A writers’ book stall will be opened in the new indoor market building (formerly Chemainus Foods).
The 150 square foot stall will be located at the front of the new premises, adjacent to the Fish & Chip shop and across from the Ice Cream Parlour.
Writers are invited to display books authored by them for sale. They may also offer used books for sale from their personal collections.
All sales will be subject to a commission of 20 per cent charged to those who volunteer at the market stall. A commission of 40 per cent will be charged to those not able to volunteer.
On days when they are the ‘Writer in Residence’, volunteers will be able to promote their own books with a special display, including a personal photo and bio if desired.
The premises, furnishings and point of sale terminal (Interac, VISA, Mastercard) will be provided by Askew Creek Publishing. ACP will account for sales and pay each author proceeds from all sales provided by them, less commission, on a monthly basis.
The market stall will normally be open seven days a week for a minimum of six hours a day. A volunteer will report for work prior to 10 a.m., collect the key, cash box, POS terminal and sales book from market staff. They will open up, greet customers and handle sales for the day.
In order to properly apportion credit for each sale, duties will include recording information from the sticker affixed to each book sold, identifying to whom it belonged. Help will be available from market staff and/or from a resource person a phone call away.
How often volunteers are asked to work will depend on the total number available. Initially, this may be more than once a month. Shifts can be arranged for those who prefer to work a half day.
The stall creates a great opportunity for writers to showcase their work.
“It’s amazing the number of writers in this area,” said Tom Masters.
He’s one of the prominent local authors and an original Chemainus Writers Group member, along with Liz Maxwell Forbes and Bernice Ramsden-Firth.
Opening day is Saturday, Feb. 29.
Contact Tom Masters for further information by email at masters9@telus.net.