I love to hate you

I have a love-hate relationship with book signings and book festivals. Writers and authors will probably know exactly what I'm talking about. You get to the book signing/festival at about 9 a.m., bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of enthusiasm and with a box full of newly-published books. You set up camp next to other authors, who are expecting great sales just like yourself.  They're all ready for the eager crowd and for the bucks to start rolling in.

But usually what happens is that it's totally opposite of what you were expecting. Sure, some people show up, they look at your book, congratulate you on your amazing success as a writer and go on. They also take your bookmark and other marketing materials and your candy that you set out on the table to be friendly. You're wondering if they're gonna contact you later and buy your book.

This is the frustrating part about being an author - the marketing side of the process. I hate that part, as much as I love the writing. And you know you have to do marketing, in order to make the dough start rolling in.

The last time I was at a book festival, I greeted customers enthusiastically and tried to tell parents and their kids about my newly-published book for children. They'd nod politely and leaf through my book with what I thought was interest. And then, you guessed it, walked on. At best, my conversation with them would go something like this:

"Are you the author of this book?"
 "I am."
 "Can you sign your bookmark for me?"
I am thinking, sure, why not, but how about buying my book?

The sad fact that I learned is that people just won't hardly buy from you if they don't know you. Then as the day wears on at the festival, you're left wondering if you're gonna make the rent on your table back. Then finally, at the end of the day, you end up selling two books, but that's mostly to the other fellow authors, who know how hard it is to write and publish books and want to support each other. Funny, isn't it? Your customers end up being other authors, not so much the public like you were expecting. It's fine- I am not complaining. I meet a lot of people that way, and get writing ideas and exposure, which is the main thing.

 Well, maybe this is the time to utilize my speech classes from college and put them to good use. Sure I am nervous! Maybe it'll help me to imagine the audience naked when I speak, but I don't know. Some of them may be freakier without clothes!