What Does Your Swag Say?
by Amy M. Reade
Do you remember the last piece of swag you received from an author?
It’s not a rhetorical question. I’m really curious.
Was it a business card? A bookmark? A postcard trumpeting the author’s newest release? A sticker? A pair of cat socks?
I’ve garnered my fair share of such things at events ranging from book conferences to craft fairs to school bazaars. And though I hate to admit it, a lot of those items end up lost in the black hole of my desk drawer, or under a seat in my car, or even (inadvertently) thrown out. It’s not that I don’t want to support those authors. I want to read their books and attend their events, but there’s only so much stuff I can accumulate before I go bananas.
I’ve just concluded the last of about a dozen in-person summer events, and swag is on my mind. I’ve been giving out business cards with my personal tagline (if you’re curious, it’s “Mysteries You’ll Love to Reade” because, with my last name, how can it not be?), and people enthusiastically tuck them into their bags or their pockets.
I wonder, though, how many of those business cards end up in someone’s trash. I’m guessing a whole lot. People think it’s great during the heady moment of learning about my work, then whatever’s at the next table captivates them and my business card ends up in a pile of giveaways destined for a landfill.
Which brings me to two conclusions about swag, which I'll get to in a moment. First, let's cover some of the basics for writers who may be new to this:
What is swag?
Swag is merchandise or promotional items that businesses typically give away. Your brand is usually front and center on the items.
What is your brand?
That's a discussion beyond the scope of this post, but there are tons of places online where you can find answers to that question.
Popular swag items (and I’m talking specifically about authors here)
Bookmarks, stickers, pens, pencils, business cards, sticky notes, pins, candy, etc. There are lots more, but these are the ones I see most often.
Do you really need swag?
That is a personal decision. For some authors, a business card may be all they need to hand out to readers. Others may feel that swag increases the likelihood of future sales and consider it an investment.
Okay, we've covered the basics. Now on to my conclusions.
1. Your swag should tell a story.
What makes great swag?
Great swag accomplishes one thing: when a reader sees it, they think of your books. This means swag has to reflect your brand.
And how does swag reflect your brand when you're an author?
By telling a story.
We're storytellers, right? And our readers are hungry for stories, right? Then what better way to introduce your brand than by creating swag that becomes an extension of the reader's experience, instead of being simply another throwaway piece of advertising?
The possibilities for swag that tells a story are endless if you think outside the Vistaprint business card box.
Your swag can be an extension of a story you’ve already written, or it can tell a new story of its own, one of that entices a reader to want to find out more about your books. Or …
- Do you write thrillers?
- How about a dossier on the villain?
- Or a redacted transcription of an interview with them?
- Romance? How about a map of the town where the lovers meet?
- Sci-fi? You could load one or two exclusive short stories onto a flash drive.
- Fantasy?
- You could create a Mad Libs-style activity that lets your fans overlay their words on your story.
- It could be online or a physical item.
- Cozy mysteries? Recipe cards with recipes from your books are almost a no-brainer. And people love them.
- People also go nuts for stickers. How about one that copies a line from a beloved character?
Keep brainstorming. You'll come up with terrific ideas, I'm sure. The point is to make your swag work for you.
Now, I hear you. Creating swag like this is time-consuming and will probably cost more than the pennies you spend for business cards or pencils.
You're right. And that brings me to my second conclusion.
2. Consider selling your swag rather than giving it away.
This is a controversial one and I understand the arguments against it. But I ultimately come down on the side of charging for swag (and I don't mean charging for business cards. I mean charging for the stuff you really work to create).
There are a couple reasons for this.
First, most of us operate on tight margins when it comes to selling books at in-person events.
There's often a table fee. Getting to and from the venue typically carries some cost, perhaps as high as a hotel stay or meals on the road. Even the humble business card costs money—money that you don't want people to throw away the minute they get home and unload their purchases. And don't forget, your time is worth something, too.
Swag gives us an opportunity to make back some of the money we lay out to attend these events. There are plenty of times a potential new reader will walk by and not feel comfortable making the leap to a $15 book, but for five bucks they might buy that flash drive with the sci-fi short stories to check out your writing style.
The cost of swag is a lower barrier to entry, and if your swag is working for you, it can entice that reader to go online and click "Buy now!" for the first book in your series. Or part with their email to join your newsletter.
