BAIPA member Mike Burwen is enthusiastic about participating in book fairs, after his excellent experience last October.
Mike says, “I was invited to tout my book at the Great Valley Bookfest in Manteca. It was held outdoors at a shopping mall. About 4,000 people attended, according to the fair manager. I haven’t a clue about how the fair promoters found me. It was an extremely successful event for me. I sold about 30 books in one day at my booth, and several more were sold at the Barnes & Noble booth there.”
The Barnes & Noble booth was stocked with several copies of every book shown at the fair. Late in the day, Mike was approached by a B&N rep, who asked him if he would be interested in participating in a traveling book show that B&N is thinking of staging in mid-2015.
Mike continues, “The book fair was free. Everything was provided for the authors and their significant others, including the booth, lunch, dinner, and even a hotel room. I’ve identified other book fairs, but they all charge for booth space, and expenses are not covered.”
Mike would like to be in touch with other BAIPA members who might be interested in sharing the cost of a booth at other fairs. For more info, call Mike at 707-658-2844 or email mike@pamg.com.
Author
One of my favorite things about BAIPA is its culture of generosity, the willingness — even eagerness — to share what we have each learned in the process of bringing stories to life. We provide educational programs, networking, marketing opportunities, encouragement, and information on industry vendors and services. And lots of one-on-one advice and mentoring.
We welcome all who have an interest in making connections within the world of independent publishing and learning more about how to publish and sell their work successfully. Together we are raising the standard of independent publishing and helping our members thrive.
Do join us!
—Becky Parker Geist, BAIPA Board of Directors, President
Quick Resources
Current BAIPA members do not need to register for our monthly meetings. The night before the meetings, they will receive the Zoom info. For workshop registration, currently, members get in free for all workshops and will receive the Zoom info the night before the meetings, as well as in the confirmation email.