Saturday's BookMarks Book Festival was interesting on many levels. First, I met my publisher. Since I submitted my manuscript 1 1/2 years ago, I've talked with him on the phone once, and emailed two dozen times. Second, I got to meet other authors whose books are carried at Barnhill's Bookstore, the bookstore in Winston-Salem that is owned by the publisher. And finally, I got to see lots of people who came to the festival thanks to a shared interest in reading. They braved the rain to hear speakers, talk to authors, and to graciously take bookmarks shoved in their general direction!
As I understood it, the pre-morning crowds were eager to buy books. The rain slowed the purchasing power of the crowd in general. Plus, there were lots of other events going on around town on Saturday, including an air show, a college football game, and the grand opening of a new arts center.
The venue on Trade Street was perfect, with lots of choices for good eats or a hot cuppa something, plenty of parking in the parking garage, and galleries and stores where authors could speak about their books -- these were the scheduled and promoted speakers, some of national fame. There was a children's area, though it was not brimming with activities when I stopped by to see what they had going on there.
In all, it was a good day. I hope the event's planners agree -- it's a worthwhile event to spread the word about books!
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