I’ve been trying to be more active in the local community lately, meeting bookstore owners and writers, attending monthly Zoom calls, and volunteering at conventions. There’s something powerful about local networks that you can’t always find online. I’m thankful Utah has such a massive and supportive writing community; it was one of the reasons I moved here.
The thing that has been on my mind lately has been farmers markets. Utah has a ton of them, and I’m sure they are present in most places once you go looking for them. Aside from the typical annual conventions that writers attend for exposure, wouldn’t it be neat to set up a canopy at one of these weekly markets as an Arts and Crafts vendor during the summer to meet local readers and writers? Granted, there are costs involved, with good days and bad days (weather permitting), but it sounds like a lot of fun.
What do you think about this type of community engagement? Have you been a vendor at a farmers market before? Or is this a no-go straight out of the gate? What might be some pros and cons?
I wonder if multiple (say 3) folding card tables would give you more modularity? Wouldn't make as strong a presentation, though, maybe. Dunno. You might already be thinking this in terms of the specially designed merch, but I always love writers whose business cards are bookmarks. That's kind of an easy, cool, low-hanging fruit thing. And I don't know if you're into zines at all, but you could effectively become a distro overnight with a set up like this.
Do either of you know much about the licensing/permitting aspect? In other words: do many farmer's markets charge for setting up a booth? I'd imagine so, but I don't know anything beyond that guess.
So based on my limited research, you have to apply to each farmer's market separately and get accepted as a vendor for that season. The application is between $20-30, and varies depending on what you're selling and who you represent.
That means that if you get accepted to be a vendor, you still have to pay the fee for setting up a table at the event which can be charged per weekend or per season. I think it's like $50 per Saturday or $200 per season but that varies based on the popularity of the market.
Some require proof of insurance and proof of product in order to make sure you're covered, and will provide a compelling reason for people to visit your booth. Another downside is that if you are accepted, you'll want to make sure to be available for each Saturday since they can charge a fine for your absence or early departure from the space. It's kind of a big commitment.
Of course, all of this is dependent on the market you're applying to. Some only do produce and handcrafts, while others are open to more niche products. That's why I'm super curious if anyone has had any success on this front. I'd imagine people aren't necessarily searching for books at a farmer's market, but you never know!
We do have a farmer's market by us that is popular, but I think it's restricted to produce and naturally sourced items. No crafts because the city has an entire art festival in the summer. In May I'm taking part in our city library's author fair. It's gotten more popular over the years, but we'll see if anything comes out of it. I haven't done anything with local bookstores or anything like that. I think that will be a part of my next book release is getting into that and seeing if it leads anywhere.
The library's author fair would be a great thing to get involved in. There's a new library near my house that has a monthly calendar with days meant to help promote specific things. What a neat idea!
Some farmer's markets are restricted to certain things, that's true. I looked up a few and they each have their own niche rules. Like one requires insurance in case your stand is involved in any injuries, while another one requires that you be there every Saturday or else (small fine). So I think it would be a matter of inquiring which one would be a good fit for authors and individual desires. Ones with a heavy inclination toward arts and crafts, like you mentioned, is likely the way to go.
Bookshop.org is a great for local bookstores. Although, it only shows ones that have intentionally signed up on their site, so there may be a hidden gem somewhere in your area that can only be found via Google Maps. I know the owners of two stores in my area, and each one has been so welcoming and accommodating to local authors for launch parties and promoting books. Super awesome resource!
Thanks for commenting, Brian! I'll be eager to hear about your author fair adventures.
Testing out a farmer's market for selling books is definitely an idea I intend to explore. You're already meeting people who are there looking to buy. If they are book lovers, the odds are high that they will take a chance on new local authors who set up shop at the market.
I went to a festival last year and saw a bunch of vendors selling their wares, and I thought the same thing. That perhaps when I had enough books that I could set up a booth there one day. I can see farmers markets or even flea markets being an option as well. I know at the comic-con I went to last year, I saw many authors with their own booths. It would be pretty much the same thing.
