Have you ever been to a book fair and your table mate or book neighbor (author at the table next to you) did something that really irked you?
Yea, well, you’re not alone. Sometimes people don’t realize how their actions affect their book neighbors at a book event. Everyone has shelled out money to be there and is eager to connect with new readers.
So, here to help you be a rock star with your neighbors at your next book event are 5 etiquette tips.
Usually the organizers request authors to come 1-2 hours to get set up before the event. When you do that, you have ample time to set up and follow these tips!
1. When you have finished setting up your table, take a moment to introduce yourself to your table mate/book neighbor. Offer to take a picture of them at their table. Often authors come to events without a helper and that makes it difficult to take pictures of themselves. This will earn you good points with your book neighbor.
2. Once you have networked with the authors around you, you will know about their genre. Help your neighbor once the event begins by suggesting their books to a customer who doesn’t fit your genre. This will win you huge points with your book neighbor.
3. If you are chatting with your table mate/book neighbor and a customer walks up to their table, quickly stop the conversation so they can attend to the customer. Do not keep talking to them and cause them to lose a potential customer. This is rude and will lose you points with your neighbor. You may even say something before the event like, “If a customer comes up while we’re talking, I’ll stop talking so you can talk to them and then we can pick up where we left off afterwards.” This helps your neighbor know that you care about them and are not being rude when you cut off your conversation with them.
4. If your table mate/book neighbor has a customer at their table, do not start talking to that customer unless you are telling them how great that author’s book is. It is rude to talk to a customer at another author’s table and pull them away from their table to yours. You can speak to the customer after they have made their decision to purchase or not from that author. One thing you can do is offer to take a picture of the customer holding the book with the author. This will also earn you huge points with your neighbor because they may not have thought to do that or have no one who could do that for them.
5. Lastly, offer to cover your neighbor’s table if they need to use the restroom or need to purchase food or drink. It’s usually a long day at these events and most authors don’t have a helper to cover their table. After listening to them talk to their customers, you will know what to say to someone who comes to their table. If you make a sale for them, you will truly be a rock star!
Overall, bring your best, most positive energy to these events. This helps with your connection with potential readers as well as your neighbors.
I hope you have learned something from today’s post and will think about how you can be a good neighbor at your next event.
If someone doesn’t follow this tips at an event, feel free to print this off and give it to them. Most likely, they just didn’t know.
I would also love to hear any other tips you may have discovered from your events.
Wanda Luthman has her Masters of Arts in both Mental Health Counseling and Guidance Counseling from Rollins College located in beautiful Winter Park, Florida. She has worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Adjunct Professor, and Hospice Counselor for teens. She’s currently a Guidance Counselor at a local High School. She is an award-winning, best-selling, international author who has self-published 5 children’s books (The Lilac Princess, A Turtle’s Magical Adventure, Gloria and the Unicorn, Little Birdie, and Franky the Finicky Flamingo). A former National Pen Women Organization in Cape Canaveral. She belongs to the Florida’s Writers Association; Space Coast Authors; and Brevard Authors Forum. She presently resides in Brevard County Florida with her husband of 23 years and 2 dogs. Her daughter is away at college, like Little Birdie, she has left the nest. To download a free ebook, visit Wanda Luthman’s website at www.wandaluthmanwordpress.com and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wluthman.
