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

Book Clubs Are Liars

Ayoooooooooo

Book clubs flip on me for some reason…I got the WORST luck when it comes to book clubs either inviting me for a meeting to discuss my books, or them following up when they say they will

It got to a point where whenever a book club member say to me, “I’m gonna contact you after I finish the book” I automatically assume they’re full of shit

They NEVER contact me…9 out of 10 times this is AFTER they claim they enjoyed the book…so I doubt it has anything to do with the content 

Damn...do I need to shoot a nigga to get someone's attention?...Shit...LOL

I guess this is the way of the industry *shrugs*

I remember at a book signing in Newark, New Jersey 3 years ago this lady who was part of a book club was interested in buying a book…our interaction took a wrong turn on Weird driving on Awkward boulevard after awhile…this is how the last part of the convo had went:

 
ME: Feel free to flip through the pages to see if you like it enough to buy it

HER: It looks real interesting. I think I’m gonna buy your book (she says as she flips through pages)

3 minutes later

HER: Okay, I gotta go. Bye

ME: (looks dumfounded as she leaves without buying a book)

 
Me and my homegirl (my assistant at the time) looked at each other like “what the fuck?”…we actually thought we had a sale…that’s how interested she was…LOL…shit was mad bizarre…she just bounced.

Til this day that’s the WEIRDEST interaction I’ve gotten from a perspective buyer…it just so happen to be a person from a book club

I’m not gonna go on a crusade against book clubs…some of them have been VERY supportive when it comes to buying books…it just bugs me out how they never hit me up when they say they will…especially when they give a SPECIFIC time period of them hitting me up

You might say, "maybe you should make the first step"...I don't think I should have to do that when someone cracks open the pandora's box of a light promise...If someone is REALLY interested in a person, place or thing, they'll go out their way to get it...simple as that

It’s like people’s word nowadays aren’t their bond…then again, I am dealing with industry folk

This older brother once said:

"My word is my bond, and my bond is life, and I will give my life before my word shall fail."

And when you deal with any industry, it’s like people are walking around dead when it comes to their word

Anyway…back to writing I go…I’m out

Peace

Nah’Sun the Great

Lampin in Miami with a supporter from a book club