I think if one were to do a season of farmers markets, doing a rotation at as many as you can in one season would probably be ideal in order to get the most exposure. The only reason I think the fees might be worth it is that social media advertising costs just as much, if not more, and the engagement rate online is not great. So I'd be interested to see how many local people one could meet on a tour like that.
There are three separate farmer’s markets where I live and from the market rules I’ve read, authors can’t really utilize them. Items under the craft section must be completely handmade, even a store tshirt screen printed with art doesn’t qualify.
Even if you managed to qualify and the jury accepts you, there’s a $30 application fee, a $50 annual vending fee, and a weekly $40 booth fee. Plus 2% of gross revenue goes to them. A bit much in my opinion.
The ones here also require you to have a state business license, $90 minimum, with additional fees for certain locations.
I still have been considering doing one, but even with a wide selection of low price merchandise to balance my higher priced paintings, I’m not sure I’d break even let alone profit.
Yikes! That does seem to be in line with what I was finding online here. Thanks for the breakdown, Elly. Hmmm, I'll need to think about this more before committing to purchasing any more materials. I was hoping to apply for one this Summer, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards at the moment. Maybe next year.
Also, I'm just now thinking about the logistics of this. You'd want to be able to really move some product. Meaning, in an author's case, you'd have to purchase a large backlog of books to have on hand for these events. And at the end of the day, you're right, you wouldn't be making that much more, and might actually be in the red... yikes!
I'll keep looking into it and see if there's a way to make it work because I'm stubborn like that.
You’ll want to consider wide price points. For instance, I have original paintings that are $400+, but I don’t leave it at that. I have $2 stickers, $5 bookmarks, and prints at various levels. Someone may just buy a bookmark, but that acts as free advertising as well as keeps you in the mind of the customer who could then buy more items in the future.
I’ve found the local art walks here often include ‘meet the author’ events at the bookshops. The bookshop advertises it and takes a small portion of your sales as commission. Worth looking into.
Do you have much of a sense of whether or not it's kosher to hand out flyers if you're not an official vendor? I'm engaged in a two-part effort lately-- spreading the word about both my writing and the writing classes I teach-- and I've thought about handing flyers out at farmer's markets. I could also see a world in which that's frowned upon (and also one where it varies market to market).
Unfortunately, that’s soliciting according to many business, including farmer’s markets, and isn’t just frowned upon, but could land you with fines and legal trouble.
Since you offer writing classes too, perhaps partnering with local bookshops would be good. You could possibly host workshops or ‘ask an author event’ there and maybe offer discounts on your classes for members. Businesses love free advertising and offers of cross promotions are usually welcome.
I never thought about that but it's an interesting idea. I grow my own fruits and veggies, so I don't go to my local farmers markets and I have no idea if they do arts and crafts stuff. It might be worth checking out, but I'm not sure I could sacrifice my weekends either way. I've been trying to talk myself into getting more involved with local bookstores and libraries for networking but I'm such a hermit and busy with all my other stuff that it always ends up being the last thing on my list...
I hear you, Jacquie. Honestly, attending things in person is so contrary to my personality. My friends can barely get me to hang out with them. And time is of the essence these days, especially if we're trying to maintain a schedule on Substack haha.
The local bookstore and library might be the best place to start. If you can talk to the owners, or the event coordinators, and establish that rapport, they should be very welcoming to the idea of hosting a book reading or a launch event for your books.
Another idea if you're like me and don't want to leave your house is podcast touring. There are so many podcasts taking guests these days, it'd be a great way to get your name out there without having to be physically present all day at a farmer's market. Here's one that solely features indie creators (with Diane Hatz!): https://www.inkandpeatpodcast.com/episodes/diane-hatz-shares-rock-gods-and-messy-monsters
I live near one, and they have a pop up market night for queer creators and creators of color. There’s usually a musician or two, as well. It’s a cool space.
That's neat! I noticed that certain areas had events designated for each weekend. I love the idea of musicians playing, too. I can't wait to learn more about how this functions.
The only thing I'm worried about is the costs. However, I think there's a budget way to get all of the necessary materials under $500.
