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One discussion point I frequently see on Twitter is what everyone’s favorite swag is, which I think is an excellent question, partially because I hadn’t thought much about it before I saw people asking and partially because…well it’ll be good to know when I start ordering swag. So. :D
Personally, I like bookmarks because they’re useful and pretty, but I also like pins, those rubber bracelet things (I still have one that says “Nerd is the New Black” for Megan Erickson’s Make It Count), and though I’ve yet to get a book poster, I would love me some book posters.
I’ve also seen people mention tote bags (cool!), and I know pens exist but I never found those all that interesting probably because I don’t often use pens (and on Twitter at least, I haven’t seen them mentioned much). I’ve also seen super creative suggestions though, like necklaces and book-specific swag like Down With the Shine’s jars (which makes sense if you look at the super-awesome cover) or Mockingjay pins for The Hunger Games.
I’ve seen super-cool t-shirts, fun postcards, nail polish, awesome temporary tattoos, cute magnets, and I’ve heard people mention bookplates.
So all in all, the swag choices are close to limitless. But for those of you who like swag, I’m curious: what’s your favorite type of swag?
Twitter-sized bite:
Do you like book swag? What's your favorite type? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)
26 comments:
Ooh, swag is just so fun. Unfortunately there are so few swag giveaways that ship internationally, so I've barely entered any giveaways that weren't for books. But IF I could pick, I'd definitely go for bookplates/bookmarks/graphic design pretties first. I love quote posters off Etsy :D Although accessories would be a close second, especially if they relate to the book itself (because who doesn't want to dress up as a character, really?)
Quote posters! Yes those are so great. I don't have any, but I do definitely enjoy looking at them. (Note to self: look into getting quote posters.)
I also agree about graphic design pretties. I do so admire a great design. :)
Accessories are fun! I don't think I've seen too many of those, but the fan-made stag necklace for Shadow and Bone comes to mind...
I love bookmarks, because they are always useful ... and mine are always disappearing. I think book posters sound awesome, too! I'd love to hang some posters from my favorite books. I also love swag that is unique to the book itself. I remember for LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES, the author gave away temporary tattoos of a tattoo one of the main characters had. So cool! For my current querying project (if it gets representation ... if it gets sold ...) I was thinking of giving away little packs of incense as swag, because that's important to the characters in the story. The story-specific swag is the most difficult (and pricey, probably) to come up with, but those types are my favorite, because they make you feel a part of the story's world already.
I live in a miniature apartment, so I generally try and keep the objects I own to a minimum. I read somewhere that everything you own should be either useful or beautiful, and I'm really trying to stick to that. So for me:
I will always make room for books, as they are useful AND beautiful. I'll happily enter any book giveaways, and so bookmarks are ALWAYS appreciated because I'm constantly leaving them in the last book I finished and forgetting about them, then searching for new ones. I also enjoy pens, because I use them and lose them frequently. Magnets are also useful for keeping stuff on the fridge.
Pins, bracelets, tattoos, etc. don't really serve a purpose for me. I have enough tote bags at the moment, but could be convinced to own more if it's something really cool.
One thing I do love is mugs! At the rate I break them, I could always use another. My favorite is a Harry Potter one that says "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" when it's empty and then when you fill it with something hot, the words change to "Mischief managed". I'm such a nerd, but I adore it!
Your Harry Potter mug sounds awesome! I want one. Those are some of my favorite lines in all of literature. :D
I'm with you I like bookmarks and puns. Especially if either is inspired by a book.
Ha ha my bookmarks frequently disappear too, which is tragic, because I have some very nice bookmarks. But book posters! Yeah I really want to start getting some of those—the ones I've seen are so great.
Temporary tattoos are really fun—I've seen that becoming a popular option for swag, which I think is really cool! Incense sounds fun, though it'd probably be hard to ship, which is another consideration for swag—I've seen many authors online advise you try to stick with flat objects for mailing purposes.
I do think you're right about story-specific swag often being the priciest...but it's a really cool idea, and I love what you said about making you feel like you're already part of the story's world. Hadn't thought of it that way, but it totally makes sense!
Magnets! That's another great one—I forgot about those. And mugs sound totally fun—I like collecting (big) mugs though I hadn't thought of getting bookish ones besides the obvious biggies. That Harry Potter mug sounds awesome though! I want it too. lol
I had a Harry Potter thermos for a while...not sure what happened to it though.
