Promoting books: At what cost?

Every author out there knows that promoting is a necessity in order to get your name out there and your books a household name. So how much does it really cost to promote books?

My friend Vonda Skelton, author of the Bitsy mystery series, did 60 events last year, but mind you those are paying events - she is a phenomenal speaker and she makes a decent living doing all these speaking events. I can only hope to be there one day. On the other hand, where I am right now, paying to be a vendor at events and hoping to break even from book sales comes at a price.

I have a possible 12 to 14 events scheduled (ones I'm pretty sure I can or will do again this year as I've already done them in previous years, plus a few new ones), and the cost of each has me wondering how I'm going to pull it off. Some are less expensive but when you factor in travel, gas, hotel costs, food cost, et cetera, it starts adding up.

My first event in February, is basically a freebie for vendors but I have to travel so I have to get a hotel room for one night, plus dinner Friday night and gas, so not a very expensive trip.

Trips to Pennsylvania (St. Emmelia Orthodox Homeschool Conference), Florida (HERI Homeschool Curriculum Fair), Georgia (Savannah Children's Book Festival and the CGCHE Homeschool Curriculum Fair), Tennessee (CTSHE Homeschool Curriculum Fair), and North Carolina (Mint Hill Sunday in the Park, Love to Learn Homeschool Conference, Blue Ridge Book festival and hopefully the Celebration of Books again) do end up costing more even if one is comped as a workshop presenter in different ways. Most of these trips on the bare necessities are going to run about $500 to $750 per event (this would be the vendor fee, if I do a workshop fee, which I will do my workshop as much as possible or as much as I can afford to do; gas, food, hotels, and paying my helpers). I have yet to sell anywhere close to that amount at any book signing or event, although eventually I would love to do some sales in the thousands; I'd even take several hundred at any one given event not that I keep that many books on hand but if the sales are there, it isn't difficult to get books ordered and ship to the person purchasing the books.

So I'm kind of wondering, how much do you as an author put into promoting your books? How do you pick which events to do? How do you fund those events if you are a fairly new author and don't have a sponsor for your books or a large publisher who pays advances that can be used for travel and promoting?

Reading and Writing Celebrations

My friend, Carol Baldwin, has listed a few reading and writing events coming up in the next two months that you don't want to miss. If you are interested, pop over to her blog and check it out.

I have a few to add to the list, which are smaller but probably worth the looksee - next weekend will be the Highlands, NC Celebration of Books festival (this is a first year event, but they are doing a bang up job of advertising and making it known that this event is going on; it is nestled in the mountains of North Carolina and the weather is turning just a bit so shouldn't be too hot up there right now); The SC Geographic Alliance's Geofest in Columbia, SC (geared more towards educators and others who are into the geography aspect of education), a new one in Charleston, SC, this year which has had some good exposure up north in previous years, and of course the Savannah Children's Book Festival in November (this one boasted over 10,000 folks visiting this past November so should be a wonderful turnout this year (hoping the weather is like it was last year)).

Maybe you have a list of festivals in your area that are a book lover's delight. Don't be shy and share with the rest of our readers. You never know who will show up at an event near you - Mrs. E :)

Charlotte bound for homeschool conference

It's finally upon us; the Love to Learn Information and Resource Homeschool Conference in Charlotte, NC. I've been watching the list of presenters and vendors lately and lots of folks I met last year or at another conference this past June are going to be there - so yay for that. This year, I'm prepared with books 1, 2 and 3, covers for 4 and 5, a few copies of "Train of Clues", cover for my Passport booklet, my goodie box (prizes for the workshop game - just hope I have enough prizes or that I am not overwhelmed with kids being in the workshop) and my mindset. This is going to be a great weekend. I'm hoping to do well and that all my friends do well also. I am taking over 100 basket weaving kits with me and since it is a small priced item, it should do well. This is the craft idea for book 4 - State of Successes - that will be in the study guide for those of you who are keeping track of the series. (yes, that is a new thing for this particular book - just so happens one of the clues for Successes is about basket weaving and my favorite craft website had a mini woven basket for Thinking Day under the Girl Scouts swaps (under more Thinking Day, Philipines) - it was perfect for my book, so figured I would use it. I did vary the supplies a bit - instead of using raffia I decided to cut strips from plastic shopping bags (the handles work great for the mini basket, as you can get four strips out of one bag). If using the larger circle pattern, it takes two strips I believe. I'd like to see some orders for upcoming books, if not the rest of the series come in but I'll take any and all sales equally - lol.

Heidi Ippolito will be there also and she's going to watch my table while I do my workshop. I'm hoping to pop in the fun nook during a couple of the events they are doing - the chenille crafty thing and the sock puppet one - just to see what kind of ideas I can come up with.


The next six or seven weekends finds the JGDS out and about several places, except Labor Day Weekend - a small break. For more on the schedule of places we will be visiting or having fun, check out my website under the Calendar of Events page. I'm ready mentally but not with books. I know I'll have to get more of Wilderness, Quarries and Reservations from Vivian soon (hope she is doing well from her recent knee surgery). Next month I'll have books on hand, at least Successes and the Passport booklet. October is a break for me and then the fun begins in November - Charleston and Savannah. See you all in the postings or at a conference/festival near you - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)