Author gigs…
To get them, you have to be a “popular author”; one way to become a popular author is to get them. That’s a vicious circle many authors face—maybe not those outside the NYC area, but in my case….
What do I mean by “gigs”? Not the usual rock-group or jazz-group meaning, but traditional ones for authors—book signings, lectures, discussions, and so forth. I’ve done a few, but not as many as I’d like to do. Why?
One basic reason: We live close to NYC, so the Big Five authors dominate the gigs in the area. They live around here too. And more than fiction writers—Hillary Clinton had a book signing at a local bookstore for her last book (she lives in NY state). Both the Montclair Literary Festival and the Montclair Film Festival have also been taken over by celebs (Colbert’s wife runs the latter). Bookstores have waiting lists for book signings. Therefore I take a stealthy approach and try to do gigs Big Five authors would think were beneath them. It’s tough, though. In other words, I’m still stuck in that vicious circle.
None of this is the fault of readers, mind you. The celebs will draw people who don’t even read much—video game players and viewers of streaming video, for example. But avid readers are usually happy to have a conversation with an author, anywhere, anytime. I meet them on park benches relaxing during a walk, in doctors’ waiting rooms, at theatrical and music functions, and so forth—that’s why I always carry business cards with me.
Recently I gave a card to a fellow. The next time I saw him, he said, “Hey, you’re the real deal. I’m going to read some of your books.” Maybe, maybe not. But there was a definite interest.
And that’s the crux of the matter. By living where I live, I’m close to many activities and meet many people. I just have a hard time finding gigs.
“What about conferences, or book tours?” you might ask. Again, some Big Five authors monopolize them. Cost is a factor—attendance fees and per diems, respectively, and the cost of hotels. Anyone can go to the International Thriller Writers conference in July. No hotel for me; it’s in NYC. I could go in by bus or train. But ITW charges an arm and a leg to attend. Until I have a blockbuster book, having the money to do that isn’t in the cards (or maybe it is—blackjack at an Atlantic City casino?). And I can’t see that meeting a bunch of other thriller authors would be much fun or benefit when I prefer to meet readers.
Maybe I’d be better off moving to Maine near Stephen King and becoming more of a recluse (avoiding the author’s fate in Misery, of course). Or maybe I just should keep writing my stories and forget about gigs.
The ones I’ve done have been fun, though. I had no long lines stretching out the door like the celebrity authors, but I bet I had more time to meet and greet readers one on one, two ordinary people with one just happening to be an author.
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Comments are always welcome.
The Last Humans. Penny Castro is on a forensic dive off the SoCal coast for the LA County Sheriff’s Department. When she surfaces, she finds her fellow deputies and a witness dead. Follow her adventures as she struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Available in ebook format on Amazon and Smashwords and all the latter’s affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc) and in print on Amazon and in your favorite local bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask them for it). The book is also available at the publisher, Black Opal Books.
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
