by david f.
Member since:
July 3, 2007

Minneapolis Book Fair- photos

October 10, 2009 08:54 PM EDT (Updated: October 10, 2009 08:56 PM EDT)
views: 144 | rating: 9.9/10 (9 votes) | comments: 66

Not sure what to say - it was an experience.  Okay - I admit it - I did have a good time.  I met a couple on-line friends, made some new ones, sold some books, made a few connections, and smiled 'til my cheeks broke.wow - i guess you can still see a little bit of the scar

yours truly posing with Lois Greiman & Marilyn Victor - a couple of Sisters In Crime - a Minneapolis chapter of women mystery writers.

Now it's time to curl up into the fetal position under my desk and awaken tomorrow back into my comfort zone - a loner writer (maybe after seeing zombieland).
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Comments: 66

Deb S. Oct 10, 2009, 9:06pm EDT
Congratulations. I'm off to the Miami Book Fair in November. Tune in to Book TV
david f. Oct 10, 2009, 9:10pm EDT
all right! wishing you a most wonderful and successful time!
Erin O'Riordan Oct 10, 2009, 9:10pm EDT
Looks like fun. I wish I had been there.
david f. Oct 10, 2009, 9:12pm EDT
considering it snowed this morning, the turnout was amazing. are you from this neck of the woods?
Erin O'Riordan Oct 10, 2009, 9:27pm EDT
No, I'm from the Chicago area.
david f. Oct 10, 2009, 9:28pm EDT
woulda been fun, but a helluva commute. ; )
Kelly Kay Oct 10, 2009, 9:42pm EDT
I see you had your good luck Poe in your pocket and your scary guy on the table, not to mention the hot women sandwiching you! It does look like you had a great time =)
david f. Oct 10, 2009, 9:55pm EDT
unfortunately, poe's raven has flown the coop. otherwise - hunk-dory. ; )
Guy W. Oct 10, 2009, 11:42pm EDT
It's true, he has to keep all those scary guys around to keep from being mobbed. It was really a fun thing.
david f. Oct 10, 2009, 11:44pm EDT
LOL - i wish. : )
glad you enjoyed it~ big crowd~ eek
david f. Oct 11, 2009, 8:58am EDT
eek is right. ; )
Thanks for posting to GutterGirls~
Mary Fagan Oct 11, 2009, 9:42pm EDT
I dunno...looks kinda scary to me! So BIG. I've got the Texas Book Festival coming up next month. I'm sure I'll settle down and enjoy it. Gotta be less unnerving than a solo signing!
david f. Oct 11, 2009, 9:51pm EDT
the hard part was being there for seven hours - and continually smiling at people. although, there were probably close to 100 authors there, and when strangers wanted to buy my book - it made it worth it.

thanks for stopping by, mary.
Looks like an event Wil and I would enjoy. Was this your first book fair?
david f. Oct 11, 2009, 11:33pm EDT
hi em jay - i was at a much smaller one last spring. for me it's great for people watching. it got a bit overwhelming and even a bit claustrophobic at times (but that's just me). for the public, a great place to stock up on books and meet the authors, publishers, etc.

if you like books, i think you'd have a great time.
I know the library has sent Wil to such events, but they were always closed to the public. Professionals only.
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 8:06am EDT
wow - i could understand maybe opening early for professionals only, but why deprive the public to meet the authors, and why deprive authors to meet their readers and sell their books?
The only places I ever meet authors is comic cons and scifi cons around here. Half the time I don't even know who I'm talking to. LOL I think the neatest writer I met was Bill Messner-Loebs who co-wrote The Maxx with Sam Keith. People seemed to be avoiding him, I suspected, because he is handicapped. My son was a huge fan of The Maxx series and spent an hour talking to him before finding me and introducing us.

At the time, The Maxx was the most interesting series out for the Image lable, and there were rumors of MTV picking it up for an animated series. When the series hit about 6 months later, I'm guessing a lot of fans were kicking themselves for walking by the man at the show. HA!

While we talked, Messner-Loebs drew a Batman in his style and gave it to me.
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 1:53pm EDT
that is awesome - what a treat. my biggest ego trip was at a writers' conference in palm springs - i got to meet harlan ellison, ray bradbury, joseph wambaugh, and sue grafton. (a year later i got to meet clive barker at another conference).
I would love to meet Clive Barker and tell him to finish Abarat!
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 2:37pm EDT
i only read the first one. do you know if he's even going to finish the series? is the third one out yet?
I think the third one is slated to come out next year. I so like the artwork in those books.
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 2:47pm EDT
me too.
elizabeth e. Oct 12, 2009, 1:08am EDT
What a huge Book Fair. So many people....so many authors. I imagine one would have to have some down time after that.
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 8:08am EDT
it was overwhelming at times. i unwound to zombieland the next morning. ; )
Kathryn E. Oct 12, 2009, 1:55am EDT
wow, congratulations...that is wonderful....


