Author Income Streams, 6 of 15: Event Book Sales
“Event book sales” refers to the income you make selling directly to the public/audience members at, during, or after your events. For example, it may be the sales you do after a program you give at your local library or to a business organization, or the sales at a launch party, or the income from a purely sales event, such as a book fair, convention, or outdoor festival.
Thinking of the setup for this type of income as a retail event will support your efforts. You are, in these cases, a pop-up retailer. Go beyond simply exchanging a book for money and professionalize the experience. Every little thing matters. These little things accumulate powerfully and contribute to sustained and improved results over time.
Sales Table Presentation
Approach the setting up of your sales table as if you were a department store window dresser or other artiste or scientist of retail display.
If you can control the location, make it as high profile as possible. For indoor events where sales happen after an author program, this typically means locating the table near the door so all will see it and pass it when they enter and again when they leave. If it’s an outdoor event, seek something in a well-lit, high-traffic area, often by the food or music. At a large-scale indoor event, procure…
