Treating an Author Table Like It's Part of Your Worldbuilding

Happy Monday! I’m fresh back from The Collectors’ Market nerd convention weekend, and I’m absolutely nailing the dark-shadows-under-the-eyes tired fashion right now. I really love tabling at book events and conventions. It gives me the chance to just chat books all weekend and have real conversations with readers, rather than being stuck behind a computer the whole time. And as an indie fantasy author, these are some of the few places we can really thrive.

Creating a good author table, though, is hard. It’s been a deliberate goal of mine to improve my setup so it feels like part of the story and fits the brand vision I have in mind. It takes time. Lots of trying, analysing, tweaking, trying again. Constantly getting feedback from readers and sharing tips with other authors at events, which is honestly one of the things I adore most about the indie author world. We’re always helping each other and sharing what we’ve learned.

This time, I’m so happy to say the table finally felt like it was working. I got a lot of lovely feedback that the setup looked amazing and really fit me, my books, and the brand I’m building. There are still things I want to tweak (life is constant growth, after all), but it finally feels like I’m settling into a go-to style that feels right.

This weekend really reminded me how much an author table can act as an extension of your worldbuilding. Helping people slip into the worlds you’re writing and feel like they’re already part of them. Know whether your books are the right kind of vibe for them. And for indie authors especially, that matters so much.

How I designed my author table this time

The last few events were tough setup-wise, because I was mid-brand shift. Trying things while knowing I was halfway through an evolution meant I was only showing up half me, which was honestly a little unsettling. So this time, I was very set on showing up fully in the new brand.

SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.

A personal tablecloth is a must, in my opinion. It looks far more professional and eye-catching than grabbing something generic from Spotlight. 100% recommend.

Same goes for an author banner. Even if it feels obvious to you that you’re an author, people still need a nudge. A pull-up banner adds height, acts as part of the backdrop, and clearly tells people what you’re offering. But (and this is key) it has to fit your brand. It needs to look good and feel intentional, and I love the ones that look a bit artistic rather than using the templates you get anywhere and might ruin the aesthetics you're going for.

Of course, I get my branding designs done by Art of Donika, so if you need design help, I recommend with all my heart. She's the core of all my branding and is the most supportive person I've met for authors.

Beautiful freebies

The biggest evolution in my setup this time was interactive giveaways. I wanted something cute and tactile that people could take without awkwardness. Something fun, pretty, and memorable.

Since I’m re-learning my illustration skills, I drew mini sketches (about business-card size) that people could choose and take if one spoke to them. They had my name and social handle on the back, acting as a business card… just a much prettier one. It gave me drawing practice AND other people could have a piece of art they loved. Win-win.

I also made little scrolls. Fiddly to tie the bows, but people loved choosing one and opening it to see what was written inside.

The illustrations and scrolls made so many people smile, which honestly made me ridiculously happy. They felt much more like me than traditional business cards, and hopefully far more memorable.

(Plus, ink on tea-stained paper utterly vibed. It’s my weakness.)

And especially with so many people worrying about AI in creative spaces, I really wanted something fully human. Handmade. Something that brought me joy and calm while making it, too.

Making things really is a form of therapy.

Finally, aesthetics and props

One thing I’ve noticed at book events and nerd conventions is that the most eye-catching tables aren’t just stacks of books. They use props to create an overall aesthetic. Things that fit the author’s vibe and complement their stories.

I’ve been experimenting with props over several events now, and this time it finally clicked.

I had a mini dragon skeleton for The Dynasty Codes series. Asian dragons are core to the story’s themes, and yes, the skeleton was too cool not to include. It's such a win with the kids too, which is really cute to see them all going sparkly-eyes over, because cons must be really tiring for them when it's mostly set-up for adults.

I also had a shiny blue-green Asian dragon 3D print I picked up at Dymocks Toowoomba during a signing. The manager thought it would suit my vibe, and she was absolutely right. It even looks a bit like Yoshiko’s dragon form, so now I have two little dragon buddies watching over the table.

