Finding Swag for the Bag, Part II

The swag for today's blog comes from the 2013 RWA National Conference. Nationals gave out a really great bag (which I'm realizing I don't have a photo of), but for the most part swag is put out on swag tables so people can grab what they want.

Check out the difference in items, just at first glance. 

Yes, there are some paper products, but not nearly as much as in the previous swag bag. As a result, we can look at items a little bit more closely and things don't get lost in the shuffle.

These are all items that caught my friend Celeste's eye. Something about these made her pause and pick them up. Maybe it was because they were different and she hadn't seen anything like it before. Maybe because it was a fun, cute idea. Maybe it's as simple as she liked the color...some of this is a crap shoot as we know. There are so many unique items that I'm going to try to post the photos with minimum commentary about each one...unless I need to explain what they are due to my poor photography skills.

RWA gave out these water bottles to all attendees. Great idea for the weekend in Atlanta. It's always smart to carry some water around with you during conferences. Who knows when you'll have a chance to get a drink.

Celtic Heart chapter had a party where they handed these buttons and badge ribbons out. I'm a sucker for anything in a kilt (as are so many readers), so these are particularly clever. And it always feels funny not having any ribbons on your badge when attending a conference. This is a fun way to include readers and get your name out there.

Two different styles of drink koozies. I really like this idea, particularly for the Western Themed (based on the logo) series. And with backyard BBQ season in full swing, this is a great swag idea.

 A stress ball. This little puppy is coming to the day job with me. A new take on an old classic...and no one else is doing it.

Trading card size magnets. She didn't grab a lot of these, but the few that caught her attention. I (being a conference chair) thought the magnet for the 2014 Spring Fling was a great way to advertise that conference.   The thing about these: they are all the same size & shape. Nothing really makes them stand out from one another.

 A pamphlet about an author and her series, but it includes a recipe in the back. Very cute. And, a spatula. I love this idea for a cooking series. This is something that will be kept and used again and again.

A couple different notepads. (The green heart one was on the tables during a meal, not at the swag table.)

 Colorful label flags (is that what they're called??) I use these all the time, so this will be on my desk.

 Tattoo sleeves, perfect for every Rock-n-Roll series. So fun. And the fact that the label is specialty made to fit the series is awesome.

a coin purse

bath tea

a paper coaster with a writing quote

bookmarks

I couldn't get good pics of these items. Pens, a USB drive, odd sized/shaped bookmarks.

the trading cards with little goodies attached to help them stand out a bit.

beach ball

Great idea and ties right in with her title.

 A glasses cleaning cloth. I'm always in need of these! The other side has her business card/trading card.

bracelets

I think this is a great idea for ebook authors. You can't give out free books, but what about a post card offering a free download? or coupon code. This was given out in the session the author gave to those that were interested.

teas and sachets

buttons

Really bad photo, sorry. Matches.

I hope these give authors some ideas for different ways to use their promo dollars and really help their name stand out from the crowd. If you see something on the table you want a closer look at, let me know. I've got the bag of goodies here and I'll do my best to get a better photo and post it. :-)

Are there any vendors that authors would recommend for promo materials? Any fun ideas?

Thanks for stopping by!

Picking It Up

We've all heard them; the cheesy pick up lines that cause us to laugh because-really? Did you REALLY just ask me what my sign is? As if any woman over the age of twelve doesn't have a response to that (STOP! DO NOT ENTER!) ready in their hip pocket.

But, to be fair, what do you say to that really hot girl (or guy-come on girls, take ownership of what you want) and not sound like a complete knob? 

HI is always a good place to start. Hi, I'm Joey, what's your name (or if your last name is Tribiani-how you doin')? Can I buy you a drink (if you're in a bar), Would you like to dance? 

Writing romance, I'm constantly thinking of why these two characters connect, why two other characters don't. What chemistry makes them spark and, yes, what are the first words that they can say to each other that will create a buzz of interest. And it's interesting, because something that is said to one person/character that is a turn off could attract another person/character.

I was in a library back in college when a guy approached me in a library and said once of the nicest things I've ever heard; "I just needed to come and introduce myself to the woman who had such a wonderful smile."  That relationship didn't go anywhere, but I still swoon a little bit when I think of it.

Sometimes it's knowing that you're ridiculous, but getting over that awkward "I don't know you, but I'm attracted to you and really would like to know you" moment out of the way.

All in all, what matters more than anything else is being genuine. At least for me. 

And looking like Ryan Gosling wouldn't hurt.

What about you? What is the worst pick up line you've ever heard? How about the best?

Be unexpected

When you tell people you're a romance author, what's their reaction? Do they giggle and blush? Do they ask why you'd want to write that? Do they laugh you off? Or do they look you up and down asking where your feather boa is?

 We romance authors have a very interesting stigma attached to our occupation. People have expectations that don't involve business suits, let alone business minds. Which is really ironic when you think about how romance authors have led the self publishing revolution and really found a new way to get our books into the hands of our readers...but I'm getting side tracked.

People expect us to look a certain way. A certain, sexy, way. Because, after all, we write about sex. We talk about it. We drag all those fantasies front and center and tell people that they're okay.  So, we must know what we're talking about, right? We must look like this:

Us and the phone sex operators.  We all shop at the same stores, right?

Here's a dirty little secret: we are a sexy bunch of people. Not because we've got cleavage hanging out of our suit jackets, but because of our minds. We dare to imagine. We dare to believe. And since we do, we sparkle in a way that doesn't have anything to do with our tiaras or vampires. (Notice that I didn't say we don't own tiaras, but that the sparkle in our eye isn't only because of them)

We are beautiful. We are smart and we are strong. And we deserve much more respect than our reputation brings us.
But it's okay. We're not going to make a big deal about it. We'll just sit here in our bunny slippers, quill in our hand, and pen our next novel. It might never win national awards, it may not inspire world peace or change the political climate, but we're happy. And because we're happy, our readers are happy.

And our bunny slippers are damn sexy.  Unexpected? Yes. That's what makes us so much fun.