ROSEMARY HARRIS: The title of this post may (or may not) make sense when I finish writing and you finish reading, but the video cracks me up and it seemed like a fun start to this post about non-bookstore sales. (Or in the case of the video, asking for grapes at a lemonade stand.)Back in the day, when I was in the video business, I was in what they called Special Markets Sales. I sold hiking videos to EMS, fishing videos to Bass Pro Shops and pregnancy videos to health clinics. I went to golf shows, library conferences and Super Show, the gigantic sports show held in Atlanta. What I didn't do was sell videos to the likes of Blockbuster.
So perhaps it's not surprising that now that I'm in the book business I've done gigs at garden shows, wineries, a health club, women's clubs, farmer's markets and the like. Let's face it...sitting in a bookstore, next to a stack of James Patterson's latest, I'm not exactly the hot issue. But it's kind of fun for me to be standing next to the heirloom tomato lady and talking about gardening mysteries. Talking about poisonous plants at the San Francisco conservatory. Or Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights at The Philadelphia Flower Show.
On June 9, I'll be at The Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, PA. I'd like to say they named it after me, but in fact it's one of the oldest and coolest herb and tea shops in the country, and I'll be giving a talk on Mischief and Mayhem in the Garden. I was delighted to be asked and hope some of you in the Harrisburg/New Cumberland area may make it there for a talk and a Victorian tea in their beautiful garden (details on my website.)
So...lots of questions...have you ever gone to a book event at some place other than a bookstore or mystery conference/book festival? If you're a writer have you done events at non-bookstore venues?
As bookstores - sadly - disappear, what alternative venues can help to pick up the slack?
And...oh yeah...got any grapes...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFPf7wrLWxg
