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Jenny's Book Fair & Story Collective
"Your typewriter. My paintbrush. The story is made together."
That one line, and the activity behind it, didn't just fix her booth. It's what showed Jenny she could write, not just illustrate.
Turning an art-sale booth into a pitch to authors — then discovering, through the activity built to prove it, that the illustrator could write too.
Align
What's actually being sold?
Jenny's booth looked like an art gallery — prints for sale, commissions available, illustrations lined up like inventory. But Jenny isn't in the business of selling prints. She's a children's book illustrator, and the booth wasn't speaking to the people who actually need her: authors.
Imagine
What if the booth pitched authors, not art buyers?
What if the booth stopped saying "buy my art" and started saying "I'll bring your story to life"? The real audience wasn't fair-goers browsing prints — it was writers looking for the right illustrator.
Create
A tagline, a booth, and an activity that proved it
Repositioned the booth around a new tagline: "Your typewriter. My paintbrush. The story is made together." Built a "help write the story" activity — booth visitors added their own ideas to a story in progress, in exchange for their email. Jenny then illustrated the finished story and released it in three parts by email and social.
Impact
A partnership, a list, and a discovery
The booth now spoke directly to the people who'd actually hire her. The activity grew her list and kept people engaged for weeks after the fair. Along the way, Jenny discovered she wasn't just illustrating other people's stories — she could write her own. Now working together on a writing and publishing path where she's both author and illustrator.
Sound familiar?
If your booth, table, or landing page is quietly selling the wrong thing to the wrong audience, this is that same conversation.