Yesterday’s Book Fair as part of the Rosemount Writers’ Festival made for a long day. It was fun despite the gorgeous March weather keeping the foot traffic on the low side. No matter how many books I sell at a given event, I always come away with a positive experience. The rewarding thing I’m finding out is that I’m getting repeat customers. Readers who bought Castle Danger in the past year or two are seeking me out to buy their signed copy of Straight River. 🙂
[For some reason, I can’t load any pictures tonight. I’ll try to get some on soon.]
One positive is meeting and reconnecting with authors. I was pleased that esteemed Minnesota author David Housewright stopped by my table and introduced himself. Housewright is an Edgar Award winner among other honors. Also, I’ve gotten to know authors like Jeff Ollman, Kiersten Hall, Lydia Emma Niebuhr, and Pat Dennis through repeated meetings at book fairs such as the Rosemount Book Fair. And I made new connections with gardening expert/author Mary Schier and children’s author Mary Bleckwehl.
Another positive is chatting with customers. Serious book readers come to these events. They are invariably well-spoken and interesting to talk to. I picked up a great tip about a possible character to consider for a future book. How? Simply by chatting with a customer for five minutes.