Gnome Con 2016, so that happened!

Amazing that it's already been more than a week since I went to Gnome Con and rocked out my first ever vending opportunity. So here's the essential breakdown. Gnome Con ran from March the 4th through the 6th: half-day Friday, full day Saturday, 2/3 of a day Sunday. I got there on Friday not long after they opened for set up and got myself all ready to go. I bought 15 copies each of my first two books. Though the third book was ready for downloadables that weekend, I didn't have any physical copies. That made me a little sad, but the good news was that it was done in time to be put on sale. On Friday, I sold about half of my physical copies. I was offering them for 2 for $20, in hopes this would help them move. I also included download cards, which I got from a blog post on Magical Words. They are super easy to make and they can be sold for a couple dollars a piece. I sold each of the three for $2 and then a pack of three for $5. All in all, a good deal to get my books in the hands of new readers. So far, I've only gotten one email about someone being unable to download the books that I put up through Google Drive, so hopefully that means everyone else has been getting them easily enough. I also, for the first time, used a Square reader. This was a little daunting as I learned how to make it work, but after a couple tries, I got the hang of it. Worked out pretty well.

I know, I know, you want to know how much I made at this shindig. Was it worth it for me to do? Yes, I have never vended before and having a chance to do so at a small convention in my hometown was priceless experience. Nothing like it. Monetarily, was it worth it? I made about $200 after taxes, in GA you have to pay sales tax even on things like convention sales. That is a hundred dollars more than I spent on the table, but didn't completely cover the amount of the merchandise. So did I break even? No. Would I still do this again? Yes. I'm actually currently in talks to take part in another public venue and perhaps sell more books. The chance to interact with new possible fans is something I simply can't pass up. My best seller was Dark King Rising though I sold a copy of Chains of Fate to, Bill Blair, one of the guests there at the convention through my boyfriend.

In other, not less important news, my boyfriend has become my fiance. He decided it would be a fabulous thing to do to propose to me at Gnome Con on that Friday after I got set up. I was surprised, pleased, and a little miffed because here I was trying to be a professional author and he was going to make me cry in front of a bunch of people I didn't know. Over all though, it turned out quite well. We're now planning a wedding, even though neither of us has some much as ever planned a party. Here's hoping we'll get the wedding of our dreams in a year or so.

So Gnome Con is gone for another year. I don't think I'll ever have another one as eventful as this one, but I don't need it to be. I look forward to do it again next year and doing even better.