I spent this past weekend at a nearby festival, selling books. This is a faithful narrative of that time.
3:23 am Wide awake. Alarm doesn’t go off for two hours. Lovely.
6:00 am Up and at ‘em. Dressing to walk the dogs.
9:50 am No time for eggs or sausage with my breakfast. Just Devon cream and jam on crumpets, compliments of Angela. It’s good, but I need some protein. We got all set up, and it looks really good! The lady beside me is really nice. She sells purses, and I’m pretty sure I’m walking out of here with one on Sunday. 😉 It’s brutally hot, but there’s a breeze. I have two of the tent sides rolled up. The back is down, mainly because I don’t want people walking in behind me.
11:15 am I’ve realized that in the row I’m in, there are three of us, then no one in the rest of the row. There are big gaps between vendors on the other side. I don’t know if people paid and didn’t show up, or if the spots never sold.
11:45 am Note for next time: have a full-sized table.
1:30 pm I don’t know where Stephanie found the hamburger earlier, but I couldn’t locate it, so when Angela came back from her food run, I made mine and ended up with hot dogs and a chocolate shake. Yum! The lines were long at every concession stand. Seems like most folks are hanging on to their money, though.
6:54 pm I did it. I bought the purse, plus a wallet. I’ve made some sales, and given out some business cards.
7:34 pm Met a friend of Angela’s. The weather has cooled off. We’re in the shade now, too. Yay! <3
I’ve enjoyed the day, but I’m getting tired. This introvert is in dire need of quiet time!
Day Two
8:30 am Just texted my brother. He’s picking me up and taking me to the festival grounds this morning, and my sister-in-law and her mom are coming to help me tear down this afternoon. Wickham’s gas tank is hanging a foot off the ground, and I’m afraid to drive him. I’m going to call the shop Monday morning and get it fixed. I was thinking about calling AAA to tow him in, but the shop is no more than a mile away, and if that tank falls out, it’s going to cost a whole lot more to fix than it currently will, so I don’t know.
10:21 am Ted got me and took me through McDonald’s drive-through, then helped me open the tent and pull stuff out of the truck. I’m all set up and sitting here waiting for customers. I want to run down to the end of the row and see if I can find a shirt and/or a dress. Spending way more than I’m making here. LOL
10:31 am I’m here alone today, so I’m limited in how far I can go and how long I can be gone. I need to stay hydrated, but since I can’t run to the potty often, I also must be careful of how much I drink. Thankfully, we still have a breeze.
This morning, the day is starting with a praise band, and I’m in my chair, in my tent, praising almost like I was in church.
11:28 am Made another sale! 🙂 I love talking about my books. I met a woman who helped a guy in Minnesota to write a book that God has used in a mighty way. That was cool!
12:36 pm Going pretty slow right now. Had a burger a little bit ago. I’d like a nap, but that’s not possible. It’s gotten a little cloudy, which is really nice, and the wind is picking up just a bit.
Am I bored? Maybe a little, but with the amount of being social I have had to do, I’m enjoying being quiet.
1:08 pm ‘Tis raining. Sides are down and zipped together, except for the front. ~sigh~ Thanking God He directed me to this particular tent!
2:52 pm Two more hours. I’ve given away more business cards, but made no more sales. I got leads on two more festivals.
3:19 pm Rain threatens once more. Check that. It’s raining again. Lady beside me is packing up. I have to wait on Steph, so there’s no point in closing up. Plus, people are here. Still, too, I’m a bit of a stickler about keeping my word. I don’t like that I left so early last night, though it worked out well.
I fully intend to sit in the quiet the rest of the night. I can hardly wait to get back to my routine!
Reflections:
Would I do this again? Maybe. This festival specifically? Probably not, but I can’t say 100% “no.” I didn’t sell enough to break even on the site fee. Of course, who knows how many e-books will have been sold as a result of people taking my business cards. That’s impossible to quantify. I’m open to other festivals, though, and there’s one in October that is only $20.
I need to keep better records and remember to give receipts for cash payments. I’m happy I had the Square thing and could take credit card payments. That was a big help.
I sold more here than I did a year ago at a book signing. That says something, you know?
The whole weekend was not as difficult as I had feared it would be. It was too hot, yes, but I sat most of the time, and there was a nice breeze to cool us off. In the end, it was worth it just for the experience and exposure.
Come back next Wednesday for another peek into my journal! <3
