by Chris McMahon

I have certainly always trusted my instincts where writing was concerned. After all, it’s such a complex business, you often don’t have anything else to go on. I always listen to the ‘inner voice’ when it comes to creative decisions, or even choosing what to read.

After the experience of selling my work at Supanova last weekend, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can also trust your instincts where selling work is concerned  – particularly on a person-to-person level.

My setup at Supanova was basically a table in Artist’s Alley and three chairs. On one side was a fellow selling Mexican Wrestling Masks [which were extremely cool BTW], and on the other side was a table selling these Japanese food craft kits where you made your own sweets [they ended up giving us one, my daughter quite enjoyed making and eating it]. People pretty much wandered past as they would in any craft market – except in this case many of them were dressed as SFF, Anime and Manga characters. There were some great costumes and it was sure entertaining to watch them all stroll by.

I tried a few different approaches to getting attention. To start with I stood in front my table and pretty much gave out book covers to anyone who would take one. I certainly gave away a lot of books covers, but sold no books. Part of this was due to the fact it was at the beginning when people were keen to look around and see what was going on, what’s for sale and what they want to spend their money on before they decided. Part of it was that I was selecting people basically at random rather than waiting before they showed interest.

The second approach was very different. I noticed that whenever I took a break to eat something and sat down behind the desk, as soon as I had something in my mouth, someone was sure to come up to the table and ask a question! So for the afternoon I basically sat behind the desk and just watched people walk by, noting their degree on interest in the books I had on display and the banner behind me, before I started the pitch or offered the book cover. I started selling books. Many of these buyers pretty much walked up the table without too much prompting.

By the second day I found I was beginning to develop an instinct. Somehow I knew that some people were not all that interested. Eye contact and the direction of their interest was part of it, but it went beyond this. I began to trust the instinct to decide who to canvass.

Having read a few articles about selling and promotion, this selective approach seems to fly in the face of hard sell doctrine i.e. ABC – Always Be Closing. The conventional wisdom drives you to turn lack of interest into interest and turn people from non-buyers to buyers. This seems too clinical – and too mercenary – to me. It made me realise that when it comes to selling, you really do need to experiment and see what works for you.

A lot of advice you find on the net might advocate taking every single opportunity to sell work. I would applaud that, however I think there is nothing wrong with listening to your own instincts as well. There is nothing worse than going in against your instincts and doing a ‘crash and burn’ – that can be downright damaging to your confidence. Especially if you are not equipped with the ultimate selling personality and elephant-thick skin.

Mind you, I do like a challenge. I noticed a woman browsing the books with a particularly smug and superior look on her face. She had a bookstore shirt on – one of the two local bookstores selling at Supanova. I thought – ‘Here is a challenge – sell to the bookseller!’ Sure enough, she listened to my patter with a condescending look then asked. ‘So is this self-published?’ Nothing could have confirmed my suspicions faster. It did not stop me from trying to sell her the book, but I knew already she was not really listening to me. It just so happens this bookstore chain stocked the 2006 Australian publication of The Calvanni, and the Brisbane store still owe me for six of the dozen or so copies they sold that year.

I guess I could sum up by saying that when it comes to promotion, there is nothing wrong with picking your battles.

Have you done any selling lately? Got any good promotional tips? Hey I need them!

PS: I took a hilarious photo of a guy dressed as a bear reading the Calvanni in front of my table. I’ll put it up next week once I get it off my phone.