We call them Festivals or Fest here in Florida. Arts & Craft Festivals, Usually a wide variety of vendors setting up small 8x8 tents and tables, a great place to interact with local people and sell your books. https://m.facebook.com/events/761542138814900?mibextid=ykz3hl
Maybe that's more what I'm thinking of. They do have Arts & Crafts markets and festivals here, but some of the big farmer's markets incorporate them as a subcategory. I may have lumped them all into the term "farmer's market", but I totally meant these types of events in general.
Once I have a book or two to sell (this year, hopefully), I'll definitely be attending these! Thanks for sharing.
I haven't promoted my writing or my classes at farmer's markets, and I'm (mostly) not a fiction writer. But I feel similarly to you in feeling that there's a particular power in networking on the ground, and I've recently started to make more efforts to meet with people face to face, drop flyers off at coffee shops, and think through other ways to build a local network.
Thanks for commenting, Jonathan! I'm in the beginning stages of getting out there myself. I liked how you put it with "networking on the ground". It really does have a lasting effect when you meet people face to face.
I mostly write personal narrative, with a focus on unpacking pain and difficulty as a way of finding peace. Within that, I try to really dive in on some of my experiences and enjoy the storytelling aspect, and though I rarely try to create fiction from scratch, I enjoy when my memory brushes up against a fog that might have fiction on the other side.
Substack listed your newsletter as something I might be interested in, and while we're in different lanes, it seems like there's plenty of overlap. Please feel free to check my newsletter out, too! It could be cool to keep in touch.
I'm glad to see you've gotten so many replies here, and I'm looking forward to reading through them.
That sounds really interesting! I'll make sure to check out your Substack, too. Thanks for being willing to sign up to The Storyletter. It's been a lot of fun meeting everyone on here. Let me know if you need anything! I'd be happy to help where I can.
Material ideas to get set up:
Products - a book, specially-designed merchandise, etc.
Table (preferably 6') - need a lot of room for placing materials on display
Table cloth (preferably with design) - something eye-catching and explains the concept
White canopy (with 25lb weights for the legs) - due to color restrictions at some markets
Chair - have to sit because some markets require you to stay the whole day
Card reader - have set up beforehand so that the process is seamless
Retractable table sign - with QR code for easy access
Retractable banner - for indoors or calm weather days
Wagon for carrying everything - one of those big ones
Licensing is required for certain vendors.
Insurance is required by certain markets.
I wonder if multiple (say 3) folding card tables would give you more modularity? Wouldn't make as strong a presentation, though, maybe. Dunno. You might already be thinking this in terms of the specially designed merch, but I always love writers whose business cards are bookmarks. That's kind of an easy, cool, low-hanging fruit thing. And I don't know if you're into zines at all, but you could effectively become a distro overnight with a set up like this.
Love the bookmark idea!! I just ordered some yesterday on Vistaprint. I’m hoping the turn out nice.
Do either of you know much about the licensing/permitting aspect? In other words: do many farmer's markets charge for setting up a booth? I'd imagine so, but I don't know anything beyond that guess.
So based on my limited research, you have to apply to each farmer's market separately and get accepted as a vendor for that season. The application is between $20-30, and varies depending on what you're selling and who you represent.
That means that if you get accepted to be a vendor, you still have to pay the fee for setting up a table at the event which can be charged per weekend or per season. I think it's like $50 per Saturday or $200 per season but that varies based on the popularity of the market.
Some require proof of insurance and proof of product in order to make sure you're covered, and will provide a compelling reason for people to visit your booth. Another downside is that if you are accepted, you'll want to make sure to be available for each Saturday since they can charge a fine for your absence or early departure from the space. It's kind of a big commitment.
Of course, all of this is dependent on the market you're applying to. Some only do produce and handcrafts, while others are open to more niche products. That's why I'm super curious if anyone has had any success on this front. I'd imagine people aren't necessarily searching for books at a farmer's market, but you never know!
Hope that helps!
We do have a farmer's market by us that is popular, but I think it's restricted to produce and naturally sourced items. No crafts because the city has an entire art festival in the summer. In May I'm taking part in our city library's author fair. It's gotten more popular over the years, but we'll see if anything comes out of it. I haven't done anything with local bookstores or anything like that. I think that will be a part of my next book release is getting into that and seeing if it leads anywhere.
