A couple weekends ago, I was once again a vendor for two days in the Artist Alley of Texas Furry Fiesta. Like last year, I was once again selected for Friday and Sunday dealing, but the results, as so often in this business, were quite different…
As usual, I was not selected ahead of time for vending, and so had to enter the daily lottery for a space. Friday, the 27th, I set up near the middle of the Alley. Last year, Friday proved the best day for sales (as I had theorized in 2024). This year, it was easily my worst day at TFF ever Sunday eas over twice as good, though that’s not saying much–my total sales equalled exactly half of previous years’ despite my expanded offerings. (Aside from the Sauragia series, of which I didn’t sell a single copy this time–a stark contrast to previous years when it tended to dominate sales. Maybe that third book really is overdue after all!)
As always, it is only possible to speculate as to the reasons. It is possible that the lines forming before the booths to either side of me Friday may have obscured my booth somewhat. It is also possible that there was simply an overabundance of authors and publishers at this convention (though, it seems to me that has always been the case). Either way, even my improved position on the end of a row Sunday did not sales significantly. It is marginally possible that my increased prices from last year had an impact as well, though given the trend I observed at AnthroExpo 2026, this seems rather unlikely.
So, at the end of the day, what’s the verdict? Would I return to TFF next March? If I were guaranteed a spot for the full weekend without having to deal with the hassle of the seat lottery, I would consider it. But as it stands, I do not think it worth the time, trouble, and expense. As I have stated before, when it comes to vending, bigger is not always better.
That said, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who stopped by my booth from previous years or conventions to offer their commentary on my work, or simply to say hello. It’s always nice to see some familiar faces in a sea of 9135 attendees, and feedback of any sort is greatly appreciated!