S. W. Raine

On May 25th, I attended Steampunk on the Bricks in Jackson, MI, not as a regular attendee but as a vendor. I’d always wanted to sell my books at a steampunk events. Unfortunately, they’re mostly in other states and take place for more than one day. I currently can’t do those until my son is a little older.

I’d considered running my own steampunk event, when a friend from the Michigan steampunk community pointed me in the direction of this new one-day event. Saying I was excited was an understatement! I signed up to be a vendor the moment applications opened, and I was accepted almost instantly!

Setting the Scene

Steampunk on the Bricks was held at Art 634, a former wagon and carriage factory from the 1850s that now serves as a community art center with various venues and studios. It’s rustic and gorgeous, especially inside the Carriage Factory hall, with its original wood floors, exposed brick walls, and fairy lights.

The attendees did not disappoint with their outfits: top hats with goggles and intricate clockwork designs, corsets, elegant waistcoats, gear-laden jewelry, combinations of rugged leather and delicate lace, and even feathers! The overall energy was amazing too. Creativity knew no bounds. Everyone, regardless of their background, expressed their love (or curiosity) for steampunk in their unique way.

My Table Experience

I arrived a little before 11 a.m. and immediately got to work. I’ve set my table up so many times before that it doesn’t take me long. But this time, I had two special decorations to add: an alchemy lamp and a portable typewriter from the 1930s. It took me a little longer to figure out how to display them. I tried including another tablecloth but opted to go without. I think my table turned out great. What do you think?

I brought plenty of The Techno Mage and Rise of the Sky Pirate with me, in both paperback and hardcover formats. They were a hit, of course, being steampunk books and all. I still brought The Elemental’s Guardian with me, despite being urban fantasy, and it did fairly well.

I loved interacting with the attendees. One reader in particular—I believe it was his birthday AND graduation—was especially excited to meet an author. I made sure to get a pic of us together. I also had a few people ask me some interesting questions, which threw off my usual spiel in a pleasant way. One asked me to tell them about my heroines specifically. Another inquired about the sizing difference between my steampunk and urban fantasy books.

Bands played on stage in the hall, which made it a little difficult to hear at times, but we managed. Just had to lean in a little more and raise my voice a little more. It wasn’t excessively loud—it was still pleasant. I didn’t end up with a sore throat the next day from having to yell, so that’s always a plus in my book.

Networking and Connections

The difficult part about being alone at an event is that you can’t walk too far away from your table. When my husband joins me, he manages my table during slower moments so I can peruse the other vendors. Since I had set up so quickly at Steampunk on the Bricks, I could see what other vendors had inside the hall. Unfortunately, I completely missed everything that was outside.

My vending neighbors to my left were pretty quiet, but we exchanged some good stories. They sold cute teacup holsters and these adorable tiny steampunk hats. I really wish I had bought the one I was eyeballing. It would have been perfect for the hot outdoor events I do instead of wearing my big hat that traps heat.

My vending neighbors to the right were the sweetest (pun intended) guys ever… they sold chocolate! At first, I thought being next to them was going to be dangerous—Jason, the organizer, clearly didn’t know about my excessive love of chocolate lol—but I practiced self-control and only bought two chocolates. These neighbors also bought a book from me, surprised me with a choklava (chocolate + baklava), lent me one of their ergo mats, and suggested I try to make it to TeslaCon as a vendor. See? The sweetest guys.

Among the people that stopped by my table were steampunk romance author Catherine Stein (whose own vendor table was outside), someone opening a steampunk tea shop in Ohio, and two librarians. I love networking because it offers support, visibility, and growth—not just for me but for the other person too. Networking opens the door to new opportunities, connections, and friendships, and I’m here for that. I’ve always been about embracing community over competition.

Steampunk Community

The steampunk community here in Michigan is wonderful. Everyone is warm, inviting, and very knowledgeable. I’d met a few of them at the steampunk bookstore I used to attend (Off the Beaten Path in Farmington, MI), and then I’d met a few more during the steampunk events I’d been introduced to. From there, I’d joined a few Michigan steampunk groups on Facebook, and I’d often see other people in the steampunk community tagged by those I knew. Eventually, I knew them by face, and I was happy to see a few of them at Steampunk on the Bricks.

But what excited me most was seeing the people I’d originally met from the bookstore. I hadn’t seen some of them since the “before times” as I saw them regularly at the renaissance festival, but others I hadn’t seen since before Off the Beaten Path closed. It was great to wave at some of them from across the room when I was busy with readers, step away from my table during quieter moments to go hug others nearby, and even take selfies with some when they stopped by my table.

But my new steampunk acquaintances were just as awesome, and I can’t wait to get to know them a little more and broaden my reach within the Michigan steampunk community.

Personal Reflections

All in all, Steampunk on the Bricks was an amazing event, even if I was behind my table most of the time. Geeking out about books with others is one of my favorite things to do, and the fact I was doing it within the steampunk community was just awesome. It was even my best event of all time, where I more than doubled my previous record of books sold.

I’m so thankful to Jason for organizing the event and for the amazing opportunity to vend, to the attendees for their love, support, and curiosity for steampunk, and to my fellow vendors for their talent, knowledge, kindness, and anecdotes.

If you want to see some more great pics from Steampunk on the Bricks, check out their Facebook event page here.

Raine