For me, self-publishing is more than just uploading your book onto on-line platforms. That is amazing, but a great part of the self-publishing experience is interacting with your reader.
So, where do you find your reader? A great place to meet them is at craft fairs. Specialised book fairs are perfect, but unfortunately are few and far between, but if you look hard enough, you can find a great craft fair near you, operating monthly, some even weekly.
For nearly four months, we have had lockdown. Which has meant the last book fair I attended seems a long and distant memory. Thank you St. Benedicts School, Bedfordview by the way, it was a fabulous day out.
Waking up early on a Sunday morning is not unusual for me. A cold, crisp and bright Johannesburg morning greeted me as I loaded the car. Foldaway table, a box of stock and marketing materials – banner, chalkboard and Gordon, my trusted ceramic turtle – were all loaded.
By the way, the Railways Café in Irene, out towards Pretoria is a great little spot to visit.
A good tip is to attend a fair with a friend. Fellow self-publisher John West often comes with me to these events and we spend the time chatting away during the quiet times. Plots, work in progress, future projects are all discussed and analysed.
Unfortunately, the day was slow, but we did have several visitors to the stall during the course of the day. It always gives me a thrill to talk about the plot, show them the book and discuss writing in general.
If you have a novel you would like help with to self-publish, then contact me, Richard, at info@beyondthevalepublishing.com for a quote.
