An Experiment of Sorts...

So this past weekend I took a box of books and went to a local event in the hopes of selling a few copies. Indie South Fair is a two-day, twice a year event that is held in Athens, GA. Unfortunately, it was held outside (gah!) and the second day was rainy and in the 40s temperature wise. But I did sell three copies of my book, one of which was to a complete stranger, so I guess it was a success. Here are some photos of the event:

Me next to my books and my display. Also note the beautiful banner in the background provided by AWA's founder Katherine.

The tent on the first day. Books galore and fellow AWA members (and my sister Amanda).

A prop provided by Rob (pictured here), this sword was a hit with several kids and a few adults.

About a month back, Athens Writers Association was at a similar event and afterwards we discussed the need for props to bring potential buyers to our table. Because I constantly over complicate things, I made a plethora of props. 

What's a demon hunter without a box full of supplies? And since it's Whit, the box obviously has to be shiny and pink.

Some of the internal contents of the box. A red diary, some Big City paraphernalia, quartz, gold stone, a tiny magnifying glass, a leather bracelet with a ward sewn into it and a bottle of sparkles.

Another shot of what the box contains. Some Big City stickers, a bottle of holy water, and a mysterious box containing some strange items...

A guide to Big City.

The guide is full of interesting tidbits about the wonderful world Whit lives in.

A good knife is always helpful on the hunt.

All hunters need stakes. I made these and the leather sheath.

On the first day of this event, my stuff was tucked deep into the tent and few people felt comfortable venturing that far into our book abyss, so no one actually looked at the paper products I created (like the Big City tourist booklet). I did have two different kids (probably around 8 years old) ask me about my stakes. The second day was too wet to put anything out really without risking it getting damaged. So yeah, I went overboard on my props and they didn't really bring in sales, but it was fun making them (if that counts for anything). It's all a learning experience, and with each new event I'll know better what works and what doesn't work. Now that I have two events under my belt I'll be that much more successful at the next one. :)