The library's author fair would be a great thing to get involved in. There's a new library near my house that has a monthly calendar with days meant to help promote specific things. What a neat idea!
Some farmer's markets are restricted to certain things, that's true. I looked up a few and they each have their own niche rules. Like one requires insurance in case your stand is involved in any injuries, while another one requires that you be there every Saturday or else (small fine). So I think it would be a matter of inquiring which one would be a good fit for authors and individual desires. Ones with a heavy inclination toward arts and crafts, like you mentioned, is likely the way to go.
Bookshop.org is a great for local bookstores. Although, it only shows ones that have intentionally signed up on their site, so there may be a hidden gem somewhere in your area that can only be found via Google Maps. I know the owners of two stores in my area, and each one has been so welcoming and accommodating to local authors for launch parties and promoting books. Super awesome resource!
Thanks for commenting, Brian! I'll be eager to hear about your author fair adventures.
Testing out a farmer's market for selling books is definitely an idea I intend to explore. You're already meeting people who are there looking to buy. If they are book lovers, the odds are high that they will take a chance on new local authors who set up shop at the market.
Exactly! The main concern would be recouping the costs but I think with newsletter signups and word if mouth it might work out exponentially.
I went to a festival last year and saw a bunch of vendors selling their wares, and I thought the same thing. That perhaps when I had enough books that I could set up a booth there one day. I can see farmers markets or even flea markets being an option as well. I know at the comic-con I went to last year, I saw many authors with their own booths. It would be pretty much the same thing.
I think it's a good idea.
I think if one were to do a season of farmers markets, doing a rotation at as many as you can in one season would probably be ideal in order to get the most exposure. The only reason I think the fees might be worth it is that social media advertising costs just as much, if not more, and the engagement rate online is not great. So I'd be interested to see how many local people one could meet on a tour like that.
Completely agree! Put out a banner, set up your books and some merchandise. This could absolutely work!
There are three separate farmer’s markets where I live and from the market rules I’ve read, authors can’t really utilize them. Items under the craft section must be completely handmade, even a store tshirt screen printed with art doesn’t qualify.
Even if you managed to qualify and the jury accepts you, there’s a $30 application fee, a $50 annual vending fee, and a weekly $40 booth fee. Plus 2% of gross revenue goes to them. A bit much in my opinion.
The ones here also require you to have a state business license, $90 minimum, with additional fees for certain locations.
I still have been considering doing one, but even with a wide selection of low price merchandise to balance my higher priced paintings, I’m not sure I’d break even let alone profit.
Yikes! That does seem to be in line with what I was finding online here. Thanks for the breakdown, Elly. Hmmm, I'll need to think about this more before committing to purchasing any more materials. I was hoping to apply for one this Summer, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards at the moment. Maybe next year.
Also, I'm just now thinking about the logistics of this. You'd want to be able to really move some product. Meaning, in an author's case, you'd have to purchase a large backlog of books to have on hand for these events. And at the end of the day, you're right, you wouldn't be making that much more, and might actually be in the red... yikes!
I'll keep looking into it and see if there's a way to make it work because I'm stubborn like that.
You’ll want to consider wide price points. For instance, I have original paintings that are $400+, but I don’t leave it at that. I have $2 stickers, $5 bookmarks, and prints at various levels. Someone may just buy a bookmark, but that acts as free advertising as well as keeps you in the mind of the customer who could then buy more items in the future.
I’ve found the local art walks here often include ‘meet the author’ events at the bookshops. The bookshop advertises it and takes a small portion of your sales as commission. Worth looking into.
Do you have much of a sense of whether or not it's kosher to hand out flyers if you're not an official vendor? I'm engaged in a two-part effort lately-- spreading the word about both my writing and the writing classes I teach-- and I've thought about handing flyers out at farmer's markets. I could also see a world in which that's frowned upon (and also one where it varies market to market).
Unfortunately, that’s soliciting according to many business, including farmer’s markets, and isn’t just frowned upon, but could land you with fines and legal trouble.
