Sometimes, I look at my people and wonder, is there anything we hold sacred?
If not our bodies, then what?
If not our history, then what?
If not our truths, then what?
If not our art, then what?
If not our relationships, then what?
If not the words we speak, then what?
To what do we hold sacred?
That is the question.
Today, we are continuing our conversation on author vending. If you are new here, check out part one here.
First, you want to determine how much the event host will charge you to be a vendor and what that fee entails. My requirement to vend at any event is that the fee includes a table and two chairs. Some businesses demand that you supply your own table and chairs. That feels like renting space with no space to me, but everyone’s different.
Whatever you decide, ensure the cost is reasonable and within your budget. So, if you have to bring a table (which you’ll probably have to buy), the vending fee should not cost an arm and a leg.
There is an exception to high ticket vending costs based on the influence of the event. See bullet point #3.
This is a must if you decide to vend at a location outside the city/state where you live. This means the cost of vending takes on a more significant role because now you will have to consider: the cost of vending + travel + hotel.
This is where you should keep in mind that you are a business, not just an author, and that choosing to sell your goods at events is a business decision. Take into account the event’s quality if you must travel and do other things.
We talked about this last time, but I want to discuss it from a different angle.
Events that offer a chance for people to become vendors come in all shapes and sizes. Some events are hosted by first-time event hosts, and some by larger influencers and celebrities. Both are wonderful growth opportunities.
When deciding where to put your money, consider whether there will be a sizable enough crowd for you to conduct business outside of the vendors. The one con to vending at an event that can only produce a crowd within the vendors is that it will be difficult to conduct any commerce because we are all there for the same reason.
Vending is also about connecting with powerful influencers who could help propel you to the next level. In this case, the cost to vend might be pricey, but the event’s influence makes up for it because of the people and powerful connections you can make. (Think Essence Fest and Invest Fest)
While vending at Black Writer’s Weekend last year was a bit costly, here are some things that made me decide to give it a try:
If you are just going to sit behind your table looking mean, scrolling through your phone, and waiting for people to talk to you, vending might not be for you. If you intend to make a return on your investment, you will have to engage with people.
Last but certainly not least is your inventory!
Give yourself enough time to get all your tools together before the event and include that in the cost! Remember, as Indie Authors, we have to buy author copies.
In part one, I joked that authors should vend at events focusing on books to avoid competing with the lady selling shea butter.
Well, I did meet a lady selling Shea Butter!
And her table was right next to mine, she also has locs, and wears glasses.
Of everyone at the pop-up, I was the only one with books. This set me apart and made people feel like I was the bookstore part of the event. And I did pretty well!
Even if it’s not an event focusing on books, you can do well as the only person with books or one of a few.
The Shea Butter woman’s name is Jenesis, and she runs an alternative and holistic health service business called Root’d Spa with various wellness products.
She bought a copy of my book, and I bought a bracelet from her! We are now following each other on social media.
Yesterday, I turned 36, and you would think this is a lesson I’ve learned by now.
But Paschal’s restaurant was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It upset me for a number of reasons.
But first, a little history.
I chose Paschal’s because I heard about their fried chicken and soul food. Google also informed me that the area has a fantastic civil rights history, having served as the main gathering spot for movement leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, and others. It was founded in 1947 by two Black men, James and Robert Paschal.
I saw Dr. King’s and others’ images on the walls and was sold.
I didn’t look at any other spots after that. That was where I wanted to go. The prices were steep, but I didn’t care. I was told to pick out any place I wanted, and this is what I wanted.
Or so I thought.
The first red flag was the valet parking, which we paid for via cash app.
I frowned. Cash app?
Now I’ve used cash app for many things, but a restaurant isn’t one of them.
But I didn’t want to be difficult so I said okay.
We walked in, and I felt like I was back in High School.
Call me bougie, but I was uncomfortable.
I am all for having a good time with my people, but this looked a lot different from the layout on the website.
I expected a fine dining experience with adults and a hint of black history and soul food.
And while the historical images were there, I got a room full of black people blasting Beyonce and standing around like they were at a club.
I was disappointed in what had become of the place. Although I’ve never been, I am sure it was a lot more refined when Dr. King ate here.
You can tell just by the picture above. See how they are carrying themselves? See the arrangement of the dishes? See the dignity?
The lack of decency and respect for our ancestors enough to take care of what they left us (because I am sure the Paschal’s would expect more) saddened me.
To make a long story short, we left.
It is not that I would never eat there. There is a time to kick back in that way. It is that I expect more. I expect more from my people just like I expect more from myself.
Take care of the legacy your ancestors leave behind.
Thus, as my heart began to race and irritation blanked my face, I realized all the times I settled because I wanted others to be okay even if that meant I wasn’t. And I decided right then and there that I would no longer accept anything that made me uncomfortable just because I didn’t want to be “too much.”
I am too much.
My standards are high, and from this point forward, I will walk unapologetically in this truth.
I suppose the message here is, I hope you will too.
Be unapologetically YOU.
We returned to Paschal’s months later and had a much better experience! The music was tasteful, it wasn’t crowded, and the fried chicken was divine. (The fried green tomatoes, not so much.) The first time, I didn’t consider graduation and Memorial Day weekend. I would recommend this place for sure. There is a grown and sexy vibe with the dimmed lights, bar, and jazz. Just ensure there aren’t any events happening that day and the children are still in school when you go.
