Kathleen Kaska Shares a Secret About Holiday Gift Shows

Today, I'm happy to host the award winning mystery and non-fiction author, Kathleen Kaska, who gives us the lowdown on Holiday Gift Shows. Morgan Mandel

Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mysteries set in the 1950s. 

Her first two books Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queens Book Group, the largest book group in the country. The third book in the series, Murder at the Galvez, has just been released. Look for Murder at the Driskill in 2014. 

She also writes the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book, The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book, and The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book. The Alfred Hitchcock and the Sherlock Holmes trivia books are finalists for the 2013 EPIC award in nonfiction. Her nonfiction book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story, was a George Perkins Marsh Award nominee for environmental history.

Find Kathleen Kaska online at:

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

http://www.kathleenkaskawrites.blogspot.com/

Holiday Gift Shows:

The Right Venue, A Great Spiel, and A Cute Puppy

by Kathleen Kaska

            It’s no news that writers have to market and promote their own books nowadays. I’ve always said that if I had to make a living in retails I’d probably starve. But, I’ve learned something over the last few years that has made the task of selling my own books easier. Yes, I still get tongue-tied if I have to ask people for money, but I have no problem talking about my books. I often speak at libraries, book groups, community organizations, and writers’ conferences. Folks who attend these events are there to learn and listen and not necessarily to spend money, which is okay because I enjoy doing those engagements. And most times I pick up a stipend and a few sales. But there are other events, especially this time of year, where I can usually count on big sales.

            Do as many holiday fairs and gifts shows as possible. Unlike the library and seminar crowds, those who attend these events are there to let go of some cash. They’re usually looking for a unique gift, a gift that cannot be found in a department store.

            A couple of weeks ago, I rented a table at a local holiday gift show and sold almost sixty books. By the second day of the four-day show, I had sold out of three of my Sydney Lockhart mysteries. My sales would have been even greater had a prior inventory request arrived on time.

            The cost for participating is minimal, usually just space rental; and for authors, that means a table with a banner or poster advertising your books. At most events, the vendors handle their own transactions. Occasionally, an organization will take a small percentage of the sales, but that also means there is a central checkout so when the dust settles, we get a check in the mail and can have more leisurely time during the event to chat up potential readers. And for me, it’s worth the extra cost. Like I said, I’m uncomfortable taking money from people. So when I don’t have to, I can have fun talking to my customers. If they don’t bite immediately, they often return before leaving to pick up a book or two.

            The trick is to get shoppers to stop at your table so you can give your spiel. Here are a few “baits” you might consider having on hand: a cute puppy, a bottle of wine, a plate of chocolate cookies, or a crime-scene tape around your table. Okay, I was kidding about the dog and the wine. But if the cookies and crime-scene tape don’t get their attention, you can always sidle up to a potential buyer and whisper in their ear: “Have you ever found a body in the trunk of your car?”

Great advice, Kathleen. I love your wit! 
Here's some information on one of Kathleen's books, The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Triviography-Quiz-Book/dp/0957152760
or http://www.ll-publications.com/sherlock.html

Step out of your hansom cab and onto the foggy streets of Edwardian London with The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book, a comprehensive collection of fun and challenging trivia about the adventures of the inimitable detective whose intellectual feats overwhelmed criminals and Scotland Yard.

More than a century after Sherlock Holmes stepped from the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle’s first detective story, the greatest sleuth of all time is still firmly solidly ensconced in the work of modern literature. Television series, new Holmes writers, Holmes books, Holmes societies, websites, and numerous films have kept Sherlock Holmes fans intrigued with Holmes and Watson lore.

The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book, a finalist for the 2013 EPIC Award in nonfiction, offers brainteasers on each story and novel about the detective and his associate Dr. Watson, as well as background on how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s own experiences contributed to his literary work. 

Review:

“Kathleen Kaska has put together a wonderful mind teaser for all Sherlock Holmes aficionados. She covers it all: stories, books, the media; with lots of questions, puzzles, and trivia facts. No true Sherlockian will want to miss this grand Triviography and Quiz Book.”

—Michael R. Pitts, author of Famous Movie Detectives I, II, and III, and

co- author of The Great Detective Pictures

Happy Holidays,

Kathleen Kaska

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

http://www.kathleenkaskawrites.blogspot.com/

Please leave a comment to welcome Kathleen Kaska to Book Beat Babes.