And here you thought Swag was reserved for those lucky bastards at the Oscars... nope, swag is alive and well in the world of Romantic Fiction.
I guess on some level I knew there would be mounds of swag littering the desks of the Romantic Times Convention. Although I didn't buy space on the desks lining the halls of the Westin, I did know it was available to me.
I did buy a few bucks worth of post cards with my latest releases, a nifty difty bookmark with a hunky Highlander on it to showcase my Amazon Bestselling (plug, plug, plug) Time Travel Trilogy... but in all reality, I didn't spend all that much. I figured being the RT virgin that I was, it was best not to go crazy with what I didn't know squat about.
So lets talk swag.
Paper... much like the paperback books (tears sliding down face) are soooo yesterday. Lets face it, unless I knew and loved the author, what the H.E double L am I going to do with all that stuff? I liked the look of the trading cards and how they showcased characters instead of overall plots of books (blurbs) So, I'll hang on to those for a bit of time.
One exception - Note pads. These are useful and already next to the phone.
Plastic - As in buttons - Cherry Adair made some truly funny buttons. Ones that said things like 'I Need Chocolate! Need I say More?' and 'Hi! I don't remember your name, either.' - I've never read Cherry before, but I tell ya what... I'm gonna. First, she was so damn funny in the panel I sat in on that I thought.. 'If her voice is any way like she talks, I'm so there.' - The buttons were funny, ones I'm going to keep and yes, they have a little tiny bit of promo on the bottom with her website addy on it. (Good show, Cherry.) Silly, simple and it worked for me. Buttons with book covers on them are great if you know and love the author... but with all the books out there unless you read them, chances are you didn't pick it up. (Anyone having a different opinion, please chime in here)
Pens - Yeah, I have a ton from RT. These are keepers. I say KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid. I think this is worth the money out. I'm a geek and will look at every website the pens show me. That's one more time the authors name is in front of me and one more chance they have to show me what they write.
Candy - Duah... Need chocolate and the candy swag was gobbled up. But again, I didn't keep all the paper attached to it. Colleen Gleason, (lovely website BTW) wrapped up a book for the readers with a little red pouch attached with kisses in it. The tiny card attached to the candy is on my computer right now while posting this blog. So, it worked. I'm linking to this writers website and I've not yet read her book. I'm gonna though!
Et All - What the heck is this... Goodness, lets see, Elloras Cave put out condoms on a stick (so funny) grabbed a couple of those - Lube in tiny packages - Key chain with 'emergency' condom inside - All of these are laugh-worthy and perfect for the erotic author.
The earplugs were a funny bit of swag. Bianca D'Arc put thses out. But hey, I grabbed one and know of at least one attendee whose roommate kept her up at night watching TV who used the earplugs and went back for more. How about a partner who snores? Time to tune them out and read a good book. Funny swag!
Book Thongs / Non paper bookmarks - Shannon K. Butcher, who I sat next to at the book signing, hand made beautiful bookmarks. These slim metal bookmakers have dangly pieces of sculptured glass hanging on them. This was made personally by her, and sure, I'm keeping it, but I'd be shocked if anyone tossed theirs in the trash. They'd use this over and over again.
So, authors who spend money on swag... what do you think worked? What didn't and why? What swag do you keep and what are you going to purchase for your next convention.
Let's talk swag!
