Book Festivals - Highs and Lows and How to Navigate as a First Time Author

I recently attended my first-ever book festival as an author! Located in the quaint and historic town of Murhpys, California (in the heart of Calaveras County, home to the Jumping Frog Festival based on Mark Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County), it was the first annual Mother Lode Book Festival, put on by Manzanita Writers Press. 

All in all, it was a great event, especially considering it was the first year. There were some bumps in the road, but I had an amazing time meeting other local authors, chatting with readers and writing enthusiasts, and I even sold a copy of Truly & Deeply! It was to a lovely young man who I sold on the idea of romance novels being a blueprint for how to impress women, but that’s a blog for another time. Murphys is a magical little town, and I will definitely be going back. 

I wanted to take the time to write about my experience, especially considering there was another book festival this same weekend that was what can only politely be called a disaster. As a new author just coming into the world of vendor tables and events, it was interesting to me to see all of the discourse about the A Million Lives Book Festival on the heels of my very first festival that was on a much smaller scale yet seemed to encounter some of the same issues. So, here were the highs and lows of my experience as a first time vendor at a book festival. I hope it helps any other authors out there to navigate stepping into the world of in-person book events!

The Lows

Let’s start off with what I thought could have been handled a bit better (I brought these concerns to the founders of the Mother Lode Book Festival, so everything is all in the open!)

• Matching delivery with what was promised: I received an email a few days prior to the event with details on where to park, when to arrive, what to bring, etc. This was super helpful and I was glad I had it! However, they were very clear about arrival times if we were not participating in the writer’s workshops happening in the morning, and stated there would be dedicated spaces with our names set aside for us when we arrived. Because I had a bit of a drive in, I chose not to attend the workshops, so I was ready to go at noon when I was told. At that time though, they did not have a table ready for me (well, a half table), and I was unceremoniously stuck in the corner with a very gracious red cross volunteer who didn’t mind me taking up some of her space. We were also (sort of rudely) hushed as we were trying to navigate set up because the workshop had run long and we were “disruptive”. It was flustering and confusing, and left a bad taste in my mouth and anxiety in my chest as I tried to settle in to a mindset of talking about my books and chatting with people. 

• A lack of promotion: We arrived a bit early to explore the town, and there were quite a few different events happening that weekend! A children’s fishing event put on by the Fish and Game Commission, a chili festival, and a wedding drew lots of people to Murphys that day, but aside from a chalkboard outside of the event venue, I personally didn’t see anything that would let people know the book festival was happening. I saw more flyers for the magical emporium at the other end of town (which we 1000% checked out - it was awesome) than I did for the book festival. Because of this, most of the attendees were the other authors with tables set up. We got some decent foot traffic, but I had really expected more with everything happening in town that day. 

• A general sense of overwhelm: Here’s where I acknowledge again that this was the first year of this event. I know how time-consuming and difficult organizing things like this can be. That being said, I hope next year’s event is less frantic and more organized after learning from this year’s. 

The Highs

• Meeting other local authors: I’m gonna be honest, I think I was the youngest author at this event. The second youngest being in her mid-thirties, probably? So, not necessarily the contemporary romance novel crowd. There were a lot of memoirs, historical fictions, and children’s books, and let me say that each and every author I spoke with was absolutely amazing. They were all incredibly supportive and kind and fun to talk to!

• Realizing I wasn’t as out of my depth as I thought I’d be:  I had no idea what I was doing going into this event. But my display looked on par with some of the other authors who have been doing this for years, and I got so many compliments on my book covers and bookmarks! It gave me a lot more confidence in myself as a professional in this industry. 

• Seeing that writing is a long game: They say that when you love what you do you never work a day in your life. But becoming a successful author takes work. And it takes time and dedication. When I looked around the room at this event, I saw people that had been doing this for years and they still loved it. They still lit up when someone asked them about their book. Some of them were still nervous to read aloud from their books, and stumbled over their words. Some of them had full-time jobs, just like me, and others got to write for a living. It was fascinating and encouraging seeing that being an author is a lifelong journey. 

How to Navigate a Book Festival as a First-Time Author

• Be Prepared: Bring copies of your books, some fun little giveaways, and (most importantly) something for people to take with them where they can find you later. I gave away quite a few bookmarks with my book links and website on them for people to visit at their convenience. 

• Set Up As Early As Possible: As one of my neighbors at the event said, always ask to set up early because the worst thing they can say is no! The sooner you’re set up, the less stressed you’ll be and the more time people will have to take in your display. 

• Don’t Get Stuck Behind Your Display: When there are lulls (and there will be), take the opportunity to walk around and chat with the other authors. Making connections and building community is a huge part of being a writer, so don’t be shy!

• Have Multiple Payment Options: I made sure to have cash for change, a link to my Venmo, as well as a Square card reader (the Square account is free and the card reader was $10). The one sale I made ended up being a credit card, so boy was I happy I’d decided to get that Square reader at the last minute! The goal is to make the transaction as painless as possible for the reader, so it leaves a good impression. 

• Stick It Out To the End (If Possible): I had half packed up my display when I thought, “Maybe I’ll leave some out and see what the last half hour brings.” Lo and behold, that’s when I got my sale! It never hurts to stick around if you can. 

• Have Fun! Book festivals bring together authors and readers in a truly magical and open way. The conversations are interesting, and everyone is there because they love the written word, so don’t forget that beneath all the business of being an author is a love of telling stories. 

The Wrap Up

All in all, I had a fantastic time at the Mother Lode Book Festival. I will definitely be looking for other opportunities to get out there and meet readers in person, and for any authors wondering if they should, I say that if you can then give it a try! There may be some snafus, some hiccups, and some growing pains, but there’s also so much joy and connection to be found.