March 9th, 2012 → 8:53 pm @ Robin Donovan // No Comments

Saturday, February 18, 2012 was the date of Omaha’s first Author’s Fair held at W. Dale Clark Library downtown.

Authors were educated on all aspects of publishing including the all important yet elusive challenge of marketing books.

28 authors were featured in panels from four to six and were each given one to three minutes in which to describe/sell their book. Topics from General Custer in Omaha, the CIA shenanigans at the Tibet/China border, misplacing one’s “boobs”, desperate for dating and Jewish Passover traditions were shared with a rapt audience.

Afterward Authors displayed their works and answered questions on a one-on-one basis with potential customers.

It was an enlightening look at the written faction of the Omaha arts scene – and one not explored nearly enough from the caliber of the author’s that reside here.

I had the dubious distinction of regaling the audience on Donna Leigh’s charms directly after an author whose nine books included his interviews with Gandhi and the Dalai lama as well as his experiences as NBC bureau chief for Havana in the late fifties and early sixties. My only option was to use this juxtaposition of startling reality and ludicrous fantasy as the catalyst that spurred my drive to write comedy.  To say the least, it was a humbling experience!

Tags: author, author's fair, Authors, book, library, marketing, marketing books, publishing