Marketing Monday: Swag to Hook a Reader (Beyond the Paper)

Booty. Loot. Goodies. FREE STUFF!  We all love it. I think it goes back to those childhood dental visits where you could pick a prize out of the treasure chest if you made it through the cleaning without biting anyone. We can't help ourselves. As soon as we hear where the goodie room is at a conference, we get all twitchy until our grabby little hands can start trick-or-treating. (On a side note, right now the Beastie Boys' Professor Booty is on a loop in my head).

But swag isn't cheap. As an author, you need to make sure that if you are putting money into promo, you are getting a return on your investment. A lot of the swag I've picked up at conferences and signings has been really cool, but finds its way into File 30 (what my office calls the trash can) pretty quickly. That means someone is literally throwing away the money you spent. That was likely not what you intended. If you wanted to throw away your money with little to no hope of return on your investment, you should buy lottery tickets or invest in Taco Corp or Forever Stamps (fans of The League get what I am saying).

If you are reading this, I am assuming you know the basics like have a professional looking business card, postcard, bookmark, etc.  This post is going beyond the paper (which, as an aside, I think works better when you meet a reader one on one so that he/she remember you and your book, but as far as goodie room and goodie bag fodder, I haven't bought a book based on a bookmark or postcard I've picked up/found).

So, here are my thoughts on swag from a reader's perspective:

It needs to be something the reader will keep in her hands.  Name recognition is everything. The more someone sees your name, the more likely they are to buy your book. Why do you think politicians repeat their names over and over in ads and plaster their signs everywhere? For that reason, make sure your swag is something people will keep in their hands: lip balm, pens, chip clips, sticky-note pads, etc. I always use the sticky-note pads I pick up at conferences in my law office.  I had several Peggy Webb Southern Cousin Mystery (Elvis) sticky pads that I used to leave notes on documents for my assistant.  When we ran out, she started asking where the Elvis notes had gone and when Peggy's next book was coming out. All of that was from seeing Peggy's sticky notes every day.

It needs to be useful.  Swag needs to be utilitarian. The really cute wand you are giving out to promote your faerie book is truly magical, and I couldn't resist grabbing one in the goodie room, but unless it serves double duty as a pen, it probably won't last more than a week in my possession before it finds its way to File 30.  The things I keep are the things I can use: pens, a stylus, notebooks, etc. And then there is my favorite . . . tote bags. I love me some tote bags. The people at my gym are constantly asking about my tote bags (don't hate - my clothes get stinky and I don't want to drop a crap-ton of money on a gym bag that is going to smell like death in a week).  One of the smartest tote-bag marketing moves I have seen was the red bag by Lynn Raye Harris and Kimberly Lang. They had these huge, red tote bags that they gave out at conferences.  Lynn's info was on one side, and Kimberly's was on the other.  You could fit two traditional tote bags in these suckers. They were awesome. Lynn shared that it thrilled her one year at RT to see a sea of their red bags at the book signing and at the airport when everyone was flying home. Everyone that got one of those bags turned into walking billboards for these ladies. I still use my big red bag at Christmas to transport presents (Santa loves romance).  All of this being said, don't be so utilitarian that you violate rule one about keeping something in the reader's hand. Lots of times I've received a postcard with candy attached, a granola bar with a sticker for a book, etc.  Those items were consumed and the author information filed away in File 30. I appreciated the author providing me sustenance, but their promo didn't last long in my hungry little hands.

See the coasters? How cool!

Be tied to your brand.  You worked hard on branding yourself, so don't let it go to waste when it comes to swag. Two of the best examples I can recall come from Katherine Bone and Victoria Dahl. Katherine (who by the way is a swag/marketing genius - if you ever get a chance to go a readers' luncheon where she is hosting a table, you want to sit with her - the swag is AWESOME) has these fantastic stress balls in the shape of a bone. So adorable! I have two - one to use, and another to throw at people when they tick me off. (Don't worry Kathy, you won't get sued for my use of your promo as a weapon of mass distraction, and I keep waiting for someone to say "throw me a bone" b/c I am so prepared for that). When Victoria Dahl's Donovan Brothers Brewery series came out, she had several different brewery coasters made with her book information on it. I had several of these that I kept in my den. I can't tell you how many of my friends asked about them (then later thieved them so that they could remember to buy the book). They were a great way to start a conversation about the Donovan Brothers books.  


It needs to sell your books.  That is why you are doing this, right? You don't really need all those little keychain flashlights (unless you are prepping for the zombie apocalypse, then if so, well done!).  That being said, don't always give away the swag for free, or when you do, be creative.  For higher ticket items (cups, t-shirts, shot glasses, etc.), use the swag as a reward for helping out your book sales. At a book signing, give the high ticket item to someone who buys 2 or more books. Use the swag as a contest reward (best selfie with an e-reader copy of my cover gets a t-shirt). People will do some crazy things for swag (see Mardi Gras if you don't believe me - what people will do for some beads and a Moon Pie, but I digress). You are limited only by your creativity, and you must be pretty darn creative or you wouldn't  have written that book.

Books, books, and more books. The best promo is your writing. Write a good book, and if you can afford it, send copies of that well written book out into the world to hook readers. I regularly attend both the Southern Magic Readers Luncheon and Heart of Dixie Readers Luncheon. The attendees love finding cool swag in their goodie bags, but you know what they love even more? Free books. Those do not find their way to File 30. They find their way onto the reader's bedside table and into her heart. I know this is counter-intuitive and conflicts a little with the advice not to give promo out for free, but if your goal is to hook readers and have them buy more and more of your books, nothing is going to sell your writing like the writing itself.  Lynn Raye Harris (remember her from above?), Kimberly Lang (her too), Kira Sinclair , and Andrea Laurence put together sampler books for promo purposes. So smart. This book hooks readers, cross-pollinates fans, and sells their other books. Or if you want to give away your books, you can buy them at a discounted rate from Author, Author! (Disclaimer - I am good friends with the owner, Laura Hayden who is a super-amazing author). Author, Author! offers an Author Purchase Program where authors can buy their books at a discounted rate while still getting credit for those sales.

What are your thoughts on swag? What has worked for you? What prompted you to buy a book? My ideas are just a jumping off point. Let the discussion begin while I listen to Professor Booty one more time.