My lodgings in Minot.
Somewhere along the way, I got the crazy idea to sell Finnish historical fiction to Norwegians. Dumb idea. right? I mean, the Norsk don’t really give a shit about the countries to their east, especially Finland. And yet, after I stumbled onto the Norsk Hostfest website (http://hostfest.com), I felt reassured: the festival wasn’t just for Norwegians, but for all Nordic peoples including the Finns. So I sent out an email, got myself accepted to the Author’s Corner as a vendor, reserved a tenting spot at the Roughrider’s Campground just west of downtown Minot, and pondered how I’d break it to my wife that I’d be camping out, trying to sell books to Scandinavians, for the better part of a week.
Understand, I’ve tried just about everything under the sun to sell books. I’ve queried agents. I’ve entered contests. I’ve pitched an EZ-Up tent at outdoor art and craft fairs (until the Great Recession of successive rainy summers made me rethink that strategy!). I’ve done readings, signings, lectures, and workshops in bookstores, museums, libraries, and assorted venues from Calgary, Alberta to Youngstown, Ohio. And yet, there I was, applying for yet another event I’d never tried in another desperate attempt to get my work noticed. When I broke the news to Rene’, she didn’t protest. She didn’t remonstrate. She simply said: “Have a nice time.”
When I arrived at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot to set up my table in the Author’s Corner, I had no idea how large the festival venue was. I parked on the wrong end of the complex but found a succession of kind souls to lead me deeper and deeper into the cavernous warren of the fair until I finally found my space. The table provided to display my work was more than large enough to handle the two titles I was going to display: I’d been advised not to bring books that weren’t Scandinavian in theme, which cut out most of my inventory. After moving the Pacifica to a more convenient entry point, I set up my display while dreaming of sales rivaling Finn Fest or the Ely Blueberry Festival, places I’ve sold a ton of my novels Suomalaiset and Sukulaiset. Ready for the opening of the festival on Wednesday morning, I drove to the campground where I’d reserved my tenting spot, checked in, found a level spot isolated from the hub-bub of other campers, and erected my temporary home. The weather was grand and the forecast was for mostly clear skies, with high temps in the low sixties during the day, the high forties at night; very doable for a guy who has slept outdoors in below zero weather.
Opening day @ the Author’s Corner.
My unpaid business consultant and former accountant, Bruce, has Cloquet River Press on a strict austerity program. Hence the tent and the six dollar McDonald’s breakfasts. “It’s about the bottom line, Mark,” was what I heard over and over in my mind as I waited for customers. Internationally known crime fiction author Vidar Sundstol (https://scandinaviancrimefiction.wordpress.com/tag/vidar-sundstol) was set up nearby and I expected that, when he took the stage to talk about his writing, he’d have a standing room only crowd. But the stage was hidden behind a screen wall. My books and several other authors were set up in front of that wall, preventing passersby from seeing the stage. Despite being on the cusp of having his Minnesota Trilogy picked up for television, Vidar had two fans in attendance that first day. This doesn’t bode well for me reading on Friday night, I thought as the very tall and very disappointed Norwegian author left the stage. My sales that first day were lower than my expectations but, on the plus side of the ledger, I had the chance to chat with a smattering of readers who stopped by and bought books and meet some of the other writers hawking their words.
Thursday saw my table moved aside to open up the stage to passersby. I was allowed to keep the fabric wall behind me which held enlargements of the covers of my Finn books. Without those banners, I’m sure I would have sold even fewer copies than I did. The next time Vidar took the stage (the more prominent authors were on twice a day, all four days of the event), his audience quadrupled. Attendance for the readings continued to grow throughout the week as folks figured out what was happening on the stage. Several nationally known authors, including the Norwegian American family behind the New York Times’ bestselling children’s book, The Christmas Wish (the daughter and inspiration for the story is so darn cute and talented!) and Christian fiction author Laurine Snelling ended up with standing-room-only crowds once the wall concealing the stage was removed. That change can’t hurt my chances for drawing a few folks in for my reading on Friday.
Other local and regional authors who read and discussed their work included Eric Dregni (http://www.csp.edu/faculty/eric-dregni/) author of In Cod We Trust and other non-fiction books, Dean Urdahl (a state representative from Minnesota who writes historical fiction about the Sioux Uprising, Dr. Duane Lindberg (Lutheran pastor and professor) who wrote a lyrical history of the Norwegians, and a handful other writers with Scandinavian bloodlines or Nordic themed work. Some had a handful of folks sit down and listen when they took the stage; others, like Eric, drew respectable audiences. His use of PowerPoint probably didn’t hurt! But my sales that second day, even with the move, didn’t come close to expectations. They say Saturday is the day. Maybe I can make my target. If not, I’m not likely coming back.
Friday, I chatted with Jeff Vee, son of rock and roll legend, Bobby Vee, who I learned has Finnish roots in northeastern Minnesota. Jeff was at the festival performing with Ricky Nelson’s sons, Gunnar and Matthew, doing two shows a day as “Ricky Nelson Remembered.” Jeff promised he’d be back to buy a book, a promise that many make but few honor. I wasn’t holding my breath.
11 hours a day not meeting self-imposed expectations is hard on the ego, especially when I was situated across from Laurine as fistfuls of books vanished from her display like Halloween candy left unattended on a porch. I’ve never even heard of her, I thought. What does she even write about? Having an iPhone handy is a great thing when you aren’t selling books. I googled Laurine. I learned that, in the world of Christian fiction, Laurine Snelling is a rock star. Over two million books sold. Shit. And I’ve never even heard of her…
Frustrated after having read portions of my books and explained my writing to a crowd of two during my hour on the stage, I closed up shop. At the campground, the clouded sky drizzling cold rain, I crawled into my dome away from home, fired up my Kindle, and, with weather tapping nylon, read The Girl from Krakow (see review elsewhere on this blog) until my weary body descended into sleep.
Vidar talking books, writing, and crime.
Saturday, I dragged myself to the showers on the backside of the campground’s office. Despite the place being packed with 5th-wheelers and campers and motor homes (I was the only idiot staying in a tent), I met no one-not a soul-on the 5 mornings I made my short trek from shelter to shower. Things went pretty smooth at Roughrider, the only catch being that you I need to deposit 4 quarters to take a shower. Thankfully, I remembered to stockpile quarters in the ashtray of the Pacifica.
The traffic at the festival picked up on Saturday. Sales were better, though still not in line with projections (always the optimist, I’d likely set the bar too high), and my cousin Heather and her girls came over from their ranch to spend the day. Heather’s so damn nice, she offered to buy me lunch (I’d already made my way to the meatball and lutefisk stand by the time she offered) but ended up bringing me a strawberry ice cream cone instead. My son Dylan and his wife Shelly drove over from Williston with plans to see what could be seen and go to dinner with me once I’d packed up my booth. Having folks make an effort to see me rejuvenated my spirit. So did Jeff Vee making good on his promise. Jeff bought both Suomalaiset and Sukulaiaset. “I need to learn this history,” Jeff said as I signed the books and he laid down his cash. “I hope you like the stories,” was my hopeful, parting quip as the drummer made his way, Munger books under his arm, to the festival cashiers.
Dinner at Olive Garden with my son and daughter-in-law was a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of explaining my work to strangers. Musicians, like my friend Pat Surface from Ely, have it easy. Music is something a listener/customer either likes or doesn’t like instantly. There’s either an immediate appreciation for the art or there isn’t. With books, unless the person has read my stuff before, trying to hawk words to the uninitiated is much more difficult than selling a CD of songs. I mean, you can’t stand and shout passages from a novel to folks walking by your booth! That’s just not gonna work.
One thing I will say is, driving home on Highway 2, hours of asphalt ahead and behind, I rethought my inclination to decline an invitation to return for the 2016 Hostfest. I made some new friends, including John, the guy manning the booth next to mine. I expanded my readership. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as all that.
Heather and the girls stop by to say hello.
Still, I mused as the Pacifica’s worn out tires slapped pavement, I burned up four days of vacation and had to sleep in a tent on the prairie to reduce expenses. Was it worth it?
We shall see.
Peace.
Mark
Sunrise over Minot.
