I always loved doing trade shows just because of all the people I get to meet. But once I started speaking at trade shows, it was a whole new game. When you are the one in the lime light, you are the one who gets all of the attention. And the attention comes in the framework of new clients.
So a part of this author program is to encourage my authors to become speakers at trade show events, have a display table and use the other vendors as a resource to sell their books in bulk. It is one of the greatest resources there is for an author generating mass amounts of income.
Getting the first trade show as a speaker is the most difficult. Once you’ve secured your position as a speaker and insist on having a table to display your books and CDs. People love to come by and talk with you after you have been the speaker. It is a great way to build rapport.
The ideal is to have a trade show booked at least six times a year. You’ll be able to get an average of two to four new clients, two to three new speaking engagements, sell an average of 200-300 books and sell four to six new bulk sponsors. All in all, the average income will be about $20-30,000 on each trade show.
You will find an unlimited list of potential trade shows just by searching Google.