Author Swag

Saturday's "Lemonade Social" at RT2014 reintroduced me to a subject I haven't thought much about lately: author swag.

As I watched my fellow authors stake out their places behind the venue's high tables and begin spreading out their bait--I mean swag--I realized, Oh, dear; I only brought myself (and a few paltry old business cards). Back in the day, authors who printed up bookmarks were thought to be going the extra mile (full confession: I've never made bookmarks). But in this ebook age, who wants bookmarks? I'm told even postcards and rack cards are rather passe (so many end up in the trash that some conferences have outlawed "paper swag"). Today's cutting edge authors spring for personalized lip balm, magnets, buttons, sunscreen, pens, first aid kits, chocolates, key rings, sewing kits, mugs; you name it, some author has probably $$$$$$$plattered her name/book cover across it. I even heard of one erotica author giving away samples of personal lubricant emblazoned with her book cover (I am not making this up).

So my question to you is, Does this stuff really work? I mean, just because I pick up Judy Author's sunscreen does not mean that I will buy one of her books. Readers might eagerly scoop up chocolates, but the author's special wrapper is quickly thrown away and forgotten. I have a magnet on my fridge that I picked up at RWA2001 because I thought the cover was pretty; it's still there, yet I never bought the book and couldn't even tell you the author's name unless I went and looked at it. I do wear a Robicheaux Dock and Bait Shop baseball cap that Steve gave me, but he gave it to me because I'm a fan of James Lee Burke, not the other way around. And Steve has a BAD MEN T-shirt that John Connolly gave him, but then Connolly is a friend.

I do see a place for postcards and rack cards, which can basically serve as oversized business cards. I struck up a conversation with one author and took her rack card so I'd remember her name. The entire experience motivated me to spend hours today at Vistaprint designing new business cards and rack cards (that I'll probably never do anything with!). And I must admit it would be rather fun to make up some of their stuff as giveaways to readers I knew actually wanted it. In fact, I'm seriously thinking of ordering this mouse pad for myself...

But the merchandise that isn't junk is not cheap, and giving it away in the hopes someone will buy one of my books strikes me as desperate to insane. Your thoughts?

RT's Bourbon Street Pub Crawl

Imagine 2,000 dedicated, hardcore romance readers, ten publishers set up in ten Bourbon St. bars, free drinks, free beads, loudly blaring music, and a bevy of male cover models: that was last night's RT Bourbon Street Pub Crawl. If you ask me, the authors stationed at each bar were largely extraneous, since (unsurprisingly) the beads and the booze (and some mysterious giveaway at the end to those who collected at least seven out of the ten sets of beads) were the real draws.

I am glad I went, though, because half a dozen readers did come seek me out and talk to me (if only the music had been a little quieter). One blog reader, "vp," found some old F. van Wyck Mason paperbacks in her collection--including Rivers of Glory--and actually brought them to me! (She said she reread them first and warned me they have not aged well.) Thank you again, Vickie; that was an amazing thing to do.

I also had a good time talking to  new Penguin author Jan DeLima, who writes urban fantasy, and another author whose name I never did quite catch (did I mention the LOUD MUSIC?).

Thanks to a late, unseasonable cold front that came through on Wednesday, the temperature was balmy, which helps when it comes to Bourbon Street. And coming up on Saturday is the Lemonade Social, which I trust will be a bit more book friendly?