This has been a busy year with regard to book promotion. I’ve attended more events than ever. As always, some of them net better results than others. In summary:
- MARCON – My second appearance at this Columbus institution didn’t fare as well as the first, but that won’t be an issue. This was the event’s final year.
- Front Street Trunk Art Show – This was a first-time event for me and I sold a handful of books, but no paintings. I pretty much broke even.
- Tipp City Artist Trunk Show – This was a first-time event for me and I sold a handful of books, but no paintings. I pretty much broke even.
- North Coast Indie Author Book Expo – This was the first time the event was held. The venue was nice and the event was well-organized, but attendance was poor. I certainly didn’t come close to recouping the registration fee. I haven’t decided whether it’s worth going back to give it a second chance.
- Imaginarium – I’ve attended this event multiple times. Last year was great; this year, not so much. I need to re-evaluate whether the transition from “small ComicCon” to a writers’ convention serves my target market.
- Beech Grove Artists Collective Art Walk – This was another first-time event for me. I considered it a success and signed up for the Art Walks held in September and October.
I’ve got several more events coming up yet this year:
- Clifton Gorge Music & Arts Festival (August 26 & 27) – This small village in Ohio puts on a big party. With live music, dance and craft demonstrations, and lots of vendors offering handcrafted items, it’s a good time. Best of all, there’s little competition for books and paintings, so my vendor booth won’t disappear in a sea of similar vendors.
- BGAC Art Walk (September 2) – The first one went so well that I’m looking forward to the second!
- End of Summer Craft Show (September 10) – This is a first time for both me and the event. I hope to receive some marketing collateral to help promote this event.
- Tipp City Mum Festival (September 24 & 25) – Friends say this small town’s annual event is BIG! So, I’m going to try it out.
- BGAC Art Walk (October 7) – This is the last of the First Friday Art Walks scheduled for 2022. Here’s to hoping it will go as well as the first.
- Monday Creek Publishing Book Fair (October 29) – This is the second annual book fair organized by Monday Creek Publishing, and it will be my first there. Fingers are crossed for a successful (and profitable) event.
- Lust in the City (November 4 & 5) – Again, this is my time time at this “multi-author signing event,” so I’ve no idea what to expect.
- Northwestern Band Association Craft Fair (November 12) – This will be my third year at the craft fair. The first year, I did pretty well. Last year was a bit of a disappointment. Let’s see how this year goes.
This year’s strong participation is showing me the venues that result in the best return on investment, a metric I will be taking into account when registering for future events. I hope to see you at one or more of these events!