5 Things I'd Keep and 5 Things I'd Change as an Author at a ComiCon - Day 92

This past weekend was AwesomeCon in Washington DC, which is their local big ComiCon event. Cast members from Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who were there, and some of the most amazing cosplayers!

Oh, and I was there too.

I’ve done a good handful of local library and vendor events here in the Chicago suburbs, but I’d never done a big comicon event at a convention center before, and I was equally excited and scared of how things were going to go. It was such a fun weekend! I hung out with other authors with my publisher, spoke on a panel, and got to connect with a bunch of other authors and readers I never would have been able to before. It was exhausting, but also one of the most fun experiences!

Here’s a few things I learned about what I plan to do the same, and some things I plan to switch up for my next one.

What I’ll Do the Same At My Next Con

1. Bookmarks & Signs with QR Codes

   I already was using this technique when I attended small local events. People love having a simple code they can use right then and there so they can purchase the ebook or check out your website, or even if they want to look later. It’s my number one tip I give to other newbie authors when they ask about what to bring for an event. I have on all of my bookmarks and a table sign a QR code that leads to my link tree. At the top of my linktree it has my website, then right under it is a place to sign up for my newsletter and order links for all of my books. Yes, it’s great to have your website printed on a bookmark or business card, but what’s the liklihood of someone walking by your table of typing your website into their phone as they go? Not high. But being able to take a quick picture of your code that leads them directly to where you want to go? Much higher. The easier you can make it for readers to find you, the better.

   Sometimes people will ask for a business card, and that works instead of a bookmark too. But, as an author, most people were just as happy with a bookmark over a business card as long as they could get the same information. And, if they’re readers, they’ll probably use your bookmark in the future and will have that reminder in their hands longer than they would have with a business card they might lose.

2. Newsletter Sign Up

   This is another thing I learned early on when doing local events and it worked great in a large con setting too. I don’t get a ton of newsletter sign ups, and there is an option to sign up with my QR code. But, having a place where people can write down their information to get a free short story (or whatever your freebie is for your newsletter) and/or updates from you without having to click on links, still works! And this way, even if they lose my bookmark or don’t look up my social media during the con, when they get home they’ll have something from me in their email and can find me in the future.

3. Reaching Out to (Almost) Everyone

   Whenever you hear people talking about marketing, they always say “know your audience.” You need to know your age group, what their interests are, what other books they like to read, etc. Which is great advice! You want to be sure you’re aiming towards the people who are most likely to read your book so you’re not wasting your breath and time on people who most likely won’t like it.

   However…

   I was shocked at how many people stopped at my table that didn’t fit what I imagined for my demographic AT ALL and purchased something. I had husbands who were all “yeah, my wife just finished some ‘Court’ series with fairies in them?” and walked away with all three of my books. Or, I had one man come by in a sci-fi space military uniform, was very stoic, but oddly interested in what I had for sale. I pitched him the epic fantasy side of my books, but then he asked “does it have any romance?” So… I told him about the love stories. While he remained stoic, I could tell he was interested. He then said thank you and left. The other authors around me and I looked at each other and were all “We didn’t peg him for a romance reader at all.” He later came back at the end of the day and purchased The Night’s Chosen.

   So yes… know your audience. But also, you never know who is going to be excited to read your book. Especially in a setting like a big con, don’t be afraid to reach out to literally almost anyone because the person you least expect could be your future biggest fan.

4. Go on a Panel If I have the Opportunity

   This point could go two ways, and both are valid. There are a couple of authors I talked to who said they don’t like doing panels while at a big con because they don’t want to spend an hour away from their table and miss a sale. I was afraid of the same thing at first.

   I was so glad I did a panel though. When you have a table at a big con, they are long days of standing and talking without much of a break. Having a panel to go to in the middle of the day was such a nice relief to have a place to sit for awhile, chat with colleagues you may not have been able to before, and have your face in front of potential readers in a way that’s not just you yelling out from your table “do you like to read?”

   It also gives you a little bit of credibility on your genre and craft. When people see you at a table and being asked questions about that certain topic, it’s evidence that “yes, I do actually know what I’m talking about sometimes” and shows off your personality a bit more.

   On top of it, it’s fun!

   As for worrying about missing a sale, I had a sign on my table saying where I was and would be back soon, and a place for people to sign up for orders I would ship to them for free since they missed me.

5. Bundle Pricing

   People love a good deal! I had different pricing for if people bought one book, then another price for two books, and another for three. While I may not have made quite as much of a profit if I didn’t bundle, it was much easier for people to agree with purchasing three books at a time for an author they’ve never read before when it was discounted than if it was full price.

What I’ll Do Differently at my Next Con

1. Bring more copies - especially of the first book!

   While packing and prepping for the con, I was so worried I was bringing too much and would have to find a way to lug all of my extra books back to Chicago from Washington DC. Was I wrong!

   Other authors and my publisher told me to bring more copies of my first book than the others since most (if not all) the people you interact with will be new readers and want to start at the beginning of the series. It was advice I followed, but I still didn’t bring nearly enough. While I had a good amount of people who purchased all three books (yay bundle pricing!), a majority of my sales were still only book 1, and I sold out of The Night’s Chosen the fastest, and it made selling the rest of my stock even harder than it needed to be.

