2014 Harlem Book Fair RECAP!

What's woody wood, grasshoppers?

The Harlem Book Fair was this past Saturday, and the festival was uneventful...I love Harlem, whether it's the history, the food, the vendors, the swag, and we sure as hell can't forget the LADIES...who I think are the best lookin' group of Black women in NYC

But that's another blog

Something was missing at this year's Harlem Book Fair

Without writing a novel about the event, I'd broken down my observation in 5-points

CLICK HERE to peep my recap of the 2012 Harlem Book Fair...

...don't ask me why I didn't recap last year's

Shit happens

Anyway, here are my FIVE honest thoughts about this year's Harlem Book Fair:

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1) You're stupid to buy a table as an author...

...unless you KNOW you're gonna make your money back and THEN SOME

I let newbie authors slide because they don't know better

I saw A LOT of authors go home with full boxes of books…you should’ve seen the looks on their faces…but hey, people gotta learn the hard way

Oh yeah, the "Is the book on Kindle?" question is a low key way of saying "I'm not interested in buying your book"

But that’s another blog

If you're not a well known author, or don't have a killer street team to help you with sales, then you're in for a looooooooong day

I sold books straight from my book bag

Even that's a gift and a curse because negroes love presentation, and they figure you're "bootleg" if you're selling hand-to-hand instead of holding down a table

I still sold a good amount of books to financially hold me down til next weekend

2) The crowd is dwindling each year, and I saw a lot of empty tables and spots not being used

Hmmmm...I wonder why (sarcasm)

3) I'm NOT there to socialize with other authors

I saw too many authors skinnin' and grinnin' and acting like groupies toward other authors who were more well known

This one reader had asked me why I don't wanna chat with other authors...

...and I kindly told her I'm there to MAKE MONEY, not use the fair as a glorified meet and greet

If I have a specific question to ask an author, I'll ask, but I'm not chit chatting on general principle

4) Too many window shoppers...

...not enough buyers

Book clubs are infamous for doing that shit...there's this one book club that traveled all the way from South Carolina to Harlem and didn't buy one book at the fair...shit, a lot of book clubs didn't have anything in their hands except sweat

Harlem Book Fair is becoming a fashion show if it's not already is

5) The ONLY reason why I attend the Harlem Book Fair is to use the event as a way to sell books to readers who are too lazy to order my books online...

...and to also network with entities that can possibly help my brand

Otherwise, I wouldn't waste my time going

Matter of fact, A LOT of people didn't go this year...

...I didn't see familiar faces I've seen from past book fairs

At this rate, Harlem Book Fair is gonna be irrelevant in 3 years

Real talk

Next year I'ma take random photos of phat asses and post them as my Harlem Book Fair RECAP...

...that'll be more interesting
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Peace and Afro Grease

Nah'Sun the Great @ www.nahsunblaze.com