What a year it has been! 2024 has seen significant progress in my growth as an author, but also as a promoter of my work. Perhaps the most significant marker of this was just how many events I attended with a vendor booth of my very own around the country! Now, I have reviewed every one of these events individually in detail already. So, here I will simply give a brief summary of each in order of occurrence, followed by a chart on which I calculate which events were the best (and worst) for me as a bookseller using a 1-10 scale (1 being best; 10 worst). Hopefully this will be of help to those of you who may be considering hitting the live circuit to promote your work to decide which kinds of venues could be most promising for book sales.
Texas Furry Fiesta (Dallas, TX-Mar. 15-17)
A major learning experience at one of the biggest furry conventions in the world.
Carry Nation Days (Belton, MO-May 31-Jun. 1)
A first-time outdoor street fair with a bit too much wind and breeze, but a lot of heart and enthusiasm from organizers and participants alike.
Christmas in July Vendor Fair (Grandview, MO-July 19-20)
A very cozy affair held far from the main byways by some folks with a lot of heart.
DenFur (Denver, CO-Aug. 23-25)
A big-name furry convention with a venue that’s a bit too large for the crowd it attracts.
Tails & Tornadoes FurCon (Tulsa, OK-Aug. 30-Sep. 1)
A little gem of a small-medium sized furry convention that had all the right factors.
Oktoberfest Vendor Fair (Peculiar, MO-Oct. 5)
A hot, windy event held in the middle of nowhere with minimal effort and minimal crowds.
The Burg Fest (Warrensburg, MO-Oct. 11-12)
Another hot, windy event with big enough crowds but less consideration for how to get them to the vendors.
Zeeco Oktoberfest (Tulsa, OK-Oct. 16-20)
A massive, long-standing event with lots of time and effort put into it, but little interest in vendors who aren’t selling beer or pretzels.
Indoor Holiday Market (Leavenworth, KS-Nov. 2)
A cozy annual event held at an old train station in a medium-sized town.
Christmas Bazaar (Blue Springs, MO-Dec. 7-8)
A lively, vendor-friendly event held in the gymnasium of a Catholic school.
| Event Name (Place of Occurrence) | Profit/Loss Margin | Organization | Crowd Size | Vendor Friendliness | Atmosphere | Totals (Lower=Better) |
| TFF (Dallas, TX) | 8 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 24 |
| Carry Nation Days (Belton, MO) | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 23 |
| Christmas in July (Grandview, MO) | 5 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 27 |
| DenFur (Denver, CO) | 9 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| TTFC (Tulsa, OK) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 15 |
| Oktoberfest (Peculiar, MO) | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 44 |
| Burg Fest (Warrensburg, MO) | 7 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 37 |
| Oktoberfest (Tulsa, OK) | 10 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 25 |
| Indoor Holiday Market (Leavenworth, KS) | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| Christmas Bazaar (Blue Springs, MO) | 4 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
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