Book promotion over the summer looks a bit different than during the other seasons of the year. On the plus side, you’re more likely to be outside in the fresh air. On the downside, it can get hot, hot, hot — and not a little buggy.
Coming from a nonfiction publishing background, I have never thought of summer as a good time to sell books. People are checked out, ready to get off the computer and relax by the beach. They aren’t necessarily looking to learn a new skill or attempt a serious novel, and I don’t write or publish (or even edit all too often) “beach reads.”
Nevertheless, two opportunities arose this summer that I was excited to take advantage of: The People’s Book Local Author Bazaar and the Kensington Farmer’s Market. Debra Lee Won’t Break is contemporary women’s fiction, and although I wouldn’t call it light, many readers have said it’s a page-turner. I was ready to see what selling books in the summer was really like.
People’s Book Local Author Bazaar
In June, my husband, Chris, and I participated in the People’s Book Local Author Bazaar. Chris and I were looking forward to our first joint book-selling event.
Chris is the author of The People United: A Memoir of Hope and Resistance During Trump’s First Term. With People’s Book being a progressive-leaning bookstore, this seemed like a great fit.
The shop is in Takoma Park, very near a popular bike route, so it also appeared to be ideal for selling a few copies of Debra Lee Won’t Break.
Both things may have been true if the bookstore had done any advertising of the event. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Chris and I struggled to even sell one book. Most patrons looked confused as to why a dozen tents were set up in front of the store, and several shoppers headed straight into the bookstore without stopping. :(
However, you can’t keep children from a good book. The day’s bestseller turned out to be my daughter Nancy’s second-grade reader, Mystery at Creek Academy: Where Is Mrs. Quimby?
Kensington Farmer’s Market
You can’t win them all, and I was ready to shake off the People’s Book fiasco for a much more exciting opportunity. Kensington Row Book Shop began arranging a free table for members of its local author program to sell books at the Kensington Farmer’s Market.
This well-established, weekly farmer’s market in Kensington, Maryland, is attended by hundreds of locals. Kensington Row Book Shop is the cornerstone of Kensington’s historic district, and its owner, Eli, is known to all residents of Kensington as a knowledgeable, kind, and elegant businesswoman.
Yet, this summer outing also turned out to be underwhelming.
The table wasn’t so much at the farmer’s market as it was across the street from it. So while I was able to talk to many passersby, added some names to my email list, and sold one audiobook, it was less than a banner day for Hop On Publishing.
I wouldn’t say I regret taking a chance on either of the opportunities. Getting out into the world to talk about your book is about more than selling books. And you never know what connections might come your way as a result.
Case in point: At the People’s Book event, a librarian approached Chris and me, as well as a few other authors, to enquire about speaking at the Takoma Park Library. They are starting a new speaker series, and she loved the idea of a husband-and-wife presentation. That event is now in development.
I know many authors don’t like to mention the events that were less than stellar. We all like to pretend that our books are selling like hotcakes, and we didn’t have to do any work to make that happen. Take it from me, that’s never the case.
Selling books takes a lot of effort, and you will have your best success when the attendees of the event match your target audience. But you need more than that. You also need the partnership of the event host to tell people you’re coming. And you need a sharp sales pitch that will capture people’s imagination.
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Katherine Pickett
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Katherine Pickett 