There are headstones
with the names of highly gifted people
who died with those gifts still inside them.
Brilliant people who passed
but never passed that intellect on
for anyone else’s benefit.
They died smart.
Highly passionate people
who never dared to love fully,
and wealthy people who are so poor,
all they have is money.
I get emotional when I remember the faces of the children I used to teach, who are now young adults. Their formerly round and babyish faces have thinned out to resemble those of young adults. They provide concrete evidence of the passage of time. My nieces, nephews, and students are now in college, studying a trade, dating, and even starting families.
It serves as a sobering and bittersweet reminder of how fleeting life is. How quickly the years fly by. I see their bodies as proof and imagine all the years tucked inside them. I cry happy and sorrowful tears as I watch them grow. I weep both for the lovely persons they are, and for the perilous and cruel world they must endure as they grow up.
I will be thirty-six next month, and after two ectopic pregnancies, a miscarriage, and the removal of my right Fallopian tube, I may not have any children of my own. I have come to both accept and mourn this. I experience thanksgiving and contentment for my life and everything I’ve accomplished, with no sense of the need for anything more. And also a sense of loss for what never was and possibly, could never be.
But then, I look out into the world, see the children wilding in downtown Chicago (I find it interesting the usage of this term by the media, “wilding.” It is the same term used against the five young black boys on this day in 1989 accused and charged with raping the white woman jogger in New York’s Central Park), and see the protests over the shooting of Ralph Yarl, who though he lives, has become yet another hashtag.
And I ask myself, which is better, giving birth to a son or watching that son heal in the hospital after being shot in the head for ringing the wrong doorbell?
Which is better, knowing what it’s like to give birth or knowing what it’s like to mourn the death of a child?
And I dance between these sentiments as I look into the faces of these little ones. I remember them as children, full of innocence, and now see them as young adults, wide-eyed and excited to live in a cruel world.
I can tell right away when a book is self-published by a writer who does not read (or does not do it often enough).
No shade to audiobooks, but when I say reading is how we study how to write, I mean reading physical books.
And when I say study, I mean don’t just read the book, but also:
Consider picking up a copy of a physical book at least once a month and reading it through till the end. It will help you to become a better writer.
And if you don’t have time to read at least one book a month, you have no business writing books in the first place.
And don’t try and fake it because your writing will give you away!
If reading is how we study how to write, our writing also displays how much or little we read.
I’ve been vending at events since 2018 when the owner of A Cappella Books refused to stock my self-published book and instead told me to get my name out there. He explained how hard it would be for me to sell my book in-store when no one knew who I was.
I wasn’t offended but encouraged, and I have since attended many events as a vendor to put myself out there. From his advice, I have also since been stocked in four stores in the Georgia area (Marietta, Morrow, Atlanta).
There is a message in this to revisit later, but for now, let’s talk about author vending.
For independent authors, taking part in an event as a vendor can be lucrative (and I don’t just mean this financially). Utilizing the platform of another person will help you promote your books and business to a wider audience.
However, if we are not careful, it can also be an overly expensive and frustrating experience.
In this series, I share some of my experiences as an author vendor and some things to watch out for. In part one, I want to talk about the importance of the audience.
Author vending is not just about making money. It is also an opportunity to get in the room and build with others of like mind. But the ability to sell your books or services is still crucial.
You will have a harder time selling books if the event has little to nothing to do with books or your industry.
If you are vending at a conference or organization that is not conducive to people being able to walk around and network, this can also hinder you from making sales.
For example, in 2019, I attended MogulCon as a vendor. The event was nice but not a good place for author vendors. The tables were small, and the space was narrow. It was fitting for a business-type conference but not for my books, author swag, and large banner.
MogulCon was okay, but from an author vending perspective, it was a waste of money.
If I had known, I could have made it work by leaving the banner at home and bringing a briefcase instead.
When deciding to vend, understand what kind of event it is and the audience you will serve. Also, consider what kind of crowd you are looking at. You want to make sure there are enough people to network with and possibly make some money (or at least make your vending fee back.) And because the organization will likely not tell you your business isn’t a good fit, this is homework you will have to do yourself.
Crowd size is included in this. Does the event even have enough attendees for you to make a pitch, or is the host merely looking to maximize their profit from the few vendors they are able to bring in?
This is good practice for speaking engagements as well. Once, I was asked to speak at an event and prepared what I would say. But when I showed up, there were a lot of children. The host had not mentioned it was family-themed, and I had not intended to speak to kids. It could have been better organized, but I could have also done my homework on the host.
It depends on what your goal is for attending said event, but I believe that book festivals and conferences—that focus on books and literature—are the best because you won’t have to compete with the lady over there selling shea butter.
You can also target events that center around the theme of your book. Although many businesses were vending at the poetry life fest, it was appropriate for me to go because I write poetry. And to be true to my brand, I exclusively highlighted my poetry books. I only brought the books that were on topic.
Nowadays, there are a lot of requests for vendors because the income from the vending fee helps the organization pay for other expenses. When signing up, be strategic and intentional about who you work with.
It’s about being discerning and allowing that spiritual compass to lead you to the places you are ordained to be.
In part two, we’ll discuss the financial side of author vending and how to decide whether it’s worthwhile because the fees can be very expensive.
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