Featured in the Triple Name Club
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 8:08am EDT
double thanks, kathryn! muah!
Kathryn E. Oct 15, 2009, 8:21am EDT
muahah
So your cheeks hurt from smiling huh? Now you know how I feel everyday at work! lol It's harder than anyone can imagine.

I like people-watching, too..... it helps alleviate my annoyance with the public in general. :) Don't ask me why I work with the public..... After 7 years, I'm beginning to wonder myself. lol
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 2:29pm EDT
it is very hard to keep smiling (especially after some jerk bends the spine and gets his chocolatey fingerprints all over the book for ten minutes, then says my wife is carrying my wallet, i'll be right back - an hour later you see him purposely avoid looking down your row). oh well - all part of the game.

but yes - people watching was grand.
Yipes, sounds like this guy was a classic tool..... and don't you love the dumb excuses? Like WE'RE the stupid ones? lol
david f. Oct 13, 2009, 8:00am EDT
there's always gotta be at least one in every crowd.
Kathryn E. Oct 15, 2009, 8:21am EDT
SMILE ON.
david f. Oct 15, 2009, 8:23am EDT
that's all one can do ; )
amy r. Oct 12, 2009, 11:23pm EDT
Awesome! I am glad the people watching was superb. Its a hobby of mine. NH is prime hunting grounds for people watching. Downtown is just fabulous.
david f. Oct 12, 2009, 11:26pm EDT
the book fair was seven hours long - it it wasn't for people watching, i would've been pulling my hair out.
Liz H. Oct 13, 2009, 9:16am EDT
Ah! THAT book fair!
david f. Oct 13, 2009, 9:26am EDT
yup - that one. i take it you missed it.
Nancy Silveria Oct 13, 2009, 3:57pm EDT
Wow, congrats! It looks like fun. =D
david f. Oct 13, 2009, 4:01pm EDT
it was fun - in a very exhausting sort of way. ; )
Bethann K. Oct 14, 2009, 12:22pm EDT
Glad you had a good time!
david f. Oct 14, 2009, 12:25pm EDT
thanks, bethann. very cute pups you've got.
Kathryn E. Oct 15, 2009, 8:22am EDT
I thrive on that kind of fun.
david f. Oct 15, 2009, 8:53am EDT
when your novel comes out - it'll be you there!
Barbary Chaapel Oct 19, 2009, 8:10pm EDT

Thanks for stopping by to visit my recent post, David.

Looks like fun, your big book fair.

I'm going to a local book fair this Saturday, five hours. I'm sure I won't last all day!
david f. Oct 19, 2009, 8:24pm EDT
hope you have a wonderful time!
Alison H. Oct 22, 2009, 6:34pm EDT
Wow, I would be so overstimulated going to that book fair! Thanks for sharing your pics. Looks like you had a little fun meeting up with some partners in crime. I liked the little zombie guy.
david f. Oct 22, 2009, 6:41pm EDT
for someone who hates crowds as much as i do, i thought i did quite well. it was a seven hour fair and the stimulation wore off after a couple hours - still, it was pretty fun - the people watching was great.

thanks for stopping by and commenting. : )
Janell R. Nov 1, 2009, 3:44pm EST
There were a lot of people there. What an experience. I think you've got a great book cover as well.
david f. Nov 1, 2009, 3:48pm EST
very crowded. and next year i hope to have three books to sell. : )

and thank you!
Janell R. Nov 1, 2009, 4:17pm EST
At a book fair, do you then bring your body of work? It sounds like it. I thought it might be just your newly published book(s).
david f. Nov 1, 2009, 5:40pm EST
i bought the books from the publisher at a discount - then sold them for whatever i saw fit (meaning what i thought people might pay) ; )
Janell R. Nov 1, 2009, 5:54pm EST
Well, that makes sense. The answer is yes, then. You can sell all three books. Very cool.
Janell R. Nov 1, 2009, 4:17pm EST
Okay. That was weird. I didn't enter that twice.
Janell R. Nov 1, 2009, 4:18pm EST
And then the second disappeared! Spooky!
david f. Nov 1, 2009, 5:40pm EST
i've had that problem too - another gather glitch.
I hope you sold a bundle of books. Failing that, I hope you made lots of new friends. Failing that, drink a banana smoothie. Failing that, reach for the Vegemite!
david f. Nov 4, 2009, 5:55pm EST
lol - thanks magi. sold a fair amount of books. but made some friends and connections - it was a success.
Brenda Clews Nov 6, 2009, 11:46pm EST
Congratulations! You look pretty darn happy. And I love that doll, little fetish creature edging past reality... ! Sales & friends & connections - all sounds great! The photos are wild in the way book fairs are.
david f. Nov 6, 2009, 11:53pm EST
thanks, brenda. actually, my face hurt from smiling for so many straight hours. crowds are really not my thing, but ya gots to play the game if ya wanna sell some books. all that being said - it was still a pretty good time.

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