Signs That Clearly Point Your Gig Is Doomed
1. When an organizer doesn’t release the names of the readers at an event until four days before the event takes place.
2. When an organizer doesn’t try corralling people to come see you read when it’s your time to perform.
3. People molest your books, smile when they read the poems, and yet don’t buy a copy.
4. When the venue warns you it’s a bad idea to do a poetry show at that time of night on a Saturday and you try any way.
5. When an organizer is surprised a handful of people show up at your event despite a football game.
What I’ve learned:
1. You should be at a bookfair as a featured author not a vendor if you want to sell your books.
2. Listen to a venue’s recommendation about why you shouldn’t be there.
3. Avoid Sundays unless the venue has a poetry event that day that has a consistent following.
4. Book features at structured events only.
5. Unless you know the promoter, treat them like they don’t know what they’re doing and flyer the living hell out of a city before you go on.
St. Pete, I come for you next. I know we are going to get along very well.
Actually, my poetry cabaret has had its best luck on Sundays. We’ve found it’s a great night for poetry around here.
Margaret
November 9, 2009 at 6:43 pm
That’s awesome.
iheartfailure
November 9, 2009 at 6:45 pm