By Sarah Azman
Alex Parker Publishing made its debut at the Enchanted Realms Book Festival on Saturday, October 11th at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
Stephanie Vislay, owner of Alex Parker Publishing, and Lilly Rohling, Graphic Design Co-Op from the University of Cincinnati, set out to spread the word about our fantasy authors and their books. Armed with a tent, stacks of books, and pieces of artful decor, they put together a memorable and fanciful booth.
Our Experience: What is the Enchanted Realms Book Festival?
The Enchanted Realms Book Festival is a combination of craft fair, book fair, and renaissance fair. The festival hosts authors, artisans, and fantasy-themed activities, including the popular Children’s Enchanted Corner.
First, festivalgoers pass through a tunnel lined with greenery and book pages. A magical world awaits them on the other side with vendors and their wares, refreshments, and, best of all, books.
Brightly decorated booths ring a wide, grassy area. A woman sits writing poetry, capturing ideas offered by passersby with her typewriter and turning them into something magical. A traveling minstrel from the Medieval Beekeepers strolls by, dressed in full beekeeper garb and mask, plucking a tune on his old-world instrument. It is easy to imagine that you have entered a world where kings still rule, knights protect, and loyal subjects flood the town square.
Our Booth: Fanciful Elegance
Vislay’s artful arrangement of our proud fantasy offerings–Rare, Hanged by Fate, and Light of Lúnasa–created a modern, understated fantasy aesthetic for the Alex Parker Publishing booth.
Bell jars with etched-glass sheets detailing the books’ intriguing themes accompanied each stack. The jars teased of Rare’s “burdened souls, secrets, and dark rituals”; Hanged by Fate’s “untapped power, bloodlines, and vast empire”; and Light of Lunasa’s “cursed hero, forced proximity, and divine trials.”
A worn-looking book with parchment pages and embossed leather invited people to sign up for our email newsletter with a feather pen, providing a charming contrast between old and new.
Although the artful items attracted many passersby, a custom-designed holographic fan was the real showstopper. As the fan spun, it projected a video showcasing the cover art of each book on offer. Images of classic fantasy themes, such as a dragon and a melting candle, were seamlessly spliced in between loops of the video. The mesmerizing fan drew many people in to talk to Vislay about the quiet jewels of our booth–our authors’ words.
Our Accomplishments
We did everything we set out to do–and more!
- We sold three times as many books as expected.
- We connected with new authors and readers.
- We put together a creative and memorable booth that was consistent with the fantasy theme.
Our Favorites
The festival as a whole embodied the creative spirit that inspired our booth.
The Wandering Book Bus beckoned to festivalgoers with its homey welcome mat, well-stocked bookshelves, and cozy book nook.
Bookish Cafe Gifts offered a fun “Blind Date with a Book,” in which a person purchased a book without seeing the cover. They received an attractively wrapped book and a short plot summary, complete with an attractive set of annotating supplies. We loved the presentation so much that we were loath to open our copy!
The entrepreneurial yet whimsical spirit of the festival was catching, and we are thrilled that we were able to participate.
Our Thanks
We hope to return to the Enchanted Realms Fall Book Festival in 2026 for another rewarding and successful year.
As we close up the festivities, we couldn’t be more grateful for our little corner of the book world here at Alex Parker Publishing.
We’d like to thank our editors and design team for making this project a reality, our authors for producing words that captivate and inspire, and you–the readers–for making it all matter.