ComicCons
Next
week I start my 2015 season of attending ComicCons and Fan Expos to promote my
books so I thought it would be a good idea to write something about my
experiences with those as the topic for this guest post.
First
of all, ComicCons and Fan Expos are an amazing place to make some personal
contact with a lot of different people who don't yet realise that they are fans
of your books. Particularly at the bigger events with high attendance the
number of potential fans out there who have no idea who you are is quite large.
And having the chance to chat with them and tell them all about your books is a
great and rewarding opportunity. I always look forward to meeting people and
seeing their reactions to the different book series that I have written. This
"instant feedback" is also incredibly valuable for me in terms of the
books I write in the future as well.
Generally
speaking these events will offer two types of booths or tables: the larger (and
more expensive) corporate booths and smaller spaces in the so-called
"Artist Alley" areas. Both of these are good options and going for
the smaller/cheaper option generally won't affect the numbers of people you
will have the opportunity to meet. The Artist Alley areas are just as well
trafficked as the main booth areas.
That
said, however, don't expect to make much money, if any at all. I've read of
independent authors with only a single book out claiming to sell "a
hundred books a day or more" at these events, but if you ask me the math
just doesn't add up. The days are generally never longer than nine hours. One
hundred books in nine hours means you have to sell one book every five and a
half minutes. And take it from me... if someone does buy your book, you've
already chatted with them for at least few minutes already, plus the time it
takes to exchange money and sign their book (most people want their book
signed, of course, so make sure to think ahead of time of some interesting
things to write). Even with someone helping you a hundred books a day seems
unlikely. Fifty per day is probably a more realistic goal, and even that would
require an event with very high attendance.
But
for an author attending these types of events you probably shouldn't view it as
a chance to make money, but rather as a chance to meet potential fans and maybe
sell a few books too. And in this respect these events are incredibly
rewarding.
Comments
Post a Comment