For The Feather and the Fall, I added a crow skull (not real, hygiene reasons, don’t worry). It’s a dark fantasy Peter Pan retelling, and the boy is known for killing birds and collecting their bones in strange fae piles. Creepy, but cool. The crow skull fits perfectly, especially since my logo is a crow. I love crows.

There was also a glass skull bottle filled with shattered-orb-looking fairy lights, trailing across the table. No deep reason. It just looks great. Lights are a MUST on con tables.

Add goth-core gaslamp fairy lights and fake ivy on the back wall, and suddenly the whole space feels fantasy-core, 3D, and like you're walking through a wild magical wood. My kinda place.

Pick your author colours (seriously, branding matters)

Branding often gets overlooked in the indie author space. Maybe it feels like something only big companies need, not someone just writing books for fun. But branding really does matter, especially when you’re trying to communicate a vibe quickly to passing readers.

I recently changed my brand because my old one just wasn’t working for my energy or the stories I’m writing now. Don’t get me wrong, it was stunning. Of course it was. Art of Donika made it, and everything she touches turns to gold. But it wasn’t me at my core.

We only figured that out by trying it, then sitting with it honestly and reassessing. It took a bit of bravery to bring out the real inner me instead of feeling like I had to perform.

My true colours turned out to be obsidian black (or super dark slate grey, the colour of a crow), deep navies, dark forest greens, with silvers and hints of gold.

Pair that with bone dragons, bird skulls, ivy, gaslamp fairy lights, tea-stained ink illustrations, and fountain-pen scrolls?

It finally made sense. It finally worked.

What did readers think?

I’m smiling like a weirdo in public just remembering people’s reactions. With everything finally coming together, I was so happy to hear how many people commented on the setup.

They loved the aesthetics. Loved the table. Loved the clothes I paired with it.

Finally, a brand that feels like me.

And if it drew attention, that’s exactly what you want. A table that looks like you and your books, so people can glance at it and go, 'Yeah. I’ll vibe with that'. That's how you find your crowd. And brings the best convos in cons when you find others with similar tastes as you.

You might love the colour purple, but if purple doesn’t suit your books, it won’t draw the right readers. So getting genuine feedback from people saying they loved the look and felt drawn in? It means the world. It tells me that all the testing, tweaking, and analysing is paying off.

Yes, building a brand and table setup takes time, effort, and money. Buying things to try.

Testing. Tweaking. Redoing. Sometimes things don’t work and don’t get reused. But it’s worth it when people finally go, 'Yes. This. It’s you. And I love it too.'

Is tabling at events really worth it?

I know some indie authors avoid events. Maybe they’re nervous, unsure if it’s worth the effort, or worried it won’t pay off. But honestly? I want to do as many as I can.

Is it expensive? Yes

Is it tiring? Yes.

Is it a lot of effort? Yes.

Do I get massive ND burnout afterward? Also yes.

And yet, I always enjoy it, and it always feels worth it.

I get to talk to real readers. To chat about books we love, tropes and characters we adore, and just nerd out together. Those conversations are golden.

They also give me real feedback. Hearing people talk about wanting more friendship, sibling-style bickering, gothic vibes, or even just smaller, bite-sized books helps shape my work in meaningful ways.

Those conversations are actually why I reshuffled my WIP list and moved The Feather and the Fall forward. People wanted something shorter, a breather from constant 500-page epics and massive series. I was going to write it anyway, but releasing it sooner meant a lot to readers. And they’re loving it.

That shift never would’ve happened without casual convention or book signing chats.

So if you’re an indie author, I genuinely recommend giving events a go. Talking to real readers helps you grow in ways nothing else quite does. Plus, book chats are ALWAYS fun.

This is the kind of experience I want readers to have with my books too. Thoughtful, immersive, and a little bit magical. So you feel like you’re part of the story right from the start.

We're all on this book journey together, after all.

See you at the next event!

(In the meantime, if you want to join the inner pages of my mailing list, The Wild Almanac, for early snippets, artwork, sneak peeks, and random creator stuff, click here! It's just a little more exclusive and fire-side chat in vibes.)