Lessons from Sac Comic Con

First lesson. Bring a good chair. Seriously, my back. No, I’m not kidding, but that’s also my ice breaker. Stick around for more.

In all seriousness, the first real lesson: do physical events. This is where your audience is. Get your face in front of people, and if even one of them looks over at your book or calls out your title in jest, PULL THEM IN. Case in point, I quickly found out at the 2026 Sacramento Comic Con that people would randomly call out “Space Cheese” with a grin, not even knowing what it was, and that was all I needed. Sure, some of them didn’t bite, but some did. And one of those I pulled in for simply calling out “Space Cheese” as they walked by ended up buying all three of my books. Lesson? Get in front of people. Watch their tells. In this case, listen for their tells. Watch anyone who’s eyes linger a little longer on your books than others. Those are potential customers. That’s your advantage. Online can’t do that.

There is a psychology to selling, and flat-out honest time, I’ve always, always, ALWAYS never even remotely wanted to be a salesman of any kind. Why? Because I watched too many smarmy ones con my loved ones out of their money. Just put me off. That being said, if you truly believe in your books, YOU are absolutely the best person to be selling them to people… in person. You will find some people circle a number of times around a product that interests them, until they finally commit. Some will be put off be a price at first, until they get up the nerve to finally come up and say, “Hey, will you take $15?” “Yes. Why, yes I will.” Only physical events can give you this advantage at watching a potential customer as they decide on how they want to spend their money. So, writers, get out there and show people your books.

Next lesson. You’re going to get really good at figuring out exactly how to strip your book to its bare bones in order to pitch it to people. I’m a writer. I know how painful writing the back blurb can be. But telling that to people in the heat of a potential sale? Yikes! I’m telling you though, give it half a day or so and you will figure out how to strip it down to what really hooks a potential book buyer.

Another one. Bundling. If you’re a writer, you likely have more than one book. This is where price psychology really works. One book, oh a signed book, might cost $20. But two books? Or even three together? That’s purchase power. Two for $30. Three for $45. Figure out the math that works for you and bundle your books together. People react well to what they perceive as a good value for their dollar, especially in this economy. Bundles is not only where you start making it, it’s also where people start seeing you as a writer they will likely buy more from.

What’s next? Email list. I talked to a lot of people at the Con. Every single one of them is not just a potential customer. They are a potential return customer if you can earn their trust. And if they feel they can trust you, they will absolutely sign up for your email list. I don’t care what your email form looks like. You just had a real conversation with someone. That’s when you ask. Get their email, name if possible. They likely walk away with a book, and you likely gain a follower and an email you can send updates to for your next upcoming book.

This leads to signage as well. Plan ahead for any physical event. Get good signage, posters of your book covers, banners, bookmarks, anything that catches their eye. Case in point, after the first day at the Con with me hearing so many people say “Space Cheese” as they walked by, I came back Sunday with a small neon yellow sign that said, “Ask me about the Space Cheese!” And they did. Not all of them turned into sales, but enough did. Some just ended up being fun conversations, but that’s okay too. Effective signage sells.

What else? Ah yes, you get to test your own limits. For me, it was how long could my back last? I figured it out quick, stand for a while, especially when loads of people were walking by, sit when there wasn’t. You’ll figure out quick how long it took to set up. Pull it all down for the night. Haul it to the truck. Because, if you want to sell your books, and I’m sure you do, you need to know your limits so you don’t strain yourself.

Big takeaway? And honestly, the one thing I didn’t expect? The book isn’t the product. The interaction is. People don’t walk up to your table already sold. They get sold in the moment, by you, by the conversation, by the connection. Some of them bought books. Some of them didn’t. But every one of them remembered the interaction. And that matters more than you think. Because almost all of them took my bookmark with my name and website on it. You are the differentiator.

Don’t think, “I’m selling books.”

Think: “I’m creating buying moments.”

And of course, have fun. I absolutely had a blast at the Con. I got to talk to a lot of people, I learned quick what worked and what didn’t, AND, coolest of all, I got to chat with a fellow indie writer, Russell Carroll. Doing physical events gets you out of the bubble, and potentially in front of fellow writers which can really open up options for you. You want options. You want connections. You want fellow writer friends. It will make your own writing adventure that much more enjoyable. So, get out there. Brave the world, show book lovers your face, and find local events you can sell your books at. It’s completely worth it.