The Set-Up
– An artist/small press table for AwesomeCon this year was $290. The fee included one skirted table and 2 chairs. The Convention ran from Friday afternoon through Sunday with a reported attendance of 40k people.
– Though the coordinators seemed somewhat disorganized prior to the event, once everything was underway, things ran pretty smoothly and I was impressed with the level of customer service that was offered to vendors.
– The table vs booth distinction was an issue. I thought I paid for a booth, but got a table when I arrived. Fortunately, I had my new retractable banners so set-up was much easier. I highly recommend these if anyone is considering what items to invest in for a show. Unfortunately, I had no room for my RIB rack, so I just bought the books with me and was able to talk about quite a few RIB authors. My list of POC speculative fiction writers came in handy as well.
– The convention was small enough to have just 1 person (me) at my table for both Friday and Sunday, but Saturday, I got help from my mother.
Results
– 94 books sold in 2 ½ days, which I think is pretty good considering that this was the smallest Con I’ve done to-date.
– Had 2 impromptu interviews and made a few connections that I am looking forward to exploring
– I paid $120 for electricity, mostly to power my TV where I play my book trailer as part of my display. But unlike in bigger Cons where you are really fighting for attention, I don’t think I needed it for this event. Next year, I will save the expense.
– The “2 for $20” pitch continues to be a powerful tool. Including some swag also helps to make people feel like they are really getting a great deal for their money. I am still giving away the reusable bags and/or Order of the Seers posters with each book purchase.
Conclusion
– This was definitely a successful event for me and I will be back next year (unless they schedule the event during Easter weekend again!)
– Even if you don’t know someone you can stay with in the DC/MD/VA area, you can find cheap enough accommodations in DC that might allow you to a least breakeven, while increasing your book exposure. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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