The Magic City

The Magic City

Monday, April 6, 2015

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.



18 comments:

  1. Hmm....Blogger ate my earlier comment, I think, so I'll try again.

    I used to pick up bookmarks and postcards and always ended up throwing them away, so I no longer even pick them up. I always keep pens but, honestly, don't look at who they're from after the initial pickup. Other keepers: lip balm and flash drives.

    My most successful swag has been chapter books. I had 20-page, four-color 5x7 booklets printed (saddle-stitched binding/self cover, in printer parlance). Each spread featured a cover image, trivia, and excerpt from one of my books, along with purchase info. I haven't left these en masse because they cost about $2 each, but I do give them out at conference events and at book-signings, and they get snapped up.

    Another cool thing I've found: www.artscow.com. Get on their mailing list and you can take advantage of their frequent specials with free shipping. That's the time to pick up unusual swag--I pick up things in small quantities as newsletter giveaways or special giveaways for signings if someone buys a book: umbrellas, USB hubs, card decks, all kinds of bags and pouches, photo books, watches, compasses, etc., all of which can be printed with your book covers or other promo. I'm off to order my three cosmetic bags for $10 with free shipping now!

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    1. Great advice Suzanne. Just signed up for artscow's mailing list!

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  2. Heather, please stop throwing away all of that swag you don't want. Be sure to think of your local (or not so local) libraries! They LOVE swag of all types equally. Book marks, booklets with excerpts, and anything else you don't want to keep or have extras of. Once a year, I take a bag filled with swag to my hometown library. They are so excited to see the bag -- I like to think me too -- and treat it like Christmas and their birthday rolled into one.

    When it comes to swag, all of it is money tossed into the air with the hope it will land in the right hands. I give away books bags, book marks, car cup holder coasters, books (paperback and e-book), pens (some with a stylus on the end), gym bags (you missed out), tee shirts, Hello Kitty dolls, etc. All (except for Hello Kitty) had one thing in common, my name on them. And most had my website and tag line. It does no good to give something away without your name on it.

    (The Hello Kitty dolls didn't have my name on them, but I figured most of them would be handed off to a child in the end anyway. I don't want them looking up my info on the web. Not PG at all.)

    Speaking of the fabulous Lynn Raye Harris, I agree totally with her on that "swag is more for your current readers as a thank you." They're the ones who will create more fans. Word of mouth about a good book is the key over all the Hello Kitty dolls in the world.

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    1. Cara - I promise not to expand File 30 any more! I actually bag up all the pens I get at conferences and give them to the pub down the street from my house. The servers love them and have said they get more comments from the customers about the pens.

      Great advice. Thank you for sharing!

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  3. I have to agree with Suzanne, I like useful swag -- pens, bottle openers, chip clips -- but they don't really make me buy books. What I do pick up so that I remember to get the books are the postcards with cover, blurb and maybe a small excerpt, bookmarks with some identifying info etc. Of course, in those cases, something about the cover and blurb had to hook me first. :)

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    1. Great point, Rashda - the swag needs to hook the reader. When the bookmark lets me know more about the book than the delicious abs of its hero, I am more likely to check it out. Thank you for commenting!

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  4. Great post, Heather and good advice from the commenters!

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    1. I agree about the advice, Jillian. We are fortunate to have a great group in Southern Magic (you included) with superior knowledge and a generosity of spirit with respect to sharing that knowledge.

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  5. Blogger ate my post, too. Boo. I love all the advice. And agree with Carla-give that stuff to your local library or save it for a giveaway for your readers. Promote yourself along with the other fabulous authors you love!

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    1. Dang old hungry blogger - it has done that to me a few times on other blogs. All my brilliance lost to cyberspace (bwahahahah). You are the best about promoting authors you love. I have found more great authors because of your Facebook parties and events.

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    2. Thanks Heather!! You're next!! I think its just good social karma. When I was at M&M last year an author had purchased books for giveaway in the conference bags. She gave me 6 unclaimed books that I used for my goodie bag at the Southern Magic Luncheon after I asked if she'd be okay with me including them. Win for both of us. I made a new connection and the readers were happy!

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  6. I get lots of compliments on my Mason jar with straw (has my name/logo), but that's one of those pricier items I'd like to reward readers with. A cheaper option people have liked is I buy travel Kleenex packs and put my sticker on them. They'll ride in a pocket book for a while until the tissues get used. I've stopped getting postcards since I've heard so many people say they trash them. I've heard authors with a lot of books out say they do a postcard or brochure with all their book covers. I'm not sure it sells books, but if readers start one and like it, they'll know the other titles to purchase. :D Loving this convo, Heather

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    1. I think your Mason jars are brilliant. It is tied to your Southern brand and useful. The Kleenex are also a great idea (especially now when pollen is attacking us like we owe it money). Thanks for sharing!

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  7. This is a great post, Lady Heather! Thank you so much for including my stress bones and for your kind words!!! With a name like Bone, you can't go wrong. (That kind of rhymes. Heehee!)

    For an unpublished author, the key to swag is figuring out what will stick in readers' minds. My last name is Bone and I write pirate romance so it was easy for me to figure out what promo would stick ~ my last name. I searched for promo that would give the most impact and when I found my stress bones, magic happened. Huzzah and Hoorah! I have people contacting me to ask for more. One author asked for two so she could make her grandchildren Pebbles and Bam Bam costumes for Halloween. Woot!

    If you write cowboy books, think of things cowboys would use, tie twine at the end of your bookmarks, incorporate theme into your promo. Same can be said for every genre in romance. Find that one thing that resonates with you and readers will love it! Make it unique by adding that one spark that showcases individuality.

    One thing I see that works really well is recipes. If you use postcards, put recipes on one side and your author/book info on the other. You ARR giving the reader something useful as well as getting your name and info out there.

    I agree with Lynn Raye Harris. Promo isn't really to plug your books. It's a giftie/treasure for readers, a method of parlayin' with future fans or current fans. It's the gift that keeps on givin'. If you keep that in mind when determining which promo/swag best works for you, you won't go wrong. Hildie McQueen does great swag too. As does Debra Glass and Naima Simone.

    What jazzes you about swag/promo will probably jazz readers too. And be willing to experiment. I've done this. Try bookmarks, postcards, and so forth. See what works and what doesn't. Swag isn't a one size fits all for authors. What works for Author A may not work for Author B. The primary key is have fun, be willing to try new things, and know that the ultimate business motto, "it takes money to make money", holds true for anything we do as authors. My .02. (Pirate!)

    Thanks for this great post today, Heather!!!

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    1. Thanks Kathy! You are so smart when it comes to promo. Everything you have done compliments your books (which are AWESOME) beautifully. I really appreciate your sharing your expertise with us.

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  8. I put my postcards into the server's bill folder at restaurants along with a big tip. I also leave them behind at hotels where I also leave big tips. And I just gave two away today to some people at the gym who asked about my books. Even if they don't end up buying, I have something to instantly give them to show them the covers/blurbs. You never know what will stick. Seven hits to 1 reader usually generates a sale or a new reader. I'm like the Loretta Lynn of the Romance World. One Reader at a Time Sweet Jesus.... :)

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    1. That is a great idea! I saw an author's flashlight in a geocache, and thought it was smart. Wouldn't it be cool to see one of your promo items travel from where you left it to a location for one of your books? If it went to one of the resorts in the mountains (hello Maverick) I would follow :)

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    2. Yes!! And hello Movie Star, too!! I should go to Asheville and leave some postcards there :)

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