I had an interesting talk with Tom Geddie the other day.  Tom is a former corporate communication guy who has seen the light and become a writer.  A very interesting man and I’m going to do an in-depth interview with him in the future.  But something he said caused me to postpone that.  He started a book fair last year and is continuing it again in 2013. I participated in the 2012 affair and found it not only pleasant, even delightful, to visit with other writers from the area, but I also sold a lot of books. The only reason I’m not going to be in the 2013 fair is I’m giving a workshop on dialogue on that date. Otherwise, I’d be there – with my new mystery, A Ton of Gold (Click on the book cover at the right for more information). As we talked about it, I thought it important to bring his comments to all of you. Even if you are not in Texas, this is important if you have books you want to sell. So, here is what Tom had to say about the book fair – and covers of just a few of the books featured there.

The Ben Wheeler Book Fair – the second one is coming up on Nov. 30, 2013 – is a labor of love, I suppose, and a way to give back a little something for what Brooks Gremmels has done in helping resurrect the community. There are a lot of readers in the Upper East Side of Texas, and there are a lot of writers, too. Most of us are self-published, and I wanted to contribute an additional opportunity for all of us – for as many as we can fit into the space – to be recognized for our work. The book fair is in the “big room” at the Ben Wheeler Children’s Library in the beautifully restored old Elwood Schoolhouse.

The book fair is a showcase for independent voices who might get lost in something like the recent Texas Book Festival in Austin, which attracted 230 authors and 40,000 visitors. Our smaller event is the perfect venue for readers and aspiring writers to talk face to face with our authors. When I first began putting this together, I was pleasantly surprised with both the number and the quality of writers in the region. Last year’s fair was satisfying and fun, and I expect even more this year.

The 28 authors come from 21 cities: Ben Wheeler (3), Bonham, Bryan, Bullard, Dallas, Edgewood, Frankston, Frisco, Garden Ridge, Gilmer, Jacksonville, Lindale (2), Longview, Mineola, Mount Pleasant, Murchison, San Antonio, Texarkana, Troup, Tyler (3), Wills Point, and one Texan coming all the way home from Diessenhofen, Switzerland. Their works span genres including children’s books, Christian fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, historical fiction, horror, humor, mystery, poetry, romance, and young adult fiction. Nonfiction authors include biography, children’s advocacy, memoir, music and culture, photography, and self-help. A representative of Black Beauty Ranch will also be present to talk about and sell books about the nation’s largest animal sanctuary.

 The chosen authors represent about half of the total number of authors who applied, helping assure the highest quality in a rapidly growing segment of the book world. Some of the authors attended last year’s first book fair; some are new to the fair.

University presses publish several of the authors; others are self-published, which has become a popular trend in the book world. The number of authors publishing their own books has nearly tripled since 2006, growing 287%, according to an analysis of data from Bowker, the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information to help publishers, booksellers, and libraries better serve their customers.

Now, the best of the self-published books are as good as most of what is published by large, established companies. The advantage large companies have is in marketing, so that readers will be exposed to and have an opportunity to buy those books. The Ben Wheeler Book Fair is one of the many small ways for independent voices to be heard.

Anyone wanting more information can check out the Facebook page, “Ben Wheeler Book Fair” or click here.  http://on.fb.me/1eRy36M

 If you’re in the upper east side of Texas on November 30, 2013, drop by Ben Wheeler and visit the book fair.  You’ll be glad you did.