on the internet – it just doesn’t pay that well. So, we have to pinch those pennies like so many piggies. Reeet reet.

Let’s start with the items you’ll need: Continue reading “Conventions on an Author’s Budget – Tips and Tricks of a Battle-Hardened Con Man”

My Experience as Featured Speaker at Indie Author Day 2016

logo-IndieAuthorDay-300pxGuest Post
by Debbi Mack

When I was invited to be the featured speaker on last year’s Indie Author Day at the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown, Maryland, I was both honored and surprised. Me, a featured speaker? What had I done lately that merited that designation? While it is true that my first novel made the New York Times eBook bestseller list in 2011, it felt like forever since I’d enjoyed anything like that sort of “success,” at least in the traditional sense of that word.

However, I really wanted to do this event. As one trained in library science and a “frequent flyer” (borrowing-wise) at my own public library, I’m a huge supporter of libraries and books, in general. Continue reading “My Experience as Featured Speaker at Indie Author Day 2016”