My First Book Tabling Event

On Saturday, May 10, I had my first-ever book tabling event at Lolev in Pittsburgh! Though I was initially nervous (as I always am to talk about my books… writers are usually introverted, after all), I think it all went really well. I met some great people, sold more books than I expected to, and learned some helpful tips for tabling in the future.

The Display

First and foremost, the moment after my attendance was confirmed, I began to labor over what my table display would look like. This involved some Amazon purchases (I know, I know, Jeff doesn’t need more money, but it was unfortunately the best quick-shipping option), a stockpile of books, and a run-through accompanied by a glass of wine.

I knew that I wanted both books to have distinct displays to underscore the fact that they are about vastly different premises, so I purchased two tablecloths to divide the table in half: one with a black fishnet-y texture and a worn beige one that resembled sand.

Then, I ordered accents to capture some of the cover aesthetics, such as red roses, rose petals, and a vase for Sirens, as well as a fishnet and seashells for Wisteria Drive (I thought about a ring to hide in the display, but the idea came to me too last-minute to find a decent one for a good price, unfortunately).

I also designed and printed a graphic with all of my socials, as well as another image with the Kindle QR codes for my books to put in frames. These were displayed alongside the framed back-cover synopses.

To ensure that it all looked ok, I did a run-through with all of the books. I stacked random books beneath the tablecloths to give some of the frames and books additional height and reached out for feedback from friends, all while sipping on a glass of cabernet as the Met Gala played in the background.

Once it was satisfactory, I was ready to take on the actual event.

The Day Of

It took me only thirty minutes to set up my display with all of my prep, even though I had come an hour early. I spent the rest of my time beforehand meeting some of the other amazing local Pittsburgh authors at the event and getting to know their work.

When the event actually started, I was surprised by how immediately we had interested customers. Throughout the day, we had consistent traffic, and I sold more books (both physical and digital) than I could have imagined. I had gone in thinking I’d be lucky to sell one copy and that it would at least be a great networking event, but the bookish Pittsburgh scene showed out!

What I learned

Though I am thoroughly proud of the display I made and impressed by the success I had that day, there is always room for improvement. A few things that I realized I should do next time include:

• Bringing bags for people to carry their purchased books in. It adds such a nice touch!
• Not signing the books beforehand. I had written a note and signed each copy in advance, but I was told by another author (local mystery/thriller/crime author J.R. Mason) that it adds a personal touch to do it in front of the person buying them.

Lesson learned! These tips will only help me improve next time, though I wish I had thought of them sooner.

In Conclusion

The tabling event was an unexpectedly amazing success. I had been optimistic, but of course, I was nervous as well. I didn’t expect it to go that well! I can’t wait to apply all that I learned to future tabling events as well.

Thank you to Eeeek! Creative for hosting the event and for giving me the chance to table… I really appreciated it!:)

Didn’t Get to Attend? Find Copies Here!