Readers & Writers 2026 in Seattle, WA + Swords and Soulmates at We Be Book’n in Monroe, Wa
My First Indoor Booths
Two in one day?! Yes.
A Book Fair With My Husband As My Assistant…
Yes, we survived and are still happily married. haha
In all seriousness, I was elated to attend Readers & Writers Seattle knowing it was a very last minute show. I’m so grateful for that team to allow me a last- minute table. I realize how much coordination goes into those events and can’t say enough about how much I appreciate that lift.
Jake was fantastic, managing me and my frantic anxieties about setting up. We had SO much time, but of course, it’s high stress. Putting your heart and soul into something like this and then trying to make a physical presentation of the words you smushed into a story is a challenge like no other. Vulnerability doesn’t quite sum it up… but he was my rock and I’m so happy to have him with me.
How did I do?
Full speed ahead on transparency… I made nothing. Of course I sold books and there was a huge networking opportunity, but unfortunately I didn’t make enough to cover the booth fee. It’s part of the game! I am obviously disappointed, but I learned so much at this event and will use that to improve in the future.
You’re probably wondering what went wrong. Unfortunately, there was a mixup at the location and they had a big ol’ traveling event at the same time as ours, so the parking lot was LOADED with people. Genuinely, the biggest issue was that nobody could park and come in.
Do I take any ownership over the lack of sales? Of course! At the time of this event, I had two books released in a four book series. Many people won’t start reading a series until it’s complete. So, that means I had a lot of people taking my bookmarks and scanning my QR to add to their TBR for the future. I understand. When my standalone is released, I think that will completely change the experience for first-time readers at my booth.
But, as I said, there was more to it than just sales! I met so many amazing authors as well as meeting other vendors and indie book stores while I was there. Did I mention that I was also thrown into a live podcast that I was not expecting? Oops. Though it terrified me, I’m actually thinking about the future and what a planned interview might look like for me. Maybe when I release the third book that will make sense. Embracing Fire is worth celebrating, I think!
I made little print outs of my upcoming books, so that was fun to talk about.
Please note that ALL of my beautiful cover art is by @KindCannibalism. They have absolutely blown me away with their quality of work, flexibility, and communication. I hope they’re ready for me to drag them through 100 more books.
I am so excited for the next one. How am I supposed to wait 2 whole years? I hope to see you in 2028 for the next event, with resolved parking, standalone books in hand, and a whole new experience for both authors and readers as the indie author world grows.
We had swag bags with character art, bookmarks, stickers, and all kinds of fun stuff. Those are a labor of love, but Jake helped me pack them one by one and did a fantastic job.
I also brought a rainbow of pens to sign with this time and it was so fun to show readers the cup and ask them what color they wanted me to sign with. I absolutely recommend doing this if you don’t mind having fun colors!
… Did I mention we left at 4pm and FLEW to Monroe, WA for the Swords and Soulmates Interactive Author Market at We Be Book’n?
Yep. We did. Technically we were late but the book store was so accommodating, they had a table with a tablecloth ready to go! This was my first time signing in a bookstore rather than a large convention space and it felt so intimate. I really enjoyed being able to connect with customers in this environment. It felt less like rapid fire sales pitches and more like a conversation. Not that I don’t appreciate both opportunities, but this was just refreshing.
Because we were late, the setup was a little different. We rolled up the tablecloths together from the first event and opted to go with stacked books instead of the shelf… and learned we don’t like the shelf haha it was a pain to set up anyway, but now I’m going to look for alternative display options!
I did get a lot of compliments on the Shadow Mommy theme. It’s not my brand… but it’s starting to become something like that. I’m not sure if I’ll use it but for now, I’m enjoying that connection that people make with it.