Do Book Fairs Work as an Author Marketing Strategy and Are They Worth Attending?

There’s something incredibly uplifting about being in a room with creatives…even if the room is a cavernous metal shed aka Exhibition Hall 5 at Sydney Showground.

That was the scene for Book Fair Australia 2024 – all sorts of authors: trad, indie and hybrid; fiction and non-fiction, all sorts of genres…and I mean all sorts including super niche genres with authors laser-focused on what their readers love to read.

To see the attention to detail, cover designs, table decorations, book merchandise…and the passion these authors have for their words and worlds was magnificent really. And a super well organised event it was.

Book fairs can work for authors, but they definitely don’t work for ALL authors. So much depends on the stage you are at in your writing career, your budget, your genre, the book fair itself and the audience it attracts etc.

What are the benefits of attending a book fair?

• Book fairs are a wonderful way (as either a visitor or an exhibitor) to make friendships, connections and build community with other authors and readers.
• Book fairs are great to visit BEFORE you even launch your first book, to see how other authors promote theirs and just to support the writing community.
• Book fairs can energise you because it’s magnificent to witness creatives being creative.
• If you have a loyal following, attending a book fair can be an effective way to meet up and also sell a freshly launched series, as well as entice new readers to buy. (nb: BookFair Aus has a great model that encourages sales too, giving every attendee a $5 voucher to spend at a stall).
• If you’ve set up as an author business, your attendance will be tax deductible.
• It’s a great chance to meet industry suppliers, from book printers to designers and to see, flick through and feel all their latest offerings.
• There are book fairs around Australia and overseas, so you can potentially tie in attendance with a holiday, fan meet ups and other opportunities – check with your accountant if it will be partly tax-deductible.

What authors needs to be aware of if attending a book fair:

• Book fairs often work best for fiction authors with multiple books and series.
• It can be a very hard sell for an author with one book to make their money back.
• Even if a book fair is in your town (which means you won’t need to pay for airfares and hotels), it can still be expensive once you factor in the fee, expenses for decoration and handouts, plus your time.
• Transporting books to and from a book fair can be expensive.
• Non-fiction, especially if you only have one book, can be an even harder sell.
• Be prepared for fans to bring a book they have already purchased for you to sign…so it won’t necessarily mean a new sale, but it will likely help you deepen your bond with your readers.
• If you’re the typical author introvert, you may find attending a book fair exhausting – so plan how to keep your energy up throughout the day.
• Not all book fairs are equal – do your research and ask others in your writing community which ones work best for your genre.
• And put some thought into how you might spend that time and budget otherwise? E.g. writing another book or putting the money toward a different type of marketing. What would be a more beneficial use of your energy and moolah?

If you do decide to give a book fair a crack, how can authors maximise your attendance at a book fair?

• Try and visit book fairs as a visitor the year before you actually want to attend as an author on your own stand – this will give you plenty of insights into how busy it is, the type of crowd and if it’s really for you.
• I noticed some of the stalls that were the busiest at the book fair, were the ones selling book-related items…not actual books. So that’s a hint to perhaps add some items to your stall that booklovers and other authors might be interested in.
• Really put some effort into your branding, decorations and set up – what can you do to draw people to your stand? How can you make them comfortable coming closer, without worrying you’re going to trap them into buying one of your books?
• Share the costs of a stand with another author or authors. That way you will keep your costs down and also have someone to talk to and have fun with. It also means someone can look after the stand while you have breaks and wander the other stalls and network.
• Set up meetings and media opportunities around the dates of the book fair to maximise your time in a town, let your readers know via your media and socials that you will be at the event, and invite all your friends to pop into see you too.

List of book fairs and readers and writers festivals

I put together an annual list of Australian writers festivals and book fairs. It doesn’t cover every opportunity, but it will give you a good idea of what’s happening on the Australian scene. Take a look to see if there’s a book fair or literary festival near you that’s worth a research visit.

Other highlights for me visiting Book Fair Australia included:

• Walking in behind two groovy looking people who I guessed were authors, only to find out they knew me and were fans of my Look-It’s Your Book! That was a lovely surprise! Bo Kitty (rebel writer and holistic business coach) and Clemence Overall (writer, poet and anthropologist) were two of the non-fiction authors at the Book Fair, Bo with her book ‘Always Eat the Weird Stuff’ and Clemence with her memoir Down to the Bone and gorgeous little zine A Landscape that Breathes – all worth a read!
• Meeting niche bookstore owners, including Wyrd Books from the Blue Mountains (specialising in science fiction, fantasy and horror books). Speaking of which, have you seen or been on the Blue Mountains Book Trail initiative? Such a great collaboration between 11 independent booksellers spreading the book love to tourists and locals alike!
• Discussing all the latest from the book industry with IngramSpark and others.
• Catching up with romance authors Carrie Clarke and Karen Lieversz on the Romance Writers Australia stand – Australian romance authors are on fire!
• Being introduced to the works and worlds of M.A Batten, Loren Tuxford, NS Kane Comics, Damien the Librarian, Nature Disturbed, Lovina Paje and many more.
• You can see some video I took at the event via my Instagram reel to see what I’m talking about
• And again, it was just great to be surrounded by writers and book lovers – the book fair vibes were great!

So, if you’re thinking of exhibiting at a book fair, my top tip is to do plenty of research before you take the plunge – get out there and enjoy a book fair as a reader/visitor first! You’ll learn lots and hopefully have a great day out.

NB: If you need help with your book marketing plan or support in any way, I offer one-on-one consults and brainstorming sessions to get things moving!