Are Book Fairs, Conventions and Signings Worth It for a Self-Published Author?

A book fair is worth it when the margin on the paperbacks you can honestly expect to sell is bigger than the table fee, your travel and the hours you give up. Most of the maths can be done before you pay a deposit. Below is how I would judge an event, what to put on the table, how to take card payments and how to set up a signing with a store.

How do I judge whether an event is worth it?

Start with your margin per paperback. Order author copies from KDP and you pay the author price, which KDP says is your book’s print cost in the marketplace you choose, multiplied by the number of copies, with no extra discounts (KDP: cost of proof and author copies). Shipping is extra. I explain the ordering steps and limits in KDP author copies, so I will not repeat them here.

Then work it out like this:

1. Margin per book = the price on your table, minus the author price, minus the card fee on that sale.
2. Cost of the day = table fee, travel, food, any stand or banner, plus the author copies you bring and may not sell.
3. Books you must sell = cost of the day divided by margin per book.

If the number in step 3 is higher than the books you can believe in selling, skip the event. Ask the organiser how many people came last time and who they were. A fair full of readers in your genre is a different thing from a general craft market.

Remember that KDP pays no royalties on author copies or their resales, and these orders do not appear in your KDP reports. Whatever you earn at the table is your own income, so keep your own records.

What should I bring to a vendor table?

Keep it simple. I would bring:

• Enough copies of one or two titles, not your whole backlist.
• A price sign that is easy to read from a few steps away.
• A card reader or phone setup, plus a little cash for change.
• A signup sheet or QR code for your email list, so people who do not buy today can still hear from you later.
• A pen, and a short answer to “what is it about?”

How do I take card payments?

Many buyers will want to pay by card. A reader from a payment provider is the usual way, and each provider charges its own fee. Two examples, from the UK pricing pages as they read in October 2026:

• Stripe’s pricing page lists in-person Terminal payments at 1.4% plus 10p for EEA cards and 2.9% plus 10p for non-EEA cards, with a BBPOS WisePad 3 reader at £49.00 excluding VAT.
• Square’s UK pricing page lists in-person payments at 1.75% for UK cards, with a Square Reader at £19 plus VAT.

Fees and readers are different in other countries, and prices change, so read the provider’s current page for your country. Put the fee into your margin sum above, because a percentage comes off every sale.

Can I arrange a signing with a store?

Yes, and it is often cheaper than a fair. IngramSpark’s guide on selling to bookstores (updated 27-May-26) says to look at the events a store already hosts and fit your pitch to them. It also says some independent stores may prefer consignment or an event to test interest, and it gives no terms for either, so ask each store what it does. I cover the setup a store needs, such as returns and the wholesale discount, in how to get your book into bookstores.

Is it worth it?

For many authors, a local signing or a small themed fair is a fair test: low cost, direct feedback, and a few readers who may tell friends. A large expo with a high table fee needs a clear reason to exist in your plan. If you are not sure whether print events fit your book at all, a launch plan can be a better first step, and how to do a self-publishing book launch covers that.

If you want help deciding which events, if any, suit your book and your budget, book a free 25-minute call with me: book a free discovery call.

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