"Remember that every book sold is a win, and every market is a learning opportunity to explore what works and refine your pitch..."

Tis the season for book fairs and markets! Many indie writers find lots of success through promoting their books at their local craft fairs, farmers markets, and book festivals. It’s a great way to get your book in front of new people and connect with readers in-person. It's also a great way to learn what works/doesn't work when it comes to sales which can absolutely translate to how you market your book on the online world.

If you’re new to the bookfair and market world, here are some steps you can take to get started.

Identify Local Literary Events & Craft Fairs

You can also check event pages on the websites of local bookstores or send an inquiry on if they have anything upcoming. Get an idea of the event size and attendees as that will be important for knowing how much product and marketing material to order. A good way to know if it’s an event that’s a good fit for your book, as yourself if it's an event you would want to attend, or that your ideal reader would attend.

Keywords to search on google and instagram:

Book Fair in (your city), Craft Fair in (your city), Farmers Market in (your city), Meet the Authors Event (your city), Local Bookstore Events, Literary Events in (your city), Indie Author Fairs in (your city), Local Artisan/Makers Markets, Local Holiday Markets, Comic Cons, Zine & Small Press Fairs, Local Festivals

Apply As A Vendor

Once you have a wishlist of events and know the dates they start looking for vendors (can be anywhere for 1 year to 1 month from the event), you can start applying! Vendor applications typically ask for your name, products you sell (books), and some require you to be insured for the event (they often recommend an insurer). They will ask if you need power for your booth, size of the booth, and any other specific requirements/questions they have. Payment for booth space is typically sent after approval.

The cost can be anywhere from $0 to $1,000. It's very dependent on the size of the event. For general book fairs I’ve paid between $50 to $130 CAD for my booth space and $18 for insurance. Your spot isn’t secured until you pay.

Decide What To Sell

The first question you should ask yourself is: what are you selling? Of course, you plan to sell your books, but you might also consider offering smaller products. These can help draw attention and boost your overall sales so you can turn a profit. You don’t have to offer anything beyond your books, but if you do, make sure the products align with your theme so they feel cohesive. Here’s a list of clever bonus products I’ve seen at markets or have sold myself:

• Stickers of your book cover and/or character art. People go crazy for stickers!
• Little book review journals
• Annotation tabs
• Keychains, pins, or magnets with your book cover
• Cozy reading socks or scrunchies (to set a nice reading vibe)
• Emotional support re-usable water bottles or mugs with a quote from your books
• T-shirts, sweaters, hats, or totes, featuring quotes from your books
• Reader Care Package (purchase a book and get a few free goodies like a scrunchie, tea bag, and sticker)
• Book marks
• Candles (You can get unbranded candles or easily make some yourself and label them as characters/vibes from your books
• Postcards from settings in your book
• Jewelry that hold some significance in your story (ie: seaglass jewelry to compliment your book about sirens and mermaids)

Prepare What You’ll Bring

Some fairs have tables and chairs for you, others require you to bring your own. I’ve rented a couple 4 foot tables that fold inward (so they are super compact and can fit easily in my car). I arrange them in an L formation in the booth so it’s been quite versatile. For marketing material and signage, I’ve used Vista Print. Here is a list of all the things you might consider bringing to the event:

• Folding tables (you can rent them from a local event company or peer-to-peer rental marketplace for $20, or you can find them second-hand).
• Folding chairs (standing for 3-5 hours can be tiring)
• Your product (the amount of which should be relative to the event. If it’s your first one, over-estimate)
• Author cards (can be in the form of business cards, book marks, post-cards, pamphlets, sheets…etc). This should include your name, books, socials/website. Lots of people use a QR code to connect their linktree.
• Additional promotion material that offer value: such as newsletters, curated playlists, menus/recipes for food featured in your book, word searches, coloring pages, writing tips…etc
• A Human-Made or No AI sign (so people know AI isn’t used, which is growing in importance for readers).
• Freebie items (optional–this could be stickers, bookmarks, or any low-cost item)
• A large box or wagon to carry your things so you do less trips to the car
• Change for patrons
• A way to handle digital sales (ie: Square)
• Pricing sign so it’s clear how much things cost
• Table cloth & sign
• Rollup banner with your book cover and hook (This helps grab some attention)
• A trusty pen to sign books with
• Email capture form (especially if you are launching a new book soon)
• A Be-Back-Soon sign
• Snacks & drinks (caffeine recommended)
• A canopy tent if the event is outdoors (you can rent these from local event companies or rental marketplaces).
• Tape, scissors, zip ties, umbrella, and extra pens

Promote The Event

Many of the events expect vendors to help them market, so it’s important to check in with their socials to share/boost posts. You can even create your own photos/videos teasing the event and what you’ll be offering. Some authors do a special promotion for the event (come see me in person and enter to win______).

Attend & Have Some Fun

The day is long, but it can feel so rewarding to share your book with readers, connect with fellow writers, and make some sales. Remember that every book sold is a win, and every market is a learning opportunity to explore what works and refine your pitch. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make any sales. Ask yourself whether the event brought the right audience and what you can do differently next time. There’s also real value in promoting your book, networking, and building connections with other authors.

Questions people might ask you:

• What is the book about?
• What inspired it?
• What got you into writing?
• What are you working on now?

I sometimes like to open up a dialogue by asking what genres they typically enjoy reading and what the last book was that they really loved. This is a great way to break the ice before moving into your pitch, because it gives you something to connect your story to. “Oh, if you loved the villain in that story, you might be a fan of this one…”

Your Pitch

People are generally in a hurry, and markets tend to put them in a bit of a “squirrel” mindset, so they’re quick to move through booths. Some will even do a full lap first, then come back to the ones that caught their attention. To match that pace, have a snappy pitch ready to go (“It’s a [tone/genre] story about [character] who [goal], but [conflict/stakes]”), along with a slightly longer version for those who want to hear more.

Another key goal is to get them to physically hold your book. If they ask what it’s about, hand them a copy and walk them through your pitch while they take in the cover.