I see I skipped my blog for March, and no wonder. In the space of four weeks, I had three authors events to prepare for and attend with two more to come, and of course, Easter to celebrate in there somewhere. Two of the events were arts and crafts fairs and one a literary festival, all outdoors. Two I had done before and knew the layout, how far tables and chairs, and boxes of books had to be lugged from parking, when I could set up and when I could leave. The third was a new arts and crafts fair held at a historic home with a huge oak grove. Spaces were marked out but not assigned and the earliest we could get in was seven-thirty for a ten o'clock start. The places was about a ten mile drive from home. We arrived at eight-thirty to find many of the spaces gone but still got a good enough place along the walkway between the parking lot and the house. Best of all, we could park at our space making setup so much easier, especially for my husband who has to do all the hauling of the heavy stuff and put up a tent advertised at being easy to do--but isn't. For one, I am not tall enough to raise the tent to its proper level and the other, just not good at tent pitching. Usually, I sit in the chair we've brought along and listen to him cuss as he gets the canopy up. You can, of course, skip a tent, but I learned my lesson the first time it rained and I had to hustle all my paperback books into boxes and beg the person in the adjoining tent for temporary shelter. Just an aside, also pack your books in plastic boxes that keep the weather out.
I had my thirty-five books set up in their vertical racks and some art work on a trellis ready to go by opening. Let me tell you, ten to three is a looong day when you are alone behind those tables. My husband usually goes home after the setup and returns a half hour before closing. Sometimes, he'll show up to give me a lunch break and chance to walk around and use the bathroom without my having to ask the neighbors to watch my stuff. I always pack a lunch as I don't really have time to stand in line for food and often there is no food at all. In this case, there was also a gumbo cookoff and the vendors were given a free ticket to get a cup. It went well with my sandwich and apple and Coke Zero. Lots of other food booths sold soul food, barbecue, and boiled crawfish, but that can get messy around books. I used to give out cookies until I learned that small children will take a chocolate chip, then smear it all over any books that that attract them. No more cookies and chocolate freebies in my booth, just book cards anyone can take. The kids like the ones with the fireman and the football kicker on the cover. Oh, and always bring a rag to wipe down any besmirched books.
I also strive to find a place with some shade. Here in Louisiana, you can take a tan or a sunburn even under a tent. In March which I consider arts and crafts season, the temperatures can go up to eighty by three o'clock. I'd got a space under a tall water oak and was quite content until I found a caterpillar in my hair. I was under a tarp and couldn't image how it got there. But over time, I plucked two more from my head. They were small striped ones, not the black stinging variety that I sometimes encountered at another fair, and thank heaven for that! I am not squeamish or vindictive, and so plucked them from my hair gently and put them on the ground where they met other little friends and had a party on my book boxes which were well sealed. I gave up trying to relocate them as they appeared to just return. I ended up amusing myself during the slow hours by watching them tangle and repel down the sides of the boxes only to climb up again. Cheap fun.
As I said, it was a new event and the crowd was light. It did earn back the forty dollar fee for the space and forty more in sales. People who preferred e-books picked up my cards to check them out on Amazon which might mean future sales. I always try to get a browser to take a card with all my titles on the back and a blurb for my newest at the top. Since I provide bags recycled from other places like the WW II Museum, Graceland, and our local pie restaurant which are greatly appreciated and cost me nothing, I always put my latest book cards in there with their purchases. You just never know if that will result in another sale. Anyhow, I did okay other than insulting a person who wanted me to come down on a price for a painting of a magnolia in a gold frame marked $50. I had to remind her this was original art and the frame cost thirty dollars, not a garage sale. She huffed off, but sorry, twenty dollars didn't even cover the cost of the canvas and paint.
Around two, disappointed vendors started leaving. Most had Easter crafts or were selling soaps and witty plaques. There hadn't been many buyers. I think the folks who put it on did their best, but I don't know if they will do it again next year. It was worth it for me. I'd go another time, but check the space for caterpillars first.
