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Homeschool exhibit Booth setup day 2

About a week ago, we exhibited at a homeschool convention, Appalachian Home Educators in Knoxville, TN. http://www.appalachianhomeeducators.com/home Got to meet a fellow author and online friend, Shawn Lamb. Her exhibit and ours seem to have been the only two booth promoting our own original works. Attendees who stopped by the booth kept saying, “Oh, you wrote all these yourselves?” We walked around the exhibit hall and saw what other people promoted. Some had their own works to promote or sell — a system or a method of teaching a certain subject or a certain type of student. Some had a full compliment of curriculum or reading material or activity books or kits created by other people. One had a set of magnetic, re-usable scheduling cards. One sold home made soaps and essences in a business that started as a homeschool project.

But people who wrote almost 30 books themselves? We were the only ones. Quite a few vendors were upset that there weren’t more attendees, frankly. Promo literature promised 1000 swag bags, implying they expected 1000 families to attend. It’s doubtful that there were 200 people who visited the booths. Vendors on either side of us left early, disappointed by the turnout and sales. Another problem was that classes were offered nonstop from 9 am, an hour before the exhibit hall opened, and continued an hour after it closed both days. There was no time that was exclusively given to visiting the exhibit hall.

So it was a disappointing time for those who came with products to sell onsite. Many of them wondered if they would have enough gas money to get home. Those same people shook their heads at us when we said we didn’t bring anything to sell. We brought samples of all the print books we had, and printed sheets with QR codes so people could scan and go to sales sites directly. We also handed out business cards with our blog address and QR, which has all the books linked to sales sites. Mostly what we offered were ebooks, which is still a new idea to many homeschoolers. We showed them a $27 print book versus the same book, as ebook, for $2.99. They were impressed. Not all of them loved the feel of real books so much that they were unwilling to consider how much they might save in money and space with ebooks.

We know that we had a pretty big jump in views of the blog. We know that we had a few sales on Amazon. Mostly we got to meet some nice, interested people. Our message to them was simple. “You’re busy. You’re tired. Your kids are here. You’re overwhelmed with everything you’ve done and seen here. But later, when you get a break, here’s a little card with a simple message … Come take a look at what we have.”

Hubby became a little famous. People stopped him to talk and wanted to eat lunch with him, wanting to know about these books he wrote. I found a few people who thought Steampunk sounded interesting, and who really like historical fiction. Many people thought our marketing technique was strange. We thought we achieved our purpose of letting people know about our books and letting them decide for themselves.

Here is the list we also handed out, of all the books we currently have. About half are in print format, and we are working on getting more into print. Keep in mind that the illustrated print books (Conflict of the ages, for example) are only black and white. If you get them, we have matchbook set up with Amazon. You can get the ebooks free so you can show students the color images.

All our books (including Historical Fiction, SciFi, contemporary relationships short stories, and an Archaeological Mystery serial) are linked on our blog.

Visit our YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/ffvp5657. Watch Jonah and Ruth as well as “Sojourner,” part of the Space Empire Saga, in full 3D animation, book teasers, and upcoming projects related to biblical study and the Conflict of the Ages.

Science, History, Literature, and biblical worldview studies are the focus of our book and video projects.

Historical Fiction

by Michael J. Findley
The Ephron the Hittite Series
1. Ephron Son of Zohar
2. Tawananna Daughter of Zohar
3. Heth Son of Canaan Son of Ham, Noah
4. Shelometh Daughter of Yovav Wife of Ephron

by Mary C. Findley
Adult Romantic Suspense
5. The Baron’s Ring
6. Send a White Rose
7. Chasing the Texas Wind
8. Carrie’s Hired Hand (novella)

by Mary C. Findley
Young Adult Historical Adventure
9. Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion (plus illustrated version)
the Benny and the Bank Robber Series
10. Benny and the Bank Robber (Plus homeschool editions for student and teacher with review and vocabulary)
11. Doctor Dad
12. The Oregon Sentinel
13. Lines in Pleasant Places

Spec Fiction

by Michael J. Findley
14. The Empire Saga (all six of the following books in one volume)
15. City on a Hill (Novelette)
16. Sojourner (Short Story)
17. Nehemiah LLC
18. Empire One: Humiliation
19. Empire Two: Repentance
20. Empire Three: Sanctification

by Sophronia Belle Lyon (pen name for Mary C. Findley)
The Alexander Legacy Steampunk Literary Tribute Series
21. Book One: A Dodge, a Twist, and a Tobacconist
22. Book Two: The Pinocchio Factor
23. Black Crow’s Blessing (novella prequel to Book 3)
24. Book Three: The Most Dangerous Game

By Mary C. Findley
25. The Acolyte’s Education (Allegorical clockwork novella inspired by Little Red Riding Hood)

Contemporary Fiction

Relationships Short Stories
by Mary C. Findley
26. Fifty Shades of Faithful
27. Fifty Shades of Faithful 2: In Living Color
Archaeological Mystery Serial
by Mary C. Findley
28. The Great Thirst Book One: Prepared
29. The Great Thirst Book Two: Purified
30. The Great Thirst Three: Pursued

Nonfiction

31. Write for the King of Glory (tips on indie writing and publishing)
32. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A Readers’ and Writers’ Guide for Believers
33. Biblical Studies – Old and New Testament (Teacher and student editions)
34. Antidisestablishmentarianism (illustrated and plain versions)
(serial versions)
35. What Is an Establishment of Religion?
36. What Is Secular Humanism?
37. What Is Science?
38. What Are the Results of the Establishment of Secular Humanism?
The Conflict of the Ages series (All have teacher and student editions)
39. I. The Scientific History of Origins
40. II. The Origin of Evil in the World that Was
41. III. They Deliberately Forgot: The Flood and the Ice Age
42. IV. Ice Age Civilizations
43. Disestablish: An Overview from Creation to the Ice Age

Look for our FREE and 99 cent books in digital format!