Tag: book events

A Book Launch Tale: Planning with Abandon

author rb frankGuest Post
by R.B. Frank

When I planned my first book launch, ignorance is bliss worked just fine for me. Most people research a topic and make decisions with their accumulated information. Makes sense, right? Yeah, too much of anything is not a good thing (even wine). I got sucked into the vortex of blogs, twitter postings and online articles. Then I realized if I spent lots of time down the rabbit hole of internet links, my thoughts would never coalesce into a real plan for a book launch. I would forever research, vacillate and procrastinate with an ever-changing definition of a book launch and never jump in. Continue reading “A Book Launch Tale: Planning with Abandon”

Author Promos on the Cheap (or even better — FREE!)

dar's adventures in space comic
Photo courtesy of Comics and Games in London, KY (click to enlarge)

Face it, most Indie authors are strapped for cash. We can’t always afford to put out hundreds to thousands of dollars for promotions. We need quick, easy, and preferably FREE. So here’s one way I managed to sell a few books, had a fun time, made a few contacts, and became a more accessible part of the local community.

I don’t have any comic books, but I’m in the process of working with an illustrator to create one. (see: IU post) But that didn’t stop me from going to a local comic book store and inquiring if they had any upcoming events where I could set up a table and sell books. The owner was very cool — especially when I told him I was working on a comic, and said there was going to be National Free Comic Book Day in May (May 7th it was). The store was going to be hosting an event that ran from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and I could set up and try to create interest in my books. Yes! Continue reading “Author Promos on the Cheap (or even better — FREE!)”

Prepping for a Comic Con

Lexington Comic ConLast March, I attended the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention (LCTC) in downtown Lexington Kentucky. It was about a two hour drive for us — not bad considering the fickle weather the area can have. It was my first con ever, and I went as a spectator. Wow, was I blown away! While the LCTC isn’t huge, it’s still draws celebrities and brings in over 20,000 people during the three-day event.

While perusing the hundreds of booths, I discovered not all of them are totally comic-related. There were folks selling cosplay gear, novelties, toys, and even one booth selling cute furry little sugar gliders. And there were authors — a fair number of them. That got my mind churning. So when we got home, I jumped on the computer and started doing research. A check of my author’s bank account left me feeling reasonably comfortable that I could afford this. Continue reading “Prepping for a Comic Con”

Making a Splash at Book Festivals

Tucson Book FestivalI used to live in Tucson, Arizona, where they started a new Book Festival back in 2009. That first year, there were over 50,000 attendees, and by the third year that number had jumped to 100,000. Quite quickly, the Tucson Festival of Books was rated in the top 5 book festivals in the country. I attended every TFOB until I moved out of the area, and it was gratifying to see so many people excited about books and reading. But being used to smaller events in book stores and libraries, I quickly realized that a book festival of this magnitude was a completely different animal, and there was a lot to learn. Every year I did things a little differently, and every year I had a more successful time. Continue reading “Making a Splash at Book Festivals”