Escaping the Internet: In-Person Events

When I paused this blog back in September 2023, Tethers of the Present was the better part of a year away. Getting local bookstores to stock paper copies had mixed results. Ditto contests, even though I once won a prize. I told myself marketing would be less challenging once I had more than one book to sell and focused on developing my social media author brand. My success, as I've noted before, was limited.

A local indie author friend of mine recommended I sign up as an attending author at various in-person events. She's done well not only at dedicated book signings but also farmer's markets. Initially reticent, I decided to bite the bullet after Tethers came out. I attended an outdoor event at Spine Indie Bookstore in September 2024 and a larger indoor one, Scares That Care AuthorCon IV (pictured above) the following month. Were they worth it? Let's just say I've attended another half-dozen events since, with plans for several more over the next year.

So how do I define worth? Financially, I've just about recouped the costs of creating swag and table banners, including the retractable beasts you see flanking me in the picture. I make more money per copy since there's no middleman, no physical or online merchant involved. Now that I've established a table setup, the income should exceed the expense, as long as I cover the event fees (which vary widely). Choosing the right events - size, location, genre preference etc. - is an art I'm still learning.

But while the financial aspect is obviously important, the real value has been meeting people, both potential readers and other writers. Not everyone who approaches my table is a potential customer, but that's not how I see them. They're someone interested in books, in reading, or at least accompanying someone who is! I love talking about books, not just my own, and I've enjoyed many wonderful conversations about shared interests, authors we love, favorite stories and so on. I've happily recommended other indie authors where appropriate. Some of these discussions lead to sales or the other person collecting my contact info, and for that I'm grateful.

Some of these readers are other writers at the event. We buy each others books sometimes, but even when we don't there's a natural camaraderie in the indie author community. We don't compete with each other. I've never seen anyone try to hawk their book over another author's. Quite the reverse in most cases. I've made many good friends and read many excellent books because of it. I look forward to seeing them when we both do the same shows. They're found family.

Bottom line is that the face to face connections really make this worthwhile. They're much more satisfying than a "like" on a social media post. While I've also made rewarding online connections, I certainly intend to continue putting myself out there at book signings and other events. Come see me at one and say Hi!