Books on Display

by Jeanette O'Hagan

image in header courtesy of Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Readers and writers are in some ways like dance partners - we need each other, we need some way to connect, though our aims may be different.

As readers we wish to discover and follow great authors who write great books. We want to be entertained, taken on an emotional journey, inspired, transported into another world (whether the this world is contemporary, historical, futuristic or imaginative.) As readers we are spoiled for choose - over two million new books are published each year.  More than anyone could read in a lifetime. Of course, not all of those are in English, not all of those are in the genres we love or on the topics that interest us, and many of those are perhaps not the best quality. As readers how do we find the books and authors we would enjoy amid the ocean of books?

As authors, we spend maybe years on writing and polishing our books, immersed in our words, living with our characters. In many ways, they are like our children. Writing (when it's not torture) can be exhilarating, thrilling, addictive. But who hides their children in the basement? Most of us want to the world to read our stories, we want to connect with new readers who will enjoy our books, who can't wait for the next one. But it's hard to do that in a world swamped with new titles each year, especially as publishers spend less time marketing new authors.

So how do we find dance partners?  Of course, there are a number of ways - launches, browsing, book-signings, catalogues, book clubs, newsletters, reviews, giveaways, author talks, social media, word of mouth ...  All legitimate ways for readers to find new books or authors to connect with new readers.

And then there are book events - markets, cons and book fairs.

Markets 

I know some authors have stalls at local markets to sell their books and connect with their readers. How successful these are often depends on the day, the weather, the type of market it is (if most of the other stallholders sell fresh food, books may not be what patrons are looking for), and perhaps, building a presence over time.

I've had table at our church's Twilight Markets and sold a few books - more this year than last.

Things to consider might be the cost of stall hire, props (are tables supplied, table clothes, posters or banners etc), promotional materials, insurance, change & eftpos facilities, and a way to carry the books. While there are ways to sell ebooks at physical events, it works best if you have print books for sale.

As a reader, this would be hit and miss, unless you know for sure a local author - or group of authors - regularly come to a market.

Conventions

Conventions may provide a more focused audience, but may have higher costs.

Last year Adele Jones, Lynne Stringer and I shared costs at the Brisbane Oz Comic Con over a two day period.  This is a convention dedicated to fans of all kinds of speculative fiction (we are science fiction and/or fantasy writers) and we had a very willing audience. We must have spoken to hundreds of people who were interested in what we wrote and in our books. And while we didn't sell hundreds of books, sales were healthy. We also had fabulous fun enjoying the vibe and seeing the fantastic cosplay and speaking to people interested in speculative fiction. We had discovered our tribe.

Last year I was also invited to speak at Conquest - a speculative fiction fan group - and was given table space to display my books. It was a fun afternoon, though I found most people were interested in telling me about their passions than buying books.

For readers and fans, these can be fantastic events with opportunities to meet authors (or actors) you follow and to maybe discover a new fandoms (Nardva anyone? Or Verindon? Or Blain Colton? You know you want to - smile).

Book Fairs

Books Fairs allow a number of authors to display their works and hopefully attract keen readers looking for the latest book from their favourite author, but also to look at new titles and authors in their favourite genre.

The Readers and Writers Dowunder run a book fair at the Gold Coast each year, though (at least the year I went) the vast majority are romance and generally romance with bare-chested men on the covers.

Omega Writers ran a Book Fair in 2016 (organised by Raelene Purtill and myself) - with a range of authors, workshops, readings, prizes.  It was so successful that Omega Writers is running the Book Fair again this year on Saturday 10 March at the same venue (Queens Road, Everton Park). Judy Rogers and I are the main organisers this time round.

We are excited to have Gary Clark - the award-winning Australian cartoonist, and creator of Swamp, Diesel Dog and Dingbat comics - to give a one hour workshop on Inspiring Humour.

This is also an opportunity for Christian authors to display and sell their books and connect with readers. And an opportunity for readers to connect with a wide range of Christian authors - from non-fiction to fiction, from romance to science fiction, from children's to adults' books.

Entrance for readers is by gold coin donation, while registration for display tables and the workshop will available next week. To find out more, watch the Omega Website - or join the FB event page here.  If you are in our near Brisbane in March this year, we urge you to come check it out -  you'll enjoy it.

So, what is your experience of markets, conventions and fairs. Any tips, either as a reader or a writer, about how to get the best out of these events?



***

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users. She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children. Find her on Facebook , Twitter, or at her webpages Jeanette O'Hagan Writes or Jenny's Thread.

ACRBA Tour Once Confronted by Lynne Stringer

6 - 10 February 2017

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is Introducing 

Once Confronted

(By the Rhiza Press, 1 October 2016)

By Lynne Stringer

About the Book:

After a normal day turns disastrous, Madison Craig tries to put her life back together. She’s jumping at shadows and finds even familiar places terrifying. Can she forgive the men who hurt her?

