Okay, maybe I do. Call me crazy but I just love making/buying swag. I think it is so fun and creative. Marketing your books is HARD work, so why not try to make a part of that process a little fun?
As an author for over a decade, I’ve come up with/bought a plethora (yes, a plethora) of different types of swag over the years. Some were epic, and some were flops. Some cost WAY too much and some were WAY too cheap.
Over the years the one lesson I’ve learned is that flat is your friend. I learned this the hard way. I used to make elaborate, bulky, pricy swag that I would have to ship ($$) to whatever event I was going to, which took up valuable suitcase space, meaning I couldn’t pack as many books. Rookie mistake. One I made over and over again.
These days, I keep my bulky swag items to a minimum. Maybe some Hershey’s Miniatures with my book cover displayed on them, if I’m driving to an event. But for the most part, my swag is now flat. ie, easy to pack/ship/mail.
So, what is in my swag arsenal these days? Glad you asked. At events, I will bring the following:
- A booklist brochure with a list of my titles and their heat levels (because romance readers want to know.)
- Sticker packs for people who buy a paperback. A small way of saying thank you.
- Magnets
- Bookmarks
- Sample Chapters of whatever books I have for the event
- Business cards
- Buttons
You’ll note that I’ve kept my branding names and logo consistent. Something I haven’t always done in the past, cause, well, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes.
At present, I only have a couple events lined up in the foreseeable future, but I like to stay stocked up because you never know when an opportunity might come up.
Curious though, what is the best bit of swag you ever got from an author? I once got a lens cleaner from an event about nine years ago and I still use it! ha!)
Until next week,
Danielle/Dani Bannister, Author 