Strength in Numbers

I am part of a fantastic writing group. The collective talent in this group of ladies surprises and delights me each time we meet and I am blessed to be affiliated with them. We call ourselves the Muse Crew and we have a blast creating, discussing and working out the kinks in each person’s creative works . We are busy developing a joint blog, and there will certainly be more on that when the time comes, but today I wanted to talk about there being strength in numbers.

Earlier this summer, the published members of our group participated in an Author Showcase held at a local library. Four of us were present, each at our own tables, with our own displays of published works. My personal focus that day was to network and obtain contacts, which I did, but in very low numbers. The book sales for each of us was low or non-existent. There were a total of 10 Authors at this event.

For the Holiday Bazaar, we decided on a different tactic and joined forces. We rented a total of 2 tables, decorated them with four distinct yet coordinated areas, and displayed the works of the same four authors. The difference was like night and day. Could it have been that we were one of the only tables with books? Could it have been that the Library next door was having a used book sale at the same time? I would agree it could have been a bit of both, but in my observation, it was also because we were marketing ourselves jointly as a local writing group.

Here are some of the benefits I observed from this particular event:

• Made sales: Browsers were more compelled to look further up the table when told we were part of a local writing group, which in turn generated sales. I found that there were many shoppers who felt strongly about supporting their local businesses.
• Gathered emails: We gave away a door prize including our collective works, and each of us reminded shoppers to complete a slip to enter. We collected over 10 times the email addresses than I had done individually.
• Expanded offerings: A bigger selection of offerings equated into more sales for each of us. If they weren’t into fantasy romance for instance, I sent them up the table to check out Linda’s cookbook, Madelyn’s novel, or Leslie’s children’s book.
• Networking: I was amazed by the number of writers who approached us and asked about our group, truly interested in what we were doing and how. We also sold books to someone who participated in a local reading group, who had some great ideas for reader-based events that might be fun for us to offer.

The biggest benefit to working as a team, is the knowledge that, as a writer, you don’t have to do it alone. There is truly strength in numbers, and I am excited to see where this journey takes all of us!