Hello everyone,
Well what a few weeks it has been. First there was the release of my new novel 'The Wilds' - available here - which did very well on it's first week of release, and has garnered several five star reviews already. Then last Saturday I attended my first signing event at a memorabilia fair.
I have rarely been as nervous as I was that day. I have never attended one of these events as a member of the public, let alone a guest, so I had no idea what to expect. The day began very early when my wife and I packed up the car and set off to our destination, Cleethorpes, about an hour and a half away. We drove up there over the, still misty, Lincolnshire wolds.
Upon our arrival, the place was full of activity, with a myriad of vendors setting up there wares. We were shown where we would be setting up, and all of the amenities at our disposal. We then set about setting up my table, I was quite pleased with the results.
Sat next to us was a fellow horror author, the wonderful Nathan Robinson, who I had previously only had the pleasure of speaking to online. We were all set up, and when the doors opened, we waited, and waited, and waited.
With so many other vendors there, it seemed that no one was really interested in buying books from an author they had never heard of before. Then a few hours later I made my first sale, a copy of my short story collection 'Dark County', to a woman dressed in a terrifying Cybershade (from Doctor Who) costume. With an unbelievable sense of pride I signed my name in that book, and suddenly the whole thing seemed worth, in terms of recognition if not recompense.
As the day progressed we had a good laugh with our fellow guest, and saw some amazing sights. Over the course of the day I sold a further four books, and although this did not make me rich, it did put me in a slight profit for a wonderful day.
I have the bug now. The next event I am attending is the Geeks Unleashed at the Doncaster Dome, on May the 4th. This event will be much larger, with more guests ( I can't wait to meet Danny John Jules, the Cat from Red Dwarf). I am also taking part in a panel discussion with some fellow authors, which I am really looking forward to.
Indie authors who have not attended any such events, you really should try it, it is great fun, and even though my sales on the day weren't amazing, I have seen a definite increase in ebook sales since I went there.
