WOW! 2024 tables have ended for this indie fantasy author so I thought I’d give y’all a recap on what I’ve learned. From book signings to makers markets to festivals, 2024 was an INSANE year as I developed my tables, expanded my creativity, and met so many amazing new readers. I mainly learned that my success is not linear and that sharing my journey, no matter how difficult, is what matters. So for my fellow indie authors out there… Here are some tips that could maybe help you succeed in markets for 2024!

1.) Your table aesthetic? VERY important in getting people to stop and chat with you. You need to draw them in from across the venue, not just hope they stop by. That meant creating a space that was just as mystical as the books themselves. Picking a theme and adding a backdrop REALLY drew people in. Many people walked right over because the table overall drew them in, not my signage. They glanced at it and could tell they needed to stop by.

2.) Offer more than just your book if you can. Embracing my weird art and letting it complement my novels upped sales and book funding across the board. I started 2024 with just my books and willpower and ended 2024 with making handcrafted book hooks, bookish bugs, and more. There were several items tested and inevitably scrapped, but I found what worked best for me.

3.) I learned that signings were NOT for ME. Some authors do great and sell out at their signings, but me? Nope. I struggled to sell more than 4-5 books at a signing and when you’re paying out of pocket to travel… it’s a lot. Not to mention some shops wanted a large percentage of my table profits even though I sold more than just books. I found many shops not marketing my signings, not sharing my posts, and relying solely on me to draw people in. It seemed no matter how hard I tried, paid ads and all, I couldn’t get the traffic I needed to make the long trips and lodging make sense. I quickly realized I needed events and locations that drew in people in on their own and 100% of the sales would go to me.

4.) What did work? Carefully selected events. Fantasy festivals, conventions, book fairs, balls, and oddities markets. Places where fellow fantasy nerds congregate and could discover my world. Those were the events that proved to be my most successful days no matter how far I traveled.
5.) The books don’t always have to fund themselves. I’ve been self-publishing since 2021. In my first year, I had record sales, making more than enough to cover costs out of pocket for art and audiobooks. Then I had fire after fire happen and I lost so much momentum. I also got sick at the start of the year and had to wait until June to really get back into things. Plus it’s been over a year without a new book… And an election year? Ugh. That meant my online sales became virtually nonexistent. So turning to things like my art became my way to supplement the lull. And that is OKAY. Because I got to do something else I loved and bring my books to the same markets I was choosing to sell my art. And ya know what? People would usually tack on a copy of my first book with their oddities art and a smile.
My first table of 2024 vs my last table of 2024


My top selling events for 2024:
Bookish Boutique Adult Book Fair in Panama City, FL
The Middle GA Whimsical Masquerade Ball in Warner Robins, GA
Cryptid Creatives Winter Solstice Market in Atlanta, GA
To see my upcoming events visit https://www.thesourcekeepers.com/event-list
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