2. Higher Stands

   While I think I have a good display, there are some authors whose displays are amazing! What made them stand out though wasn’t only their pretty covers or eye catching banner (although they help). It was that they had their books displayed on taller stands at people’s eye level. For my next con, I want to be sure I can put my books up higher so when people walk by, it’s going to catch their eye even easier than before.

3. Bring Better Snacks

   This might sound weird, but it’s so true. I had a table to myself without any help, and I packed a few cookies and pistachios and a water bottle to keep with me in-between meals. I thought I’d at least have time to run over to the concession booths to grab a quick lunch each day.

   Nope.

   I was even afraid to leave my table and use the bathroom! There are so many people walking by through the entire day, you never know who is going to come by and be interested. I was terrified of losing a sale because I’d stepped away too long. Even people who were sharing a table with another author or had a friend or family member there to help out felt the same way. Next time, I’m going to be sure I eat a big breakfast in the mornings, then have extra good snacks to take with me in my backpack to munch on until I can get dinner at the end of the day.

4. Freebie Hand Out

   I had some bookmarks to give away, and people loved them! But, I wish I had more. Some authors had printed hand outs with either a short story or a few sample chapters, then a QR code at the end to where people could order their book. I thought this was a great idea! People’s eyes lit up when an author handed them a little booklet with something free to read while they stood in line and wandered around the con all day. For my next one, I want to have a stack of hand outs like this and see how it goes.

   There were also authors who had stickers, buttons, etc. which were so cute! They were eye catching and a great conversation starter to get people interested in their books.

I’m so glad I went to my first big ComiCon event and I can’t wait to do more! If you’ve done one of these events, what else would you add to either of my lists? If you’re a newer author and getting ready to go to a con, or would like to in the future, what would you want to know more about? Let me know in the comments!

Making Connections - Day 47 on Day 71

There are two stereotypes of authors I see floating around on the internet.

1) We love to write, but hate marketing and are terrible at it.

2) We’re introverts and the idea of having to leave our little cozy hobbit writing hole is terrifying.

I can admit I relate to both of these, and the first more than the second. I’m that weird author who is both an introvert and an extrovert. When I’ve taken the Meyers-Briggs personality test, I’ve always been borderline introvert and extrovert but falling more on the extroverted side of the spectrum. The introverted writer side of me loves nothing more than a quiet day at home where I can cozy up at my desk or in a comfy chair to slip away into fantastical worlds I’ve created in my head and read books by some of my favorite authors. (I also have a new puppy at home, so the excuse to stay into cuddle with him is always welcome.) Then… the extrovert in me comes out. If I’m home on my own for too long without human interaction, I get antsy and lose my motivation. One of my favorite things in the world is when my social life and my write life collide.

Sometimes, social media can help fill that void. The Internet has a lot of pitfalls, but it’s also an awesome opportunity to connect with both other authors and readers. I’ve made some amazing friends over the years from all of my different Internet adventures. Some that I’ve known now since I graduated college and still text with on a near daily basis.

Talking about my day to day life is my favorite part of social media. It’s just people being people. But when I have to use it to market my books? ::shudder:: Some days I’m not too bad, and even get excited to share my upcoming releases and come up with fun videos to share about my characters and world. Or I’ve done a few live chats and interviews and readings lately, which have been such an awesome opportunity to connect with people I never would have before.

Other days…. it’s more of a chore than anything. I know there are a lot of authors who can relate.

But that’s when in person events come into play, and those, I love.

Over the past year I’ve been able to do a handful of local events, my most recent being the Oak Lawn Public Library Fan Fest at the start of May. I did this event last year too, and it was one of my first ever. Along with me last year were a couple of other local authors who had never done an event before either.

This year we all came back, and I have to say, it was so fun to see how much we’d grown since then. The way we can draw people to our tables, the number of books we have on display, the set ups, we’d all grown and learned over the past year.

I was a little nervous going into this one. It was the first I’d done since my dad passed, and only the second event I’d done so far through the year. It sort of snuck up on me and I wasn’t sure if I was ready. But once I got started, I remembered how much fun these things were. Being able to talk with readers, getting to know the other vendors around me, and this year it exploded with local authors! I was able to meet with a few I’d only seen online, and others I just met that day. Some readers who stopped by my table were even returning people who’d read my first book and were ready to start books 2 & 3, and one who’d met me last year but had no interest and now turned around and purchased all three!

I’ll be 100% transparent, sometimes having a table isn’t super profitable. Depending on what sort of crowd they draw, it may or may not be the audience you’re looking for. But even then, it’s worth it. Being able to connect with people face to face and not just comments and likes on posts is one of the things that makes my heart soar and gives me that motivation to keep going.

It was a day where I was able to remind myself that “oh yeah, I’m an author.” This isn’t just a thing I do as a hobby or alone at my desk. I can connect with other humans with writing and stories and a shared love of fantasy. That’s the beautiful thing about any art form, it brings people together. For me, that’s one of the best things about the creative life, connecting with other people.