Indie Author's Guidebook: Going to a Book Convention
- Mindy Killgrove
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
Indie Book Authors who take the plunge and sign up to participate in a book convention should come ready to interact with readers, talk extensively about themselves and their work, and bring lots of goodies for customers to enjoy.
Well, you’ve done it, my friend. You’ve paid the massive table fee and decided to drop into a book convention. Those whopping vendor fees (typically $250-500) can make attending this event seem daunting, but I’m here to help you get a return on your investment.
The first thing you’ve got to do is fully invest in the convention. If there are promotional spots, group takeovers, or opportunities to share graphics about you and your books before the event starts, take advantage of that. Every chance you get to pop in and say hello to the readers who will be joining you at the convention is one more second you get to spend letting people discover your work. From there, check out the itinerary. Most book conventions last for several days. Authors are highly encouraged to participate in as many events as their schedule will allow. If you can show up early and go to the breakfast book club or host a bookish event or lecture, jump at those offers.
At Book Conventions, readers want to get to know the authors. They want to make connections. If you can build a bond with someone just by having a quick chat over dinner, don’t cheat yourself of that chance.
Once you’ve got your schedule set and it’s time to pack your bags, don’t try to jam everything into one small box. Take your time gathering your things and consider how you can make this event special for the readers who are coming to meet you.
As always, there is a list of items that you’ll need to supply:
Books
Price List
Water Bottle
Custom Retractable Banner
Business Cards
But, because Book Conventions are special activities, there will be a few extra pieces to drop into your bag.
Pre-Orders: Especially if you have a long backlist of books, it pays to offer pre-orders to the attendees. You may consider leaving some books from your catalogue at home, so long as you give readers some options during the pre-ordering phase.
Specialty Swag: In the past year alone, I’ve seen so many different pieces of specialty swag, that it kind of makes my head spin. But the items that were most well-received by the readers included boxed sets of books that featured a unique trinket, books that had a specialty cover—one that was created just for the book convention, tote bags, and t-shirts. At the last convention I attended, I asked a half dozen different attendees about the bookish shirts they wore and all of them said they bought the apparel from authors who were in that very room with me. Not only did these readers want to support their favorite authors, but when they found a slogan or logo that appealed to them, they simply couldn’t resist buying the tee.
Download the printable PDF so you can check these items off your own list before packing up and heading to the book convention.
I know I’ve got “Books” right there at the top of the list above, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the heart and soul of your business before closing out this post.
At a Book Convention, consider bringing more books than you generally would to other events. The standard rule is to pack at least twenty of your title and ten of each first book in a series or standalone, but at a book convention, it is possible to sell out of your stock. I’d recommend having at least thirty books in your hands. Feel free to divide those as you like but promote your usual best-sellers. Customers at book conventions might not know you today, but if they are willing to take a chance on your work, give them the best you’ve got.
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