Book Fair Basics Part II: What to Do When Books Are Lost
Good Day Readers. I have always been transparent with you about my experiences writing and self-publishing. I published post 5 Tips to Make Your Book Fair a Success that shared lessons that I learned from my first book fair appearance. I attended my second book fair, July 15 and have more lessons learned to share with you.
Everything about the Soulful Chicago Book Fair fair was excellent except the fact that the 50 books I mailed from my local post office never arrived. I was aghast. The whole point of attending the book fair was to have books to sell. I did manage to sell a few books but not nearly the number I expected to to cover the cost of my trip and booth rental.
I used media mail (this is mail that is used to send books and magazines) and I had used this service before without a problem. This time my books got separated from the package.Sigh! I was extremely sad and disappointed to say the least. I decided to write this post to share some lessons learned on how to transport your books when you are at an event that requires you to fly to the location.
Rule #1 Keep Your Books In Sight
I should have carried my books on the plane and used the two luggage options. The airline I traveled with allow two pieces of luggage. Even if I could only take a fraction of the books at least they would be with me. I was having some issues with my back and other a problem with my knee so I didn’t use this option. I didn’t think I could carry heavy books and didn’t add any to my carryon.
Rule #2 Place Books in Luggage
Most airlines allow passengers check in two pieces of luggage or you can purchase this option for an additional fee. This is a good option if it is not possible to carry books on a plane. This saves a lot of anxiety as the books are with your luguage. Granted sometimes airlines misplace luggage but in my experience they are usually very quick in reuniting you with your precious cargo.
Rule #3 Keep Your Tracking Number(s)
I was in such a panic trying to track down the books because I left the tracking number at home..A friend gave me an excellent suggestion. She said that I should always take a picture of my receipt on my phone. That way I always have it with me. When I travel it is sometimes hard for me to get organized. I am in an unfamiliar environment and having that information with my phone that I always keep close to me would have helped me track down my books sooner. I had to wait until I got home to find out what happened to my books, banner and other supplies.
Rule #4 Send Your Books Through Priority Or Certified Mail
This is a good option if you have to bring a large amount of books to an event. My friends in Chicago told me after shared my tale of woe that they would have gladly signed for my books suggesting I should have used FedEx or UPS over the post office. Having someone who would be able to sign for the books would have added another layer of security. This is something I will keep in mind when planning my next book fair appearance that requires an airline trip.
Despite the mishap with my books I was able to sell a few as the book fair organizer had a few on hand and a few people ordered online. My marketing and booth were beautiful and I got quite a few people sign up for my mailing list. It wasn’t what I expected but at least I got a lot of good things out of this appearance.
Mistakes happen to everyone, especially when starting a new venture. I am so happy that my friends were with me to help me get over this negative experience and turn it into something positive. I hope by sharing these lesson you will learn from my mistakes.
I have decided to do an online marketing campaign for my book What Good Around Comes Around. This Christian romance is the tale of a Nicole Gonzalez, who dreams of being a gospel singer but suffers from debilitating stage fright. Circumstances beyond her control force her to step out on faith to make her dreams comes true. Two men, a sexy musician and a man from her past really give her something to sing. Nicole has to choose who she will love, the man who makes her heart sing or the one who can help her reach her musical goals.
In light of my recent loss at the book fair, I am asking that you send out this post to anyone you think might be interested in my book. The Amazon link to my book is: bit.ly/What_Goes_Around_Comes_