RT Houston: Book Fair . . . and My “75% Rule”

Filed in: blog

I only WISH that 75% referred to sales. It doesn’t. More on that in a bit.

First, I just left the biggest event of the conference: the book fair. More than 300 authors in a room, books galore, open to the public for selling and autographing. It is amazingly joyous, an event rich in give-and-take among the authors and a way to reach out a touch a LOT of readers. Not all are going to be interested in any one book. I only sold five, a good number given that I’m a B- or C-list author in a genre not widely known about or promoted at this event. I did sign five books that had been bought outside the fair and brought in for autographing, so I got to talk with a number of folks who had already read the book.

I also had a good chat with a B.Dalton manager, who said that the LIS books weren’t doing as well in her store…she wanted ANYTHING to help promote them, and asked me to send along collateral when the next book comes out. A good contact, indeed.

I did a lot of “people watching” during the event, and I discovered, once again, that I’m not too old to get a crush on a smart guy. This young man is too cute for words, and everything about him makes my senses ache. I caught myself paying a little too much attention to not only his face but how he sauntered as he walked away.

Then I remembered my own “75% rule.” When it comes to men, 75% of the guys I fall for turn out to be gay. Which explains two things: 1) the type of man who appeals to me, and 2) the dismal state of my love life.

So…smart guy at a romance writers conference. What are the odds…

I can, however, make him straight for the next book. Ah, the advantages of being a writer.

No Comments