Her friend Evan Mansfield sees no need to do anything but hate their assailants. He struggles with bitterness, but Maddy wants to move on. What will she do when one of the men asks for forgiveness? 

About the Author:

Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her primary school days. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels.

Lynne is the author of the Verindon trilogy, a young adult science fiction romance series released in 2013. Her latest novel, released in October 2016, is Once Confronted, a contemporary drama. Visit www.lynnestringer.com for more information.

Lynne is the author of the Verindon series including The Heir, The Crown and The Reign.

Author Interview: Lynne Stringer

Interview by Iola Goulton.

Lynne Stringer is a sci-fi geek who published her first book, The Heir, in June. The sequel, The Crown, will be available in November 2013. Lynne, thanks for joining us today.

What kind of response have you had to The Heir? What have been some of the high points? Low points?

The response has been pretty good. Most of the reviews I’ve received have been positive ones. Of course, every writer is going to find someone who doesn’t like their book. Creative writing (or any sort of creativity) is subjective. Some people will get it and some people won’t. It was hard to receive my first poor review, but it has been balanced out by the four and five star reviews I’ve had.

What can you tell us about The Crown (without giving away any spoilers)?

The Crown follows Sarah’s continuing adventures. She is in danger and is hidden to try and keep her safe, but her enemies are determined to kill her, so she doesn’t stay safe for long.

Do you think people have to read The Heir first, or does The Crown work as a stand-alone novel?

I think it would help to read The Heir first, but there is a distinct story thread that begins and ends within The Crown’s pages, so they should be able to follow that without a problem. I have had a couple of people read The Crown without having read The Heir and they said they could follow it.

I often find the middle book in a trilogy is the weakest. What do you, as an author, do to try to avoid that?

I have found that too. It’s a difficult thing to combat. I have tried my best to write a story that moves along the overall story, as well as being entertaining in its own right.

When I interviewed you in regard to The Heir, you commented on how you love Dan because you can see what’s going on in his head, but the reader doesn’t see that because the story’s told entirely from Sarah’s point of view. Do we get to see Dan’s viewpoint in The Crown? Have you ever thought of telling us Dan’s side of the story?

We still don’t see a lot of his viewpoint, no, mainly because the group he belongs to do tend to be secretive, and I felt it was better to stick with first person narrative from Sarah’s point of view because that’s what I’d started with. As a reader, I find it distracting if a series of books alters its internal structure too much.

As for writing more of Dan’s side of the story, when I was writing The Heir I did write the entire story from his point of view. It helped me work out exactly what was happening, especially since there was so much going on that Sarah didn’t know about. I would certainly consider submitting it for publication, but I think the trilogy would have to be amazingly successful before my publisher would agree to it!

When can we expect to see the final book in the trilogy? It is a trilogy, isn’t it?

Yes, it is a trilogy. The Crown, as act two in my three act play, raises a lot more questions than it answers. Those questions will be answered in book three, The Reign, which is due out in May 2014.
You are in the unusual position of working for a publisher and being an author and editor yourself.

How do you find working for your own publisher? Does it make the editing and publication process easier or harder?

It has helped to hone my own writing and also to see things from everyone’s point of view. I know what it’s like to be an author who waits for any sliver of news about whether or not their book’s been accepted for publication. I also know just how much work goes into publishing even one book. It has made it easier for me to understand everything involved, but harder because I want to do as much as I can to help make the process easier for everyone, which can be time consuming.

How is working for a small press like Wombat/Even Before different to a bigger publisher?

It is harder because we don’t have the huge publicity machine that many of the bigger publishers have or the relationships that they have developed with many bookstores, reviewers, etc, over a long period of time. We’re little fish in a big ocean and getting our name out there can be an uphill battle. We rely a lot on word of mouth to spread the news about our books.

What advice would you give to pre-published authors today?

One of my favourite quotes is from Dorothy Parker and reads like this:

"If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favour you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy."

This may seem a little cynical, but there is no doubt in my mind that writing a novel is the easy part. And as with everything, if you aren’t willing to put in the hard work, even in those areas that you don’t enjoy, you will not have success.

Just today I went out to ask some bookstores if I can do signings instore. I was knocked back by the two I tried, but a few weeks ago I was accepted by another bookstore, and when I went in for my signing I sold the most books I have sold anywhere. You have to be willing to get up every time you’re knocked down or you will never succeed.

Also, make sure you do everything you can to make your book as good as possible. There is a lot of negativity out there towards authors at the moment because these days anyone can get their book published if they have enough money. Unfortunately, it means a lot of poor quality books have flooded the market. This has made us all look bad.

Make sure you listen to everyone’s advice and consider it all seriously before deciding whether or not you follow it. You don’t have to do everything everyone says, but keep an open mind. Many of the things you are told will only improve your chances. But if you’re not willing to change and you’re not willing to fight, you’ll never make it at all.

You can find out more about Lynne Stringer and the Verindon trilogy at her website.

Interview by Iola Goulton. I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog.