How to Exhibit at Book Industry Tradeshows

One of the best ways to promote a book to bookstore buyers and librarians is for them to see the book in person at a major industry tradeshow. Read on for information about the most important shows and tips on how to participate on a budget.
There are several large shows in the U.S. geared toward booksellers and librarians, including:

•  Book Expo American (BEA – geared to booksellers)
•  Christian Retail Show (CBA)
•  American Library Association Annual Conference (ALA)

•  American Library Association Midwinter Conference (ALA)

•  Public Libraries Association (PLA – in even-numbered years)

•  Association of College and Research Librarians (ACRL – in odd-numbered years)

•  American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
•  Texas Library Association (TLA - the largest of the state shows)

•  Other state and regional library shows

The major international book shows, such as the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair, focus largely on international book sales and the sale of foreign and translation rights to books. For the national and international shows, nonfiction books probably have a higher chance of success.
How to Exhibit at Book Shows
The expense of exhibiting in person at the major shows is usually prohibitive for independent publishers, however it may be beneficial to participate in your state library association show, especially if it’s held nearby and you are able to share a booth with one or two other publishers. Be sure to find out if show management permits booth sharing, and don’t be shy about asking if your book would be a good fit for their audience. For example, I have found that there are a lot of children’s and young adult librarians in attendance at the Texas Library Show.

The most economical way to participate in the major shows is through a co-op booth, where books from a number of different small and independent publishers are displayed together. You pay a fee (typically around $50 to $100) and ship your book to the booth sponsor. They take care of shipping the books to the show, displaying them in the booth, staffing the booth, and providing literature to the visitors. These organizations provide co-op display services at a number of national, international and regional shows:
•  Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

•  Combined Book Exhibit
•  Jenkins – Global Book Shows
•  Association Book Exhibit In addition to library shows, Association Book Exhibit participates in some other professional association conferences. If you're a nonfiction publisher, check out their list of conferences to see if any match up to your book's topic.

If a book industry tradeshow is being held near where you live, it’s a great learning experience to attend the show. Contact show management to find out if authors or publishers are allowed to attend.

For tips on how to sell more books at book fairs and tradeshows, see these articles:

The 12 Commandments of Selling Books at Book Fairs, Conventions and Festivals by Terry Cordingley

12 Secrets to Selling More Books at Events by Penny S Sansevieri 

Photo credit: IJustFinished.com through Flickr Creative Commons.

 

Drawing on her 16 years of publishing experience and degree in marketing, Dana Lynn Smith helps authors learn how to promote their books through her how-to guides, one-on-one coaching, blog, and newsletter. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter and also get a free copy of her latest ebook, Savvy Book Marketing Secrets: 52 Experts Share Insider Tips for Selling More Books

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The 12 Commandments of Selling Books at Book Fairs, Conventions and Fairs and Festivals

As with book signing events, your goal for fairs and festivals is to draw a crowd to your booth, sell books and “create the demand” for the book.

1.      Register for the event as early as possible

1. Contact the event organizer
2. Find out the cost of the booth or registration
3. Register for the event and inform your marketing representative

2.      Spread the word about your appearance at the event

1. Church bulletin
2. Online newspapers free event calendar listings
3. Free online listing at Craig’s List http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html
4. E-mail  invitations to your address book
2. Share expenses
1. Split the cost of the booth with another author, if festival organizers allow booth-sharing
2. Decorate the booth with a banner and tabletop posters announcing that the author is available to sign copies of books.  Make the booth as attractive as possible!
3. Establish a family member or friend to help you during the event
4. Items you will need for your booth:
1. Books.  You will need to determine how many books you will need to have available for the event.  You can always keep extra copies in your car, if needed. 
2. Giveaways.  Just like at trade shows, attendees are always looking for free items.  Have a supply of bookmarks, business cards and push cards on hand to help promote your book if people don’t buy a copy on the spot.
3. Décor.  Most festivals will give you a table and a chair, and not much else.  Find out if you’ll need table coverings, a tent or awning (if an outdoor event), or a power supply for any video or audio needs you may have.  Also make sure you have pens and posters to advertise who you are and why you are there, preferably with a photo of your book cover on it.  You may even want to have a banner made for your book that you can re-use at future events.  You’re only limited by your imagination.
5. Be prepared with conversation starters.
1. “How did you hear about the event?”
2. “Are you an avid reader?”
3. “Do you live in the area?”\
4. Have a one-minute pitch ready to go that tells people who you are and what your book is about.  Practice it so that it seems natural and not forced.
6. Have a guest-book on your table for people to sign their name and e-mail address. By doing this at every event, you can create a large mailing list for e-blasts or newsletters about your book.
7. Practice good booth etiquette.
1. If you are sharing a booth, be considerate and polite to your fellow authors.
2. Don’t complain to your fellow authors if the event isn’t going well and you aren’t selling many books.  Attitude is contagious! 
3. Work out ahead of time how you will approach customers at the booth so you aren’t overwhelming them and pressuring them to buy books.
4. Be friendly and approachable.
5. Don’t just sit at the booth and wait for people to come to you.  Engage passersby in conversation and offer them any giveaways you may have.  Use the opportunity to tell them about your book.
8. Arrive early, allowing plenty of time to set up for the event.

10. Have book ordering information available in case you run out of books.   Business cards and push cards can be used for this purpose.
11. Send a thank-you card to the organizer after the event. If the event was especially successful, send a letter of commendation to the event organizer.  They may ask you to be a featured author next year.
12. Book early for next year’s event.

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