P.J. Murphy's Writer Site

On 3^rd May, I joined over 40 authors in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, for the annual Indie Author Book Fair. I had intended to take part in 2023, but left booking until too late. Places are competitive! Not living in the UK, attendance became an odyssey. But was it worth it?

 

The Prep

The first part of the journey was the flight into Luton. As Easyjet flights go, it was remarkably uneventful. I even managed to get a few minutes’ sleep while listening to the audiobook version of Terry Pratchett’s Jingo (much recommended, by the way; the voices are great and Bill Nighy shines as the Patrician). Then, there was the usual fun and games picking up my hire car. I ended up with a Hyundai, which they presented as a brilliant free upgrade, but it was in fact the only car left in the parking lot. The car bleeped and pinged at me for various reasons throughout the drive, and I found it a bit of challenge to drive an automatic on the left side of the road after so long, but I made it to Huntingdon unscathed. I only hospitalised two locals, too. Bonus!

I had booked to stay in the George Hotel in the centre of Huntingdon, a few hundred metres from Commemoration Hall, where the event took place. What a place this was! A real old-fashioned inn, with a courtyard and uneven corridors. Truly, I had arrived back in the UK! Take a look at these pictures to get a feel for the place.

 

Unfortunately, they informed me when I checked in that the kitchen was being renovated, so they would only be serving a continental breakfast. Boo! There went my sausages and hash browns. I consoled myself by heading to Sainsburys (no Tesco in walking distance, sadly) and buying some British chocolate and prawn cocktail crisps for my lady love. I also decided it would be appropriate to have a beer, even though I’m not normally a big fan. The beer in question was called ‘Neck Oil’, which didn’t inspire me with confidence, either, so I only took a half – although it was quite nice, actually…

Then, dinner at a local eatery and an early night, in preparation for the day ahead. Whether I would be overrun with interest or sitting there like a joner, it would require all my energy.

 

On the day

We had up to an hour to set up, and it being my first book fair, I arrived as early as I could to give myself time. And boy, did I need it! It may not look like much, but below is the result of my efforts. The most challenging part was sorting out the tablecloth, and I will dedicate an entire future blog to sharing tips on how to tame that beast (only joking).

 

I then had a few minutes to take a look at the other exhibitors, before the ravenous hordes of public arrived. The diversity was striking. Probably best represented was crime and fantasy, but there also a few stands of children’s books, memoir, humour and sport. Just next to me was a guy called Josh Barry, who has led an interesting life, runs a podcast and had interviewed a load of celebrities despite his Multiple Sclerosis. And opposite was an author called Felicity Radcliffe, who’s written a series of murder mystery books set on or around canal barges.

So, how did the sales go? Well, not extraordinarily, to be honest. The eclectic nature of the fair was a bit its failing, as people coming in could have been interested in any number of things, not just my genre. But I did manage to sell a few copies, including two to my neighbours, after we got chatting (I assured them it was not a sales pitch!).

It was also fascinating to watch which book people picked up as they browsed, to get an impression of which cover was most striking. I even conducted some experiments of swapping the order of the books around, to remove that as a factor. The winning book was… wait for it… Troubleshot. That’s not what I would have guessed. What do you think? Here are all the covers below together. Which would you go to first?

 

The wrap-up

So, in conclusion, attending the book fair was a great, if not lucrative experience. Long-time readers of this blog will know that I’ve decided to take my publishing adventure as just that: an adventure. I try out different things and try to enjoy the experiences, good and bad. This was definitely one to add to my list. Would I do it again? Maybe. Next year’s event is due to take place in Cambridge, so we might have different levels of footfall.

Until next time…