Having great weather is essential for an outdoor event. It was sunny and 80s on Saturday for the Cheshire Strawberry Festival.
Planning ahead is the next best thing. All the books were in waterproof suitcases and bags. We positioned the table half a foot from the edge of the tent, just in cast rain tried to surprise us.
Having a booth buddy to work the event with me makes all the difference in the world. Rejection is tough. When you work a booth, you have to hand sell the books to every single person with the same enthusiasm as you did the first person that day. We literally pitch the books hundreds of times. Mom and I keep each other’s spirit up, take turns watching the cash box during bathroom breaks, and made sales all day.
Working with amazing organizers. Seriously, this was the best run event I’ve ever participated in. The First Congregational Church of Cheshire made this a dream day.
The second you pulled into the event area, people directed you to the proper check-in area. Then you were told where to go for your booth.
Each car was able to pull up right next to their booth to unload. And guess what? Boy Scouts helped you unload and set up your tent for you! What normally took Mom and me an hour to do, they did in 10 minutes. It was amazing.
Throughout the day, volunteers checked in to see how things were going and to get feedback. They even give their vendors $10 of coupons for food and drinks.
The event was held beside this beautiful national historic place and we were allowed to use the church’s restrooms instead of port-o-lets. That’s a big serving of kindness when you’re working an event for 7 hours.
The people were so friendly. Even when someone wasn’t interested in a book, the person was polite. That’s rare. I’ve worked events where you ask if someone likes to read and they look at you like you offered them a cold virus.
We sold lots of books and met lots of amazing people.
I left there in high spirits, feeling like the day was a huge success for me!
What makes a great author event for you? Or what do you wish authors would do when you go to their book signings?
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