It's that time of year where authors are frantically ordering promotional items to get ready for conventions. So, continuing my post last month about promotion online - this time I'm talking about physical promotion. Bookmarks, free books, shot glasses, cozies, t-shirts, coffee mugs, lip balm, pen, etc... I know I have a personal preference about what kind of promotion that I like as a reader. During a convention, I like bookmarks and coverflats because I can snag them to look into the book when I have time to sit down at my computer. I can back from the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Chicago last year with a stack of paper promotional items that I set on my desk so I could go through them at my leisure.
During the Ellora's Cave Romanticon in Akron last year, I handed out cozies and shot glasses. Once I put the cozies out on the promo table, they were going faster than I could re-stock. As far as the shot glasses, I was skeptical about how they would be received because, while I've seen authors give out the cozies, the shot glasses were something new But I was pleasantly surprised to find they went like hot cakes! The fact I only gave them out during the book signing (meaning someone had to actually come SEE me in order to get one) made them "special".
I won't be carting shotglasses to the RT convention in Kansas City this year because I'm flying, so I'm trying to figure out something else "special" to give out during the book signings. I have a few ideas, but I can't seem to settle on one particular thing that I can carry with me.
What kind of promotional items would like to see authors give out during conventions, or even during special promotions?
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