I was inspired to start doing event recaps after reading the amazing Bob McGough’s latest recaps of his last two events. Bob is a talented local independent author whom I know from my writing group. His website can be found at Tales by Bob.
General Thoughts:
This was only my second book event since I published Runaway in 2023. My first event was an absolute bust, so I was nervous going into this one. However, this event was a much more positive experience. The Howler Art and Literary Festival, hosted by The Hilltop Howlers, was a fantastic opportunity. Their mission is “the promotion of art, music, and small business in Montgomery, Alabama, primarily the Hilltop and surrounding areas” (source).
I’m already excited to return next year. This event was such a great experience for me. I had good sales and steady traffic throughout the day. The event was held at the Union train shed in downtown Montgomery. It’s a nice venue with lots of foot traffic from people enjoying the various amenities of downtown Montgomery.
The biggest downside for me was being set up right in front of the still-active train tracks. (I imagine I could have been positioned further from the tracks if I had arrived earlier.) Due to my hearing loss, every time a train went by, I had to wait for it to pass before continuing conversations with people at my booth. That was frustrating for both me and them, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Next year, I’ll be sure to arrive earlier to hopefully secure a spot farther from the tracks.
Small Thoughts:
Cash! This is what delayed me and why I didn’t arrive until 9:15 a.m. (The event opened at 9 a.m., and I had planned to arrive by 8:30.) I was late because I forgot to get cash on Friday. Instead of being able to go to the bank, I had to withdraw money from an ATM, which left me with only $20 bills. To solve this, I stopped at five different gas stations on my way to the event, asking for change. Each gas station was able to break one $20, which gave me a good assortment of smaller bills.
I’ve added “get cash” to my pre-event checklist so I can avoid this issue in the future.
Booth Setup – I’m sure that the more events I do, the easier setup will become. Every author I’ve spoken to says that your booth setup changes a little each time as you learn what works and what doesn’t. The biggest thing I learned from this event was that the tablecloth you use matters. This time, I used a beautiful pashmina shawl as a tablecloth, but the fringe on it became problematic as the day went on. Several people’s bags got caught on the fringe while they were looking at my books, which resulted in the tablecloth trying to leave with them. I won’t ever use a tablecloth with fringe again.
Sales:
I had steady traffic all day, although I did hear from other vendors who attended last year that traffic was down. However, I can only compare it to the one other event I attended last December, which had only two attendees the entire time. So, in my limited experience, I had great, steady traffic. I made a total of eleven sales during the event. The biggest thing I learned is that next year, I will attend as both an author and an artist.
Total Sales:
$132.00
Sales by the Numbers:
- Runaway: 1
- Secret in the Shadows: 4
- Bookmarks: 6
- Stickers: 6
- Paintings: 1
Fixed Expenses:
- Booth fee: $25
- Mileage: $16.08 (24 miles at $0.67)
Total After Expenses:
$90.92
Highlights:
There were two major highlights from this event.
First, my youngest son, W, came with me to help. Even though he’s only 10, he’s always eager to support Momma’s creative endeavors. He helped pack the car up, unload everything, and set up. He was a tremendous help throughout the day, and it warms my heart to see how much he wants to be involved.
Second, selling a painting. In addition to writing books, I’ve pursued various creative outlets, including art. I fell in love with creating art during my sophomore year of high school in Ms. Shaw’s Art 1 class. She opened up a whole new world for me. However, I was told early on that I was “too smart” to waste my time with art, that it wouldn’t lead to a career or anything meaningful. Those negative comments led to a serious case of imposter syndrome. I often feel like I’m not a real artist, and that it’s silly to even consider selling my work. As a result, my art rarely leaves my house, even though I’ve been teaching art classes and lessons for the past four years.
My amazing husband has always encouraged me to sell my artwork and share it with others. I’ve done a few commissions, but I still struggle with self-doubt. However, I accidentally sold one of my pieces during the Howler Art and Literary Festival. W had packed several of my art pieces not realizing I was only attending as an author. I didn’t have a way to display them, but when a shopper noticed the paintings in my wagon behind the booth, she asked if they were for sale. I ended up selling her my Aurora Owl mixed media painting. It was such an exciting moment! Next year, I plan to attend the Howler Art and Literary Festival as both an author and an artist.
