I did my first book fair yesterday. When I signed up to do it, I had not yet joined Kidlit Author Growth Academy, and therefore I didn't know a lot about what to look for to find the best ones. The book fair was small and the location was unaccessible to some individuals because of the stairs and no elevator. (at least none that I could see). There were only twelve book sellers there, mostly adult romantasy and only two of us selling children's books. And the other person only came because I told her about it and brought her to it. She did quite well, sold all of her books except two. So I was relieved. I would have felt bad if she'd not sold anything. I sold three books, and though I did not make my money back, it was a learning experience. These are three things I learned, all things that Harleigh speaks about in her videos where she talks about Book Fairs and other such events. 1. Location, location, location is a real thing. If you're not visible to people and some do not have access, do not expect a good turn out. (now in fairness, the person who put this thing together did not have a lot of experience and this was their first Book Fair) But I wish I'd known that before hand. 2. Which leads me to - check them out first and visit all book fairs before signing up for them or check them out thoroughly before signing up with them. Even if it means I don't do an event until the next year. 3. Try to find ones that have a lot of similar types of authors. They don't all have to be the same, I think, but it would have been nice if there had been more than two of us selling children's books. I have another one coming up in June. It's in a larger city and this one has been going on for quite some time. And a great thing is that my illustrator is going to be there with me. Here is a picture. If any of you have any advice, feel free to give it to me.

Do you write in American spelling (color, organize) or British spelling (colour, organise) — and has it ever affected your Amazon sales or clicks? Be honest… does it actually matter in your experience, or is it overhyped?

I need some suggestions on how I can improve my book's cover. When viewing it on the computer it looked okay. I just got an author's copy and I am not happy. The text isn't popping. Any suggestions on how I can improve the cover? Thank you!

When you’re writing a story, which animal always seems to sneak into your draft? We all have that one "go-to" creature. Are you a "Cat Person" who loves a moody protagonist, or are you firmly on Team "Happy Dog" because they're just easier to write? Please share: - Which animal do you use the most? 🐶🐱🐭🐰 - Why that one? Is it because they're cute, easy to describe, or do you just find them easier to talk to than actual humans? I feel like every writer eventually has to choose: are you Team Chatty Bird or Team Slow Turtle? Drop your favourite animal characters in the comments! If you say "Spiders," please keep them on your side of the screen. 📝🐾

Being a children’s author is basically being a stand-up comedian. So how hard is it really to get a laugh out of these tiny humans? Authors, please share: What’s the most "intellectual" joke you’ve ever written that flopped, and what’s the stupidest thing that actually made them lose their minds? Is there a secret formula, or are we all just one "butt" joke away from a bestseller? 📖🍑