A second reason I advocate the sale of swag is more psychological.
What's a reader going to value more—a business card handed out by a stranger, or something they've shelled out actual money for? I know what I value more. People place greater value on things they've sacrificed for. Or in other words, they'll value swag they've paid for more than swag they've been given.
And swag doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, it works better when it's not. A few dollars should be sufficient. The point isn't to make a huge profit, though profit is always nice. The point is to remind readers who you are and what your brand stands for: great storytelling.
So, let's review.
Instead of treating swag as advertising that's more likely than not going to be thrown out, treat it as part of the reader's experience, as an extension of the fictional world you've created. Show how an object can give them a glimpse of storytelling magic. Make them want more.
And consider charging for it. The things people pay for are the things that generally hold the most value for them (and yes, I know the most valuable things aren't things, but we're talking about physical stuff here).
If you work hard to design creative swag that tells a story, maybe you shouldn't just give it away.
Tell me, what's the best swag you've ever seen?
* * * * * *
Amy M. Reade is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of cozy, historical, and Gothic mysteries that'll keep you up past your bedtime.
They're Mysteries You'll Love to Reade.
You can find out more and follow her on social media by visiting her website at www.amymreade.com.
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26 comments on “What Does Your Swag Say?”
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Great idea, Amy. I am going to re-think my swag.
Thanks, Barbara. I need to rethink mine, too. I have several events coming up in October, but I'm not sure I'll have the time to come up with anything earth-shatteringly awesome before then. Sigh. I'm afraid that's a project that may have to wait until 2027.
Hi Amy!
I love your suggestion to make swag work for the writer.
Typically, I use bookmarks as more of the books I sell are children's chapter books and parents usually buy the paperback rather than the eBook. I figure the bookmarks will be used.
It never occurred to me to sell swag, but putting a short story on a flashdrive for a few bucks is a clever idea!
Great post!
Thanks so much, Ellen, and thank you for the honor of guest posting here. It was challenging to come up with a fresh twist on a topic, since the blog has so many thought-provoking posts on a huge range of author-centric topics!
I have 2 kids' books out (well, the 2nd one comes out tomorrow), and occasionally I paint ghost watercolor bookmarks to go with the books. I do sell my bookmarks, but lately I just haven't had the time to sit down and create anything new. That's going to be my goal one of these days.
I give out branded bookmarks with a list of the books in my story world. I commissioned chibi character art of the MCs from my romance and give them to people who purchase the book. Neither are pennies to produce but they aren't throwaways.
Hi, BJ,
I love the idea of chibi character art! That's exactly the type of swag I'm talking about. I wonder if prospective readers might be willing to pay for the art even if they haven't read the books?
My swag has no branding on it, but it brings kids to my table. It's little notebooks that fit with the book I'm selling, a leveled bio of Anne Frank. This allows me to encourage kids to start their own bios. Maybe one day I'll get some with the book info on it, but for now this will do. If kids come to the table, I can pitch, and often they buy. Meanwhile, I'm making a note of this post for future books.
Hi, Debbie,
I really like that idea. And the kids can make the notebooks an extension of your book. Branding on the notebooks would be the cherry on top!
At a conference, one author of erotica/romance gave away her info packaged with a condom. 🙂
I love that idea! Very unique!
I love your ideas--not sure about charging for swag since mine aren't elaborate. I have 2 stickers that people love. One is of a goat in the book and the other is a blue Willow china plate which is the clue to the family mystery.
Thank you, Carol!
As for myself, I LOVE stickers, and I've paid for the 3 on my computer.
I've found that authors who have stickers usually give them away, which makes it hard to go somewhere and charge for them. But, just off the top of my head, you could buy a bundle of used/old blue willow plates and sell those as wall art or trinket holders.
And goats! Lots of goat-related stuff you could sell if you're inclined to do that.
I've been thinking about exactly this for the re-release of my first novel and subsequent release of my second (both part of a sci-fi tetralogy). Had thought about a custom "Terran Council" (big element of my stories) logo/badge (think Star Trek pins), but these suggestions of yours are excellent (and easier). Good, thoughtful article!
Hi, Jerrold,
Sci-fi swag is often the most creative, fun stuff at an event. You've got great ideas!
I know my public library has a 3-D printer that patrons can use for a (very) nominal fee—I wonder if you could use something like that to make inexpensive pins to sell.
But sci-fi lovers might jump at the chance to buy a thumb drive with some ancillary stories or completely new works!
Good luck with your re-release!!
Not sure I can point to "best swag" but I can point to, well, maybe not so good. I noticed a few years ago there were a number of authors who sold various jewelry items, soaps, candles, mugs, "collector plates." All supposedly related to their books. Now, I have noticed many book events are not allowing "craft" items, or telling authors they need to send pictures of "other items" for review and approval.
Hi, Vicki,
Thanks for the comment!
I've noticed the same thing, organizers requiring photos of the "stuff" an author wants to sell alongside the books.
If a swag item is written, subject to copyright by the author, it's harder for a venue to argue it's ancillary to the business of writing books. I can see how soap and jewelry, etc., don't count.
So most of my suggestions involve writing of some kind (or at least drawing). It's harder to see how soap, jewelry, mugs, or candles, etc., tell a story that's an extension of an immersive experience in a fictional world.
Thank you. You've made several really good suggestions for swag. I'll definitely consider making some changes to mine.
My best giveaway was when I had a prize wheel on my table. Visitors had to show me they'd received my "welcome" message for my newsletter to get a chance to spin the wheel for prizes. The prizes were different sizes of 3D printed keychains, earrings, bookmarks, and ink pens. About a quarter of those who signed up at the event unsubscribed immediately but many have stuck around for a couple of years so far.
Hi, Lynette,
What a cool concept! I've seen authors do wheels for fun, but I've never seen one where readers have to sign up for a NL first. I love that idea! It's the same concept, isn't it? Readers giving something in exchange for something.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Don't know if I'll ever hand out swag (I don't get out much due to chronic illness and disability), but I would autograph it as a way of keeping someone from tossing what they just paid a few bucks for - because autographs are personal.
Hi, Alicia,
That's also a good idea! Anything personal from the author is usually something a reader prizes.
Thanks for the comment!
In addition to bookmarks, I've had postcards printed with the muffin recipe the main character of my four-book series serves to her guests. The books are contemporary women's fiction about a widow who buys a broken down hotel on a Caribbean beach and turns it into a B&B. The recipe cards are a popular give-away at book fairs and craft shows.
I also have themed keyrings I display on the books, both series and stand-alones, that I tease cost $15 and come with a free book. I had a hangtag printed with my business card that I attach to the keyrings and then tuck the tags into the books.
Hi, Barbara,
I've done recipe postcards based on my cozies, and they're always a hit. I'm thinking about putting several recipes on a ring and selling the product as a makeshift "cookbook." Depending on the number of recipes, or whether they have a theme (all appetizers or all desserts, etc.), prospective readers might be willing to pay a few dollars for that.
Your themed keyrings sound like exactly what I was talking about in the post. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Your post definitely made me think. I make Swag Bags for ever conference I attend. Each one contains a pencil, pen with my info on it, a small notebook with a random sticker on it (maybe I'll make stickers with quotes from my books on them), a small and random toy animal, candy or mints, a box of crayons and a coloring page.
Thinking--the animals should all be horses since horses appear as main characters in everything I write, make a bookmark with ribbon and a wagon train on it (I am finishing up an Oregon Trail and Oregon Territory Series), your idea of stickers with some of my favorite quotes or passages from my books or stickers with my covers on them is interesting.
I do love swag but admit sometimes things don't last once I get home but some things do--things like screen cleaning cloths, hand sanitizer, I received a $5 Amazon Certificate, books, coming soon chapters, and the occasional invite to appear on a blog or podcast.
Thank you for this really nice post.
Winona Bennett Cross
Hi, Winona,
Wow! It sounds like readers hit the jackpot with your swag bags.
I absolutely love the idea that you focus on horses since you write about them. I took a look at your books and I think the covers would make lovely stickers. I think you could sell them, too.
I love that you have short stories on your website. If you have a few more in a drawer somewhere, how about putting them on a flash drive and selling those? Just thinking out loud here.
Thanks for reading!
Love all of these ideas! Once I had pens made that had random quotes on them. They were like fortune cookies. Probably my most profitable bit of swag ever.
Hi, Amy!
Thanks for your post. You've got me rethinking swag.
A backscratcher is the best swag I ever received. I carry it in my backpack, and I always think of the author.