Conventions are one of the best ways to connect with readers, build your author brand, and introduce your books to new audiences. But anyone who has ever packed for a convention knows the truth... The books are the easy part. The hard part is remembering everything else. From signage that helps readers discover your work to tiny comfort items that keep you alive through an eight-hour signing day, this is the author convention checklist you didn’t know you needed. Author Booth

Some events are fun. Some are successful. And then there are the rare ones that feel like you slipped sideways out of your own life and into a story already in motion. That was this weekend at the North Florida Renaissance Faire.

It was a record low book sales year for this indie author, mostly because no new books came out in 2024, and 2025 became the year of a prequel no one asked for. But numbers alone do not tell the whole story. So... This was the year I showed up anyway. I went to 25 events in 2025. I vended my first real convention. I broke personal sales records multiple times at in person events. I learned how to talk about my books out loud, to strangers, with confidence. And somehow, unexpe