Since you offer writing classes too, perhaps partnering with local bookshops would be good. You could possibly host workshops or ‘ask an author event’ there and maybe offer discounts on your classes for members. Businesses love free advertising and offers of cross promotions are usually welcome.
I never thought about that but it's an interesting idea. I grow my own fruits and veggies, so I don't go to my local farmers markets and I have no idea if they do arts and crafts stuff. It might be worth checking out, but I'm not sure I could sacrifice my weekends either way. I've been trying to talk myself into getting more involved with local bookstores and libraries for networking but I'm such a hermit and busy with all my other stuff that it always ends up being the last thing on my list...
I hear you, Jacquie. Honestly, attending things in person is so contrary to my personality. My friends can barely get me to hang out with them. And time is of the essence these days, especially if we're trying to maintain a schedule on Substack haha.
The local bookstore and library might be the best place to start. If you can talk to the owners, or the event coordinators, and establish that rapport, they should be very welcoming to the idea of hosting a book reading or a launch event for your books.
Another idea if you're like me and don't want to leave your house is podcast touring. There are so many podcasts taking guests these days, it'd be a great way to get your name out there without having to be physically present all day at a farmer's market. Here's one that solely features indie creators (with Diane Hatz!): https://www.inkandpeatpodcast.com/episodes/diane-hatz-shares-rock-gods-and-messy-monsters
Those are all good suggestions, thanks. Now I just have to get over my hangups about public speaking, haha. This writing stuff is a lot of work!
I live near one, and they have a pop up market night for queer creators and creators of color. There’s usually a musician or two, as well. It’s a cool space.
That's neat! I noticed that certain areas had events designated for each weekend. I love the idea of musicians playing, too. I can't wait to learn more about how this functions.
The only thing I'm worried about is the costs. However, I think there's a budget way to get all of the necessary materials under $500.
What all do you think you'll need?
I was thinking about that right before you asked. I made a separate comment listing things here: https://storyletter.substack.com/p/storyletter-thoughts-are-farmers/comment/13003349?r=ozytx&utm_medium=ios
We call them Festivals or Fest here in Florida. Arts & Craft Festivals, Usually a wide variety of vendors setting up small 8x8 tents and tables, a great place to interact with local people and sell your books. https://m.facebook.com/events/761542138814900?mibextid=ykz3hl
Maybe that's more what I'm thinking of. They do have Arts & Crafts markets and festivals here, but some of the big farmer's markets incorporate them as a subcategory. I may have lumped them all into the term "farmer's market", but I totally meant these types of events in general.
Once I have a book or two to sell (this year, hopefully), I'll definitely be attending these! Thanks for sharing.
I haven't promoted my writing or my classes at farmer's markets, and I'm (mostly) not a fiction writer. But I feel similarly to you in feeling that there's a particular power in networking on the ground, and I've recently started to make more efforts to meet with people face to face, drop flyers off at coffee shops, and think through other ways to build a local network.
I'm really curious to follow this discussion!
Thanks for commenting, Jonathan! I'm in the beginning stages of getting out there myself. I liked how you put it with "networking on the ground". It really does have a lasting effect when you meet people face to face.
I'm curious, what do you like to write?
I mostly write personal narrative, with a focus on unpacking pain and difficulty as a way of finding peace. Within that, I try to really dive in on some of my experiences and enjoy the storytelling aspect, and though I rarely try to create fiction from scratch, I enjoy when my memory brushes up against a fog that might have fiction on the other side.
Substack listed your newsletter as something I might be interested in, and while we're in different lanes, it seems like there's plenty of overlap. Please feel free to check my newsletter out, too! It could be cool to keep in touch.
I'm glad to see you've gotten so many replies here, and I'm looking forward to reading through them.
That sounds really interesting! I'll make sure to check out your Substack, too. Thanks for being willing to sign up to The Storyletter. It's been a lot of fun meeting everyone on here. Let me know if you need anything! I'd be happy to help where I can.
For sure. I've also really enjoyed meeting other creatives and thinkers via Substack. I'll keep reading, and will keep in touch.