I’m Mark Stay, author of the Witches of Woodville series and The End of Magic trilogy and welcome to this fourth episode where I’m sharing what I’ve learned from doing 42 comic cons in 2025…
Missed the previous episodes? Click on the buttons below…
These are quick fire questions on books: what to stock and how to sell them, engaging with the punters, selling merch, promoting the event and more…
TRANSCRIPT
ANDREW GUILE
How many books do you need to sell to make it worthwhile?
It depends on the costs and the size of the comic con. I go into the formula of that a bit more in the first episode of this series. But the way it works is I set myself a target based on what I need to cover the basics. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I cover the table cost. In 2025, I sold an average of 28 books per event, and that’s with 9 books for sale.
IAN WATSON
Is it worth having a table at a convention if you’re a debut author with only one title to sell or should you really wait until you have a catalogue?
KATHERINE FRANKLIN
How many books did you start with on your first table (titles, not units)?
When I started ten years ago it was with just one book – Robot Overlords – and it was hard work. Not a money spinner, but the tipping point was getting three in a series. After that, I was making good money.
JULIAN BARR
How do you pick which books to bring?
My main focus is the Witches of Woodville series and the End of Magic trilogy, because you’re not just selling one book, you’re selling 3-5. I will always try and have a copy of Robot Overlords or Back to Reality handy, especially at the bigger events, but there may come a point where there just isn’t room on the table.
JENNIFER TAYLOR-GRAY
What are some good opening lines to interact with potential readers?
HEIDE GOODY
What would you typically say to a customer who strolls past? Any tips for getting them to engage?
Just ask if people are having a good day. Offer bookmarks.
When pitching, start macro, then get micro. For example, I’ll say, “I’ve got fantasy or witchcraft: what might be more up your street?”
And make it clear that these are your books: people are often surprised to discover that you are the author. And they definitely warm to you knowing that you’re the author. So I’ll say something like, “This is my series, The Witches of Woodville…”
Once they express an interest in a particular book, have a pithy description ready: maybe memorise the blurb or shoutline on the back of the book? Something short and sweet: for the Witches of Woodville I’ll say that it’s a cross between Dad’s Army and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and if I get a glimmer of recognition or a laugh, then I’ll offer more…
Do NOT start rambling about the plot in depth: the last thing you want is to bore them to tears. You’re selling the sizzle. Wear your marketing hat. It means being reductive about your books, but that’s the gig.
And hand them a copy of the book. They’re not always sure if they’re allowed to touch the books. And I learned this as a bookseller: it’s much more difficult for a customer to put it down once they have it in their hot little hands.
KATHERINE FRANKLIN
Do you find that additional goodies or ‘lures’ do well? E.g. merch, sweets, games?
JENNIFER TAYLOR-GRAY
Do you have anything interactive on your stall or just books?
I keep it simple. Mainly because there isn’t much room. When I started, I would have a bowl of Jelly Babies to lure people in, but post-Covid that’s not really as appealing, and I was starting to feel like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
AL Billington, author of the Beast Be Gone series, has D&D dice and offers a prize if you roll a 20, and his table is always crowded, though he did tell me that some people think they have to pay to roll the dice and that giving away bookmarks seems to be more effective…
By the way, he did a similar summary of what he’d learned from doing comic cons in 2024, and it’s really good. There’s a link below so you can check that out if you want…
My friend Phil Oddy, author of the excellent Entangled series, sells branded mugs and badges alongside his books. He says…
I’ve never sold a mug. I almost sold one, once. But people do comment on them and I think they elevate the table a bit. I do get a lot of people complimenting my covers and they show those off in a different way. I might have more luck if I dropped the price a bit (they’re almost as expensive as the books and if you’re a new customer, why would you spend that much on a mug for a book that you don’t know if you like yet?) Maybe once I’ve got a bigger fanbase…?
The badges are great, though. They definitely bring people to the table – they like to rummage through the bowl and find the different designs… which is then a good way into a conversation about the cryptic slogans I’ve printed on them because those all link back to the books. They also are a good way to add a few pounds onto someone’s total spend (I have a bundle which is 3 books + novella + a badge and the badge makes £35 a sensible price point based on how I price everything else – although I’m going to have to rethink it all now the series is 4 books!) I have sold badges on their own to people who seemed keen but say they’ll buy later, or will buy the ebook, or have run out of money because it’s the end of the con. They were very cheap to buy and have definitely been worth it. I’ve got some more designs in mind, so will be increasing the range for 2026!
Thank you, Phil! I might have to invest in some badges in 2026…
I have seen tables that are littered with merch and, frankly, the books get lost. Put yourself in the position of the customer wandering from table to table: they have just a few seconds to discern just what it is you’re offering, and if your book is just one of many objects scattered about the table, then it’s going to be overlooked. Keep it simple!
JENNIFER TAYLOR-GRAY
Do you stand/sit/hover?
I stand. I appreciate that not everyone will be able to stay upright for 6-8 hours, but I just find that sitting makes the lure of the dreaded smartphone all the more tempting, and before you know it you’re slouched over and doomscrolling through social media.
Standing means I’m alert. I watch as people approach my table (I have a much better idea of who reads my books now, so I know who to look for) and then I offer a bookmark or ask them how they’re doing.
And I’ve never managed to hover. It’s a neat trick if you can pull it off.
JENNIFER TAYLOR-GRAY
Is there anything you’ve tried and decided is a complete waste of time?
I did a food festival once. A big one. People just weren’t expecting to see authors – and there were a few of us in a large gazebo – but sadly it didn’t work. Total waste of time. Local fairs, Christmas fairs etc are a good place to test the waters… but not food festivals.
I did a Renaissance Fair this autumn – all outside – and the weather was very dicey: I was sheltering under a gazebo. I did well, but if the weather had taken a turn for the worse, then it would have been a disaster. They’re doing the same thing next year, but have upped their prices to MCM comic con levels, so I don’t think I’m going to risk it this year.
And this next thing isn’t a waste of time, exactly, but my first batch of bookmarks didn’t work. They had a link to sign up to my newsletter, but people aren’t going to sign up until they’ve read the books (and the books have a prompt in the back anyway)… It soon became clear that what people wanted was to know what the books were about, so I switched the newsletter stuff for Goodreads reader quotes and now the bookmarks are much more effective.
ANDREW GUILE
What do you think is the biggest factor that helps make the event a success (e.g. your stunning banter? What jumper/t-shirt you chose that day?! The number of books – in a series – that you have? Your banners? Where your table is positioned in the hall?)
Having a quick and pithy pitch really helps. Having a simple multibuy offer also makes a difference: make it clear that they’re getting a good deal.
Sales patter (banter) helps: if readers like you, they’re more likely to give the book a try. Be positive, best foot forward etc. No snark. No grumbling. Enunciate. Tummy in, tits out.
The T-shirt thing is interesting. I did get some Witches of Woodville branded shirts, and they didn’t make any difference. However, my HHGTTG ‘Don’t Panic’ shirt draws the right kind of reader. You have to remember that no one knows who you are. And you’re surrounded by the biggest brands in the world – Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Pokemon – so you have to work harder to convince people to take a punt… and if you can show that your writing might be a bit like the thing they like, then that can’t hurt.
Regarding the number of books: three is the magic number. One is hard work. Two isn’t really a thing… but three is when people say things like, ‘Ooh, I’m looking for a new series!’ and buy them all! And you should offer a multibuy discount. It’s worth it.
The banners are great. As I mentioned in the video of the tour of my table, the thing I’ll do next time is have the quotes at the top, because the ones at the bottom are hidden.
Table positioning: this can make a huge difference… If I’m mid-row, that’s fine. A corner table can be a sweet spot. By the door can be good or bad depending on the flow of the crowd: you soon become an expert in motion dynamics doing this gig. Most people will do at least one circuit before they start to make buying decisions (another reason why it’s so important to hand out bookmarks: they need to remember who you were!).
At Newmarket Racecourse, they put me by the front door at the bottom of the stairs: this made me look like some guest of honour and I did nothing to dissuade people of this notion. Had a very good day.
JULIAN BARR
What do you do if you sell out of stock?
You have to turn a negative into a positive. I put up a Post-It note declaring ‘Sold out! Sorry!’ and grin and bear it. I’ve only once completely sold out: when I was only selling Robot Overlords, so I packed up and went home early. That was a long time ago,
Also, if you’re traditionally published, make sure that you let your publisher know what you’re doing. Send them an estimate of how many books you’re going to order in the next 12 months and ask them to print accordingly. The last thing you need is to book a big, expensive comic con only to discover that your book is reprinting the week after. I learned that lesson the hard way.
JULIAN BARR
How do you deal with the crushing rejection when someone looks at your stuff, shrugs, and walks off?
It happens so often that you shrug it off. You endure a lot of humility with this gig. Sometimes you’ll get people saying, ‘I’ve never heard of you!’ to which I smile and reply, ‘You have now!’ It’s rare that anyone is genuinely rude, but as with anything in life, just let it go: you’ve got no idea what’s going on in their lives to make them behave like that.
But I won’t pretend that there haven’t been moments where it’s been dead, or humiliating, and I’ve thought, ‘I bet [insert name of famous author here] doesn’t have to put up with this…’
TRACY BUCHANAN
What do you recommend doing in the lead up to promote your stand and drive people to it?
Not much beyond the usual social media/newsletter stuff. It’s not like a bookshop or library event, in that most of the people attending the comic con won’t be your readers (a lot of them don’t read at all!) and they won’t have heard of you. You’re trying to create new readers, so just make the most of the folks who are there (if that makes sense?). What’s nice is that by the end of this year, I had people who had bought books earlier in the year coming back for more, and they had signed up to my newsletter etc.
Thank you everyone for your questions. I hope you found that useful.
This was supposed to wrap up after four episodes, but I’ve had a couple of people ask about selling at comic cons overseas, which I’ve not done… but I’ve asked a couple of writer friends who have, so if that intrigues you, there’s a special bonus episode HERE…
If you’ve found this helpful, please consider tossing a few coins in my pot on Ko-Fi…
Mark Stay Writes 