It’s said that eye witnesses make the worst witnesses in a court of law. This underscores the fact that human perception is notoriously inaccurate. What we think to be the empirical evidence of our senses deceives us. Case in point: the Clifton Gorge Arts & Music Festival.
I have now participated as a vendor at this festival for three consecutive years. The first year, my booth was located on the side of one of the village streets near the center of all the activity. Attendance was impressive: a village of fewer than 200 people drew thousands of attendees to this festival. I was pleased with my volume of sales; however, I didn’t particularly like the spot where my vendor space was situated, so I requested a different location for the following year.
In 2023, my booth was located in the small field across the street from the shelter house where concerts are held. My best friend who accompanies me to most events and sells her paintings along with mine agreed with me: attendance was down from the previous year. My sales numbers confirmed that perception: those were down, too. I thought, perhaps, the lower sales may have also resulted from a compromise between my convenience and prime festival location, with convenience being the deciding factor. However, sales were still sufficiently robust to justify registering for another two gruelling days of work in 2024.
Last weekend saw my third year as a festival vendor in Clifton, Ohio. My booth was located again in that field due to my preference for convenience. (Trust me, lugging merchandise, a canopy, supplies, etc. around the block to a better location was not fun!) The weather, as expected, turned hot and steamy. The hours, as expected, dragged long into Friday and Saturday evenings. Attendence seemed reduced from the previous two years.
The numbers this year are mixed. Acting on the success of 2023, my friend purchased her own vendor space. It was situated next to mine, so we combined our spaces to spread out our wares (books and paintings). Unfortunately, this year, her sales were only about a third of what she sold in 2023. That agrees with the trend of declining sales of artwork we’ve witnessed last year and this year. However, my sales of books and a handful of paintings give lie to the perception that 2024 saw lower attendance and less spending. I sold a similar number of paintings as did my friend, but book sales put my revenue higher than either 2022 or 2023.
In addition, several attendees approached me to discuss publication of their books. We talked about the publishing process; my services in ghostwriting, editing, proofreading, and book design; and the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing. (HINT: If you’re a control freak like me, you’ll probably opt for self-publishing.)
I certainly hope those folks who indicated they had works in progress will contact me to discuss having their manuscripts edited and their books designed. This is what I do: I help indie authors on the publishing journey.
How may I help you?