Lately, I have worked on creating strategies to improve the visibility of my booth. I learned how other vendors set up their spaces using height for displays, table easels, and wooden dish racks to make artwork visible. I invested in an 8 x 8 tent, a banner with my logo, and used a vintage lace tablecloth I purchased years ago. I bought two storage bins, one for art and the other for supplies. My books are kept in a rolling suitcase. I repurposed a folding metal bookshelf to hang small paintings and display note cards.
I am still determining when someone will stop; I may sit for hours in the morning and be busy in the afternoon, or vice versa. It doesn’t hurt to have our sweet old lab enjoying the breeze and resting in the shade. Dog lovers are drawn to her first and then may notice there is work to look at, but either way, they stop to chat.
People enjoy telling you their stories, even if they aren’t interested in purchasing anything. It is essential to listen and thank them for stopping by. They may remember you someday. Connecting with others allows you to pass out a business card or ask them to sign up for my newsletter if they are interested.
Potential buyers approach your work differently when they inquire about my books. They may pick up a book, read the back, thumb through the pages, and ask questions. Others will say tell me about your book without reading the jacket cover. It makes them happy when I say, who may I sign the book to? I give them a free bookmark as a thank you.
On Saturday, I participated in the Wheeler Art and Craft Fair in Wheeler, WI, a small town of approximately 340 people. My booth was set up along with 15 other vendors. Refrain from judging how well you will do by the festival's size.
I was amazed at the number of people I met who purchased one or both of my books, Once Upon a Picket and Song of Jaybird.
New readers were a vendor near me who sold supplements, a retired history teacher from the Upper Peninsula, a couple camping with their family, and an archeologist visiting from Texas who worked on a project in a South Carolina Turpentine Camp! His wife is an anthropologist and an acrylic painting artist who raises awareness of environmental concerns. (I was happy to befriend another artist.) I felt honored when a young man with autism purchased both books to add to his library. His host parent told me he loves reading more than anything else.
Do you have any other suggestions or experiences you would like to share? Please feel free to leave your comments.
