Chapter 135 Of Contests, Idyll Musings, and Book Fairs

Monday came too soon! With the time change (spring forward — lose one hour) and the minor (yeah, right) house project we’ve taken on, I didn’t do anything book related all weekend. Thoughtful Husband tackled cleaning out the garage (something that hasn’t been done in months) and I played around with paint colors and possible furniture layout for Tom and Huck’s playroom and bedroom. Additionally, I went to Tom’s final basketball game, to a party for my brother’s fiancee, and to a birthday celebration with a close friend. It was an enjoyable weekend all the way around, if busy.

Those of you new to bookselling might be able to use the book that is offered as a prize in this contest. Sponsored by the indefatigable Joyce Godsey of the Bibliophile Bullpen, the contest offers you a chance to put into words why you want to be a bookseller or any other bookselling topic. Go for it! The prize has great information and a nicely illustrated dustjacket.

There’s a new bookseller and a new bookselling blog to read. Click here to read about Idyll Musing’s start in the business.

And, lastly, in answer to a question from a reader who wants to know how to get information regarding selling books at book fairs, here’s my two cents:

1) Attend a fair — at which you’d like to exhibit — as a buyer at least once, if possible. Make sure it seems like a worthwhile investment of your time and money. Not all fairs are right for all kinds of sellers.

2) Get to know other booksellers. Introduce yourself when you go to book fairs. I’ve been able to save some of the cost of doing a book fair (and have more fun, too) by sharing a booth space with another bookseller. If you’re just getting started and you have a small amount of stock, sharing is a good idea. Sharing also means you have someone to stand in the booth when you need a break and vice versa. Sharing means it’s much more exciting than being all alone as the new bookseller at the fair.

3) When you go to a fair ask around about the fair’s organizer. They usually have a website with all of the pertinent information about signing up, booth fees, etc. Costs vary depending on the fair, its size, and duration.

4) Invest ahead of time in book stands, portable book cases, a good calculator, business cards, etc. It helps to be able to spread out the costs of these things rather than pay for them all at once.

Happy Monday! See you in the stacks!