How To Host A Writing/Publishing Event

Your first question might be: Why should I host a writing/publishing event? The answers are as varied as there are writers. You might be launching a new book and want the publicity such an event would bring. You might be interested in networking with other writers, publishers, editors and readers. You might be a masochist! :-)

But enough "why's." Let's move on to the "how's."

O GAUGE INTEREST

Find out if there's 1) enough interest in your community and 2) enough interest among fellow writers to make the event worth your while. When I hosted the Southern Publishers and Writers Expo, I knew there was interest in our community and my timing was excellent (more about that below). To gauge interest from fellow writers, I simply posted messages to various e-lists to which I belong and asked. Thus, I learned that there is indeed enough interest to ensure that I won't be the only writer there.

O TIMING

Each year, the Virginia Highlands Festival brings thousands of visitors to Abingdon, Virginia. The festival is a two-week long event, and there are usually literary events during the second week. The Southern Publishers & Writers Expo took place on Friday, August 12, the last Friday of the Virginia Highlands Festival. Although we aren't affiliated with the festival, we benefited from the tourists and locals who are drawn to it. Plus, the expo will take place in the Martha Washington Inn which is located in heart of festival events.

Is there an event in your area you might be able to use for a "piggyback ride"? If so, see if you can make your event an extension of the existing event. If the chairpersons of the existing event nix your idea, you can still have your own event nearby and benefit secondhand from the publicity and crowds drawn by the existing event.

O EXPENSES

Know ahead of time how much you can afford to spend. I was on a tight budget, so I had to take into consideration how much I could afford to spend regardless of whether or not I had enough vendor interest to counter some of the expenses. Also, you don't want any costs cropping up that you didn't anticipate. For example, my room rental increased $100 because the vendors will need display tables. Ask lots of questions. My friend Tammy mentioned that some meeting rooms charge a set-up fee. I was unaware of that so I asked about a set-up fee and was told that it was included in the room rental. Don't be afraid to look dumb; be afraid of getting stuck with an outrageous bill you weren't expecting.

O PLANNING

Plan well enough ahead of time to ensure that you will get the space you desire, that people interested in participating won't have already planned to be elsewhere, and that you have time to recruit both vendors and attendees.

O MINIMIZE YOUR LIABILITIES

My husband, who is often more business-minded than I am, reminded me that I'd better check into whether or not we'd need a business license for the expo. Turned out, we did. As the sponsor for the event, I was responsible for obtaining a retail license that would cover all vendors. Check into all the legalities: licensing, Fire Marshall's codes, etc.

O STRIVE FOR UNIQUENESS

For the Southern Publishers & Writers Expo, vendors paid a small fee to participate. Attendees paid nothing. Unlike other writing conferences, attendees will be invited to attend our workshops, seminars and panels free of charge. These workshops, seminars and panels will take place during the morning. In the afternoon, readings and nonfiction seminars will take place, and these, too, will be free to the public. My theory was that if you freely share your expertise, people will respond by buying your books. That wasn’t necessarily the case. Although our event went fairly well, if you are holding workshops and seminars where writers will be given a lot of helpful information, I suggest you charge attendees a small fee. In addition, think about how you can make your event stand out from the crowd.

As always, I hope this information helps!