Stickers! I forgot about stickers. And good to know about pens and bookmarks—they seem to be popular choices.
Good to know! I'll definitely keep that in mind. :)
Another bookmark lover here! And I do like bookplates, especially when authors have on their blogs that if you send them a SASE, they'll send you back a signed bookplate to put in your book. That's nice for if you're in totally different areas and doubt they'll ever get to do it in person.
This is a fascinating topic to me because I think similarly to MK - I don't need more stuff. So I love to see what kind of swag other people do like. Despite generally not wanting more things, I would definitely appreciate books and also pens, because my kids are always stealing mine. Magnets are good too.
Temporary tattoos sound fun, but I imagine if you can think of something for a pin that people would actually wear, you'd get more visibility/more out of your investment. Dan Wells had one that said "I am not a serial killer" and he said he saw people wearing them years after they were distributed.
And I want MK's cup too. ;)
intellectually, I enjoy bookmarks. Practically? I don't use them. Whenever I'm reading something and need a book mark, end up grabbing whatever subscription card/receipt/scrap of paper is nearby.
Fake tattoos sound really cool, though (and those jars are AWESOME), and I do think the point of swag is for it to be somewhat portable and not cost you an arm and a leg, so when you start getting into t-shirts and nail polish and stuff, while awesome (i love tshirts and tank tops) it might be a bit much.
I like things that are small and don't take up too much commitment in general... Things like pens, pins, patches, and bookmarks are really the sort of thing I'd prefer because you can use them up and don't take up much space... But that's just me.
I also like bookmarks as I sort of collect them. And they are pretty affordable for authors as well. I also like pens as I often use pens as well, but they don't seem to promote the book so well. I had one pen with a cover on it, that was sort of wrapped around it and it looks a bit weird. Maybe text would be better?
Oh and magnets, love those! I have a few magnets of books I read on my fridge and even one for a book I haven't read, but has a pretty cover. Very little authors seem to giveawya magnets though. And I don't receive that much swag as I don't live in the uS, so maybe that's more the reason. I also have seen t-shirts, which is pretty cool as well, especially when you are a fan of the book. I have two t-shirts I think and even wear them now and then. I like swag that is suefull and fits the book. I once ordered a cool bracelet from etsy with one of my favourite quotes from a book. That also would be fun as swag. I also like book specific swag. I have a few temporary tattoos, but don't really care for those.
My favorites are posters, necklaces, pins, bracelets, and bookmarks in that order. More books need more swag. I want to be able to show off my fandom. XD And cool designs, not just cheap base logos. Swag can be made to look cool and not cheap without being too expensive. I would pay money for all of the above if they were just available for more books.
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Bookmarks seem to be a popular choice, which is great to know! And I've heard a lot about bookplates, but I haven't actually seen any...do you have a favorite bookplate?
Ohh that's great to know about the pins! I like pins and have put them on my bag before, but I found they fell off after a few weeks which was sad. Still! Pins are awesome.
Also very good to know about pens, magnets, and (I assume) bookmarks. :)
That's funny about the bookmarks—I used to never use them until I got a bunch I like. Now I love them. :D
I think you're right about the portability, though—it's also important, as I understand, to try to pick stuff that's easy to mail, whenever possible. All things to consider!
I think you're probably right. Small and easy to carry around (and mail) is ideal. :)
This is great information! Thank you, Lola. Bookmarks look like a definite top choice, but pens and magnets seem to be relatively popular too, so that's good to know. I think you're right about the wrapped-around covers looking weird, though. A lot to consider...hmm.
Thanks, VictoriaGrace! That's great to know. I love posters too even though I don't have any book posters myself...I just love the idea. lol
I do wonder if people would be willing to pay for more expensive things (like posters) from an online store or something. I've seen Julie Kagawa sell her clay dragons (which started as Talon promo) on Etsy, and John Green sells book posters in his store. Might be something to play around with.
Cool! I may clay figures myself and I've thought of selling them when I get published.
It's a neat idea, isn't it? And the ones she makes are SO CUTE. Like, I haven't even read Talon and I kind of want to buy one...
I mean, just look at them! https://www.etsy.com/shop/KagawaCrafts/sold?ref=shopinfo_sales_leftnav
Cooool! :D
Right? Ha ha. Really clever and adorable. :)
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