Upcoming market day

I was a bit late in requesting a stall for the upcoming market day on Sunday. ‘’Sorry all indoor spaces are full,’’ I was told. However, I was given the option of being in the foyer, a small area next to the main doors and by the toilets. ‘’Yes please,’’ was my reply as even though this is off the beaten track, it is still a space and it will give me some privacy for the healings I am intending to do along with selling my books.

One other market day I was placed in another off-the-beaten-track area and I didn’t have a single sale as nobody saw me. This will be different I am feeling. Though it is near the main doors, at these markets, everyone crosses from the outdoor stalls to the indoor ones, via the side doors. But my magic ingredient this time is that I will advertise in advance on the local Facebook page, something I have not done before. Genevieve made a sign up for me last year, whereby I offer treatment and book sale packages where a buyer gets a treatment almost free if they buy a book. The treatments are always good to pay for the stall cost, which leaves any money from book sales to go towards their printing costs and by combining the two with a discount, gives prospective buyers an incentive to buy my books. We shall see. The other different thing this time around is that I have a children’s book, something I am hoping will appeal to more of the older population who live on the Peninsula, for their grandchildren, of course. My other books have a very limited audience but I am hoping the children’s may appeal more to the mainstream population.

The other thing worth noting was at the pre-Christmas market I attended in Taipa, it seemed that people genuinely had a lack of money. However, Christmas is over now and hopefully people aren’t struggling so much, leaving a bit more money to spend on the various sales.

I have just written up my writing goals for the year, something we do in our writing group. Much of these are about trying to generate sales. I wouldn’t know whether I would have sold any books or not if I didn’t try. Hence the reason for me being there this time around. And it is just the start for my attempts for the upcoming year. I am feeling positive, so here is hoping.