Barbara Gregorich

August 1, 2024

Newsletter #87 — Columbus Book Festival 2024

 

Columbus Book Festival — The 2025 Columbus Book Festival was attended by more than 40,000 happy book lovers who participated in the many events: used-book sales; author talks; panel discussions; and just browsing the vendor booths.

The weather was way too hot: in the 90s. And then, an hour before closing time on Sunday, a huge thunderstorm struck. Phil and I got drenched because we couldn't make it to the parking lot in time, but at least the books and banners didn't get drenched because we had already wrapped them up. All I could think was, "At least my next five events are all indoors!"

It was fun trying out soundbites on the attendees, seeing which worked best. I tried all kinds of things: Working Class Fiction! Social Justice Books! Women Fight Back! Political Fiction! Science Fiction! and Parrot from Another Planet! 

The two soundbites that led to the most interest and the most sales were Women Fight Back! and Parrot from Another Planet! As people bought books they said to me of the parrot soundbite, "A great premise!"

Despite the grueling heat and the drenching storm, we had a good time. I don't know if we would do it again because while the sales were Good (my rating is Bad-Good-Great), I was hoping for somewhere between Good and Great. For next July I'm considering a big sci-fi conference in the Twin Cities or maybe the one-day Detroit Book Festival, so Columbus 2025 is not a possibility.

I did notice that for a week or more after the event my book sales on Amazon were up. Not any particular title, but all the titles in general. I suspect that some of those sales came from people who were at the fair and either bought one or more books or took bookmarks or just talked to me.

Packaged Tourist Interview —  On July 9 I was interviewed by Matthew DiBiase of The Packaged Tourist. You can listen to the interview here. He wants me back next year for the mule book. We're going to set up a November 2025 date, with the understanding that if the mule book hasn't been published by then, we'll reschedule for spring 2026.

No pressure on me, right?

July 26 Artists Against the Blockade  —  On Friday, July 26, from 5:00 - 10:00 pm, I was one of the vendors participating in a fundraising event to send medical supplies to Palestine and Cuba. The Artists Against the Blockade event consisted of music, speeches, food, and fun. I sold both Exit Velocity and The F Words, because both books are concerned with social justice. On my scale of Bad-Good-Great, these sales were Great.

Amazon Review — Here's a reader review posted on Amazon, from Honolulu Lou.

I have seldom read a book that raised my blood pressure the way Exit Velocity did. It was almost as if I was reading todays news headlines, as opposed to a fictional novel. The way Barbara Gregorich's novel reflects on today's issues blurs the line between fact and fiction. But more importantly it will make you think about where we are headed as a society and nation...it did me!

Edith Houghton — Edith Houghton, born and raised in Philadelphia, lived for baseball. In 1925, at the age of thirteen she traveled to Japan with the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all girls team (ages 13-16) to play against Japanese college men's teams. The crowds loved the young shortstop, nicknamed (naturally) The Kid. After World War II Edith became a baseball scout, hired by the Philadelphia Phillies. Edith Houghton was a very important figure in the history of women in baseball: I devoted a chapter to her in Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball.

Now Professor Rebecca T. Alpert of Temple University is organizing a drive to have the Pennsylvania Historial Marker Commission place a historic marker on Edith's childhood home and she asked me to write a letter of recommendation to the Historical Marker Commission. Which I have done.

Reviews 2— The conclusion of my two-part blog on seeking reader reviews through services.