New Blood (Post #7)

"The hardest thing about getting started, is getting started." - Guy Kawasaki, N/A date

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I was beyond blessed and honored to be at my first event in Colorado Springs, Colorado as an author! While I have been taking my authorship serious since 2016/2017 and really hit the gas after 2019, I have always maintained with my wife that my book writing would never interfere with our family needs. Essentially, I have paid for my book writing and associated outputs and inputs in all cash, never going into debt. Hence, while I may get jealous (and I do sometimes!) about authors going to events all the time, I realize that everything I do is in the realm of cash and as such, my output and marketing reach is limited to that financial factor. Not to say that other authors are going into debt for such activities, but knowing that my outputs, inputs, and marketing as an author myself are inherently limited by design whereas theirs may not be.

With all of that said, back to being blessed, a friend of mine blessed me with a table for my very first event! He knew I did not have the cash on hand for any events this year----and it was even a penny-stretch getting my own inventory up for the event beforehand to be sure----so he bought a table for me to start getting the wheels in motion for bigger and better things. I will be honest, I went into the event thinking I would sell one book, maybe two if I was lucky. I saw some of the other author tables with their elaborate marketing and sales signs and table clothes compared to my little table and my heart sank like a rock, surely just one book would be a surprise even! But long behold, I went into the event with 34 books of all 3 of my current titles with 9 books reserved for future readers. So, 25 books essentially. Of the 25 books, I sold 11 books! 11 books for my first event! I was floored. Yes, yes, maybe this is small pickings for some. But for my little corner of historical fiction, man, I was excited!
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I tracked all my sales, both for that wonderful word of taxes but also because I wanted to see which books I sold more of. I used a variety of selling pitches---and used both cosplay and professional dress different days---the first day and really zeroed in on what worked and used that the second day. I sold one extra book the second day with---as I predicted---"A Story of the Beginning (Revised Edition)" outselling the other books. The increase in sales on "Book Zero" was intended, as I was able to pull in a lot of people who were on the fence with the smaller and cheaper book. While this is basic sales 101, Book Zero just so happens to be my personal favorite book, so it was a win-win for both the reader and me.

I had one of the larger authors at the event give me some advice on card placement, where I added cards down the middle of the table in between the books the second day (instead of just the card holder by my signage). And I also traded a book-for-a-book with another author at the event.

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“You cannot simply fight with your comrades. You must also enjoy the elements of life beyond that if you are to truly gain their trust.”

Lafontaine Vayssière
pg. 290; No Tears (Northern Company)