The Best Thing about Book Fairs

 

Have you ever been to a book fair or festival or fest? If so, what did you think was the very best thing about the experience? Was it the books? Oh, we do love our books and that's what is hardest for me at book festivals. I want to buy sackfuls of books when actually I already have sackfuls of books in my to read stack. But you know of course, that I bought some more to add to my collection and wish I'd bought a couple more before I headed home. I don't know when I would have had time to read them or where I would have put them - my bookshelves are overflowing now - but I would have had them. So without books, there would be no reason for a book festival. 

Here I am with author, Travis Thrasher after buying one of his books. Travis has piles and piles of books. All with beautiful covers and enticing stories that make readers anxious to pick one of his books up to carry it home. Besides he's such fun to talk to. That's another of those very best things about a book festival. Getting to talk to the writers who penned or keyed in that favorite story! Getting to know what's going on with other writers. Travis had a busy year. His wife gave birth to twin girls who are now seven months old. They also have a four year old girl. So what did Travis do? He wrote four books last year. That's getting it done. I think he must have given up sleep.

Then I met and talked to and got my picture with Jean Auel of The Clan of the Cave Bear fame. Posted that picture on Facebook right away. She has a new book out that was an instant number one bestseller all over the world. She said it took her fourteen years to write it. Everybody writes differently. Everybody tells a different story in a different way.

Then there are the readers you meet. They have to be one of the very best things about a book festival. It's such fun to have a reader come by and say they've read all my books or they love my books or they have a sister/friend/mother/grandmother who loves my books. I sometimes want to tell them that they might like the story too if they'd give it a chance, but I don't. I smile and act pleased. Well, I don't have to act. I am pleased. I like grandmas and mothers and sisters and friends.

Now and again, a librarian will come by and say my books are in demand at their library or off their bookmobile. I love libraries and the people who work there, so that's another best thing. Of course one of the best fun things is seeing the babies. Babies who will be getting a book and loving the crackly sound of the pages when they try to put it in their mouths. And little kids and not so little kids. All there looking for a book to read. Another Harry Potter book or a Lightning Thief. And sometimes they find one. Once a long time ago at a different book fest and while I was writing Young Adult novels, a girl bought one of my books, went and found a reading nook and came back around before the end of the day to tell me she'd finished the book and liked it. I still sort of remember what she looked like. I was just happy she wasn't coming back to my table to make a return. So readers are fun. No book fest can succeed without readers.

And volunteers. Those people who give up a day or two of their lives to unpack books and pack them back up if they don't sell. Those people who make the panel presentations work. Those people who bring you lunch or a drink of tea or water to help you keep your smile going. And that doesn't even take into account the organizers and people on the book fest committee who must make the hard decisions about who to invite and where to let them sit. I saw the main lady in charge of the book fest last Saturday as I was leaving. She was still smiling. She'd probably heard a few dozen complaints and handled even more problems throughout the day, but she was smiling. Maybe because the day was over and all us authors were on the way out the door. :-)

So the very best thing about Book Festivals is that they celebrate books and give you a chance to rub shoulders with readers and writers and let you carry home some great reading material. So do you like to go to book festivals? For sure, I enjoy being on the writer's side of the table. And I always carry home some books too - in spite of my groaning bookshelves. 

Books by the Banks

I love book fairs and festivals. They have two of my favorite things in life - people and books. Well, maybe I shouldn't say people are things, but you get the idea. Book fairs are places where most everybody who is in the place has a love for books. That's why they are there - unless, of course, they were dragged there by a bookloving relative or friend. I've seen patient husbands trailing along after their wives and carrying their bags of books and smiling indulgently when the wives stop at yet one more author's table. And I know those two have a great marriage. In fact last year I signed a book for a young wife whose husband surprised her with the trip to the KY Book Fair because he knew how much she loved to read. Such a romantic gesture and so thoughtful too. Besides, what longer lasting present can a person get! A book usually takes at the least a couple of days to read and then sometimes that story can live in your imagination for years afterwards. No box of candy can last that long except maybe as extra pounds on your hips. Flowers wilt. Books keep giving.

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So I'm hoping a few people will want my book and my autograph. This book fair is a bit different than others I've attended. Each author is generally signing only one title for readers. So I'll only have one book to push. That's another thing about book fairs, the competition for book buyers can be keen. And if you as a writer have the misfortune of being at a table beside a super salesman, then you might as well pack it in if you can't match the sales pitch. Most of the time when a reader gets the hard sell by an author, they are afraid to even take a peek at the books on the next table. Of course they usually buy a book from the good salesman author. Sometimes every title available on that author's table.

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I've watched the super salesmen (and women) operate and admire their talent of selling their work. Not my talent. As one guy told me once, I'm good at giving away bookmarks. So if any of you live in the Cincinnati area and need a bookmark come on down by the river on Saturday to the Books by the Banks festival. I love to talk to people and I'll give you all something to keep your place in those books you just bought from the guy down the row.

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Book prize drawing day is the last day of the month. Still time to pitch in your name if you haven't already. And I've got two more days to get these edits on Angel Sister done. I only lack about a hundred pages, but I can feel myself drooping. Sleepy eyes don't make very good final edits eyes. And tomorrow I've volunteered (I couldn't tell my daughter-in-law no! And I didn't have a deadline when I said yes.) to help with my grandkids' elementary school book fair. It will be fun and I'll have a couple of hours free sometime - surely - to finish these edits. Just one more rough spot in them to go.

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Thanks for reading and hope you are having a great Wednesday.