To Swag or Not Swag...

Are you an author or a reader?
Authors, do you take promo materials to conferences or book signings to give out and if so, what?
Readers, what do you like to secure at a reader conference?

I once made 400 DREAM necklaces to put in registration bags for the writers at a conference I attended. Sometimes I have book marks. I've used pens, recipe cards, even little chocolates with the book cover on the packaging. Who knows if anyone sees the promo and goes to the site to buy books BUT, if you can spare a hundred here and there, it never hurts to give out free stuff.

Book signing- with Author David Schoonover. I gave out chocolate!

Especially if you put your web site link on the material. Or, at least your name.
It's never a good idea to hand out freebies if the recipient can't remember who gave it to them. That makes pens a good idea because they are a useful item with room for lettering.  I have a purple sparkly pen from author Sabrina York and that thing travels all over the house, then to my purse, my car and back in to my office. That pen is a great example of money well spent.

My DREAM necklaces weren't a genius idea because they did not have my name of them, BUT, I had fun making them and packaging them with my name and info and liked the finished product. I got loads of tweets and posts in about them before they went in to the registrant's bags at InD'Scribe Con in California a few years ago. For the posts alone on social media, I'm glad I spent the money, even if no one ever thought afterwards, "This is a nice necklace that Kim Hornsby gave me. I think I'll buy her book about dream jumping."




I like recipe cards, maybe because I love to eat. I like to get recipe cards too. Unfortunately, my favorite recipe cards have what I like to call half-assed promo on the back. On these ones to the left, I did a wacky bad job of lining up my books and left off my web site! (Imagine me hitting my head with a one of my books.)

Postcards had web address on back!

When I go to a conference where I'm teaching a workshop called Channeling Your Inner Rock Star (confidence in public speaking) I like to bring mini guitar key chains. I wish I could tell you that they are inscribed with my web site link but they are not inscribable. I just like to hand them out and tell people that they are rock stars in their own show.

Swag, as promo material is called, is something that might not pay off, but then again, it might. Are you willing to take a financial risk and hope to sell some books? Maybe not get a return for your investment? Do you consider getting email addresses an ROI?

If you decide to buy bulk key chains, pens, bookmarks, or make stickers to put on stuff you hand out, just make sure your swag makes the recipient want to know more about you and your books and won't be finished off that night with no thought given to you or your books later.



KIM HORNSBY is the bestselling Amazon Author of The Dream Jumper's Promise, Book 1 in a Supernatural Suspense series. She lives in the Seattle area and writes stories for women about overcoming tragedy, adversity and coming out the other end.
Find